Search for treasure continues despite environmental harm                                   Authorities in central Binh Thuan Province recently decided to allow a search for buried treasure to continue to despite concerns about its impact on the environment.   Using explosives in search of treasure It is said that, before surrendering to the Allied Force in the Second World War, Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita took many things that had been looted by Japanese soldiers from European countries and buried in the Tau Mountain area. It is estimated that the “treasure” includes around 4,000 tonnes of gold along with several other jewels worth around USD100 billion. Rumours place the gold somewhere in Tau Mountain in Tuy Phong District, close to the National Highway 1. Local residents said that previously the area was covered by thick plant life, including several forest apricots. However, recently, the environment there has been changed due to logging and this search.   The area in question Recently, the provincial People’s Committee renewed the license for Tran Van Tiep, 98, from HCM City, to continue his search in the area from January 1 to December 31, 2014. They also will allow Tiep to drill a maximum of 108 holes in an area stretching 2,600 square metres, as well as use explosives within a radius of one to two metres of the land. The decision has raised public concerns that these activities may result in further destruction of the environment, as the area now looks like a wasteland. However, Nguyen Huu Quy, Chairman of Binh Thuan provincial Binh Thuan's Nature and Environment Protection Association, said that explosives would not be used extensively, and the impact is expected to be minor.    Exploratory drilling “These search activities and the use of explosives in the area are on a small scale. I think that people are worried because the provincial government has renewed the license several times, and nothing has been found. Management is tight during the appraisal of the project, is loose during the implementation,” Quy noted. Nguyen Ngoc Hanh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that, to date Tiep, has not submitted any plan for continuous these activities, so they could not conduct any environment impact assessment. Tran Van Tiep has been making efforts to find the treasure for 50 years.  NLD