Global Witness insists on HAGL’s illegal land grabs  In the message sent to VNE online newswire on May 20, Global Witness confirmed its accusation of Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) Group’s land grabs, deforestation and said that the group is too busy protecting its public image rather than dealing with the consequences. Hoang Anh Gia Lai denies information of Global Witness HAGL's Chairman Doan Nguyen Duc. A report entitled "Rubber Barons: How Vietnamese companies and international financiers are driving a land grabbing crisis in Cambodia and Laos," released by Global Witness on May 13 said that privately owned HAGL Group and state-owned Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) acquired more than 200,000 hectares of land through a series of deals with the Lao and Cambodian governments that lacked transparency. The report also said that this deal was backed by several international financiers, resulting in widespread devastation to the environment and livelihoods of locals. On May 17, HAGL Chairman Doan Nguyen Duc held a press conference with shareholders, local and foreign media outlets. At the conference, Duc claimed that the allegation is up to 99.9 percent false and made six points of response. He also doubted the real purpose of Global Witness when it released the report. In the message sent to VNE on May 20, Megan MacInnes - Leader of Global Witness’s Land Resources group, one of the authors of the report, commented: "Rather than addressing the issues raised in the report and improving the lives of hundreds of affected people, HAGL seem only be interested in its own image." HAGL’s Duc also confirmed at the conference that no official spokesperson of HAGL contacted with Global Witness in August 2012. However, Global Witness said they not only met face to face but also exchanged emails a few weeks later, in which HAGL said it is not ready to implement the recommendations of Global Witness. "In March, Global Witness also emailed the group to ask what they did after last year's meeting, but HAGL refused to answer," the message noted. Global Witness also said they are discussing with Duc and representatives of HAGL about the meeting in Pleiku this June. Explaining of its refusal to visit rubber projects of HAGL in Laos and Cambodia, Global Witness said they appreciated the invitation of HAGL. However, Global Witness went there several times in 2012. They thought that it would be more effective if both parties sit together to discuss the results of the report and action to solve the problem. The allegation against HAGL and the Vietnam Rubber Corporation was released when Vietnamese businesses are actively investing into regional markets, including Laos and Cambodia. HAGL is an internationally active group for many years. It issued bonds and listed securities abroad. The group has many international shareholders. Global Witness is a non-governmental organization working for the environment. One of the sponsors for this organization is the family of billionaire George Soros, who came to Vietnam last year for traveling and exploring the investment opportunities in Vietnam. Translated by S. Tung From VNE