The central Nghe An province (Vietnam) has ordered its Quynh Luu district authority to halt the illegal construction of a market at a millennia-old archeological site on Con Diep (Oyster island).
At Con Diep, recognized as a national archeological site where digging is forbidden by the Law on Heritage, archaeologists have unearthed 31 ancient tombs containing human remains, stone tools, and pottery of a primitive people who lived there thousands of years ago.
     In March of this year, the district's Quynh Van commune People's Committee decided to proceed digging up of the ancient history in order to build a new market. Though the construction has been stopped, serious damage has been done to the site, as thousand year old relics have been carelessly removed to build roads and kiosks. The Nghe An Department of Culture and Information is now requesting that the Ministry of Culture and Information recognize Con Diep as a national heritage site, which would ensure long-term protection of the relics.

Source: Thanhnien News (20 June 2006)