Ethnic Ba Na women carry goods to the market on a road in Mang Yang district, about 40 km (24. 9 miles) east of Pleiku city, in Vietnam's central Highland Gia Lai province March 29, 2006. [A series of cultural activities are being held until March 31 in the central Highland's Gia Lai province to welcome the first-ever Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups.] 

An ethnic Jrai rubber worker carries a basket of water in a rubber forest in Chu Se district, about 20 km (12.4 miles) south of Pleiku city, in Vietnam's central Highland Gia Lai province March 29, 2006. [A series of cultural activities are being held until March 31 in the central Highland's Gia Lai province to welcome the first-ever Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups.] 

A plantation worker scrapes rubber latex at a rubber plantation in Chu Se district, 20 km (12 miles) south of Pleiku city, in Vietnam's Central Highland Gia Lai province March 29, 2006. Vietnam exported 162,000 tonnes of rubber in the first quarter of 2006, a rise of 44.5 percent from the previous year, the government said on Tuesday. 

A Vietnamese worker hangs a bucket between rubber trees while he scrapes rubber latex in Chu Se district, 20 km (12 miles) south of Pleiku city, in Vietnam's Central Highland Gia Lai province March 29, 2006. Vietnam exported 162,000 tonnes of rubber in the first quarter of 2006, a rise of 44.5 percent from the previous year, the government said on Tuesday. 

Vietnamese workers walk along rubber trees in Chu Se district, 20 km (12 miles) south of Pleiku city, in Vietnam's Central Highland Gia Lai province March 29, 2006. Vietnam exported 162,000 tonnes of rubber in the first quarter of 2006, a rise of 44.5 percent from the previous year, the government said on Tuesday. 

Ethnic Ba Na women carry goods to the market on a road in Mang Yang district, about 40 km (24. 9 miles) east of Pleiku city, in Vietnam's central Highland Gia Lai province March 29, 2006. A series of cultural activities are being held until March 31 in the central Highland's Gia Lai province to welcome the first-ever Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups. REUTERS/Kham 

An ethnic Jrai rubber worker carries a basket of water in a rubber forest in Chu Se district, about 20 km (12.4 miles) south of Pleiku city, in Vietnam's central Highland Gia Lai province March 29, 2006. A series of cultural activities are being held until March 31 in the Central Highland's Gia Lai province to welcome the first-ever Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups. REUTERS/Kham 

A plantation worker scrapes rubber latex at a rubber plantation in Chu Se district, 20 km (12 miles) south of Pleiku city, in Vietnam's Central Highland Gia Lai province March 29, 2006. Vietnam exported 162,000 tonnes of rubber in the first quarter of 2006, a rise of 44.5 percent from the previous year, the government said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Kham 

A Vietnamese worker hangs a bucket between rubber trees while he scrapes rubber latex in Chu Se district, 20 km (12 miles) south of Pleiku city, in Vietnam's Central Highland Gia Lai province March 29, 2006. Vietnam exported 162,000 tonnes of rubber in the first quarter of 2006, a rise of 44.5 percent from the previous year, the government said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Kham 

Vietnamese workers walk along rubber trees in Chu Se district, 20 km (12 miles) south of Pleiku city, in Vietnam's Central Highland Gia Lai province March 29, 2006. Vietnam exported 162,000 tonnes of rubber in the first quarter of 2006, a rise of 44.5 percent from the previous year, the government said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Kham 

Ethnic M'Nong men perform during a ceremony in Pleiku city in Vietnam's Central Gia Lai province March 28, 2006. The Space of Gong culture of ethnic groups in the central highland were recognised by the U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization as a world heritage at a ceremony on Tuesday in the Gia Lai province. REUTERS/Kham 

Ethnic Ma men perform with gongs during a ceremony in Pleiku city in Vietnam's Central Gia Lai province March 28, 2006. The Space of Gong culture of ethnic groups in the central highland were recognised by the U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization as a world heritage at a ceremony on Tuesday in the Gia Lai province. REUTERS/Kham 

Ethnic Churu men perform during a ceremony in Pleiku city in Vietnam's Central Gia Lai province March 28, 2006. The Space of Gong culture of ethnic groups in the central highland were recognised by the U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization as a world heritage at a ceremony on Tuesday in the Gia Lai province. REUTERS/Kham 

Ethnic Brau men perform with gongs during a ceremony in Pleiku city in Vietnam's Central Gia Lai province March 28, 2006. The Space of Gong culture of ethnic groups in the central highland were recognised by the U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization as a world heritage at a ceremony on Tuesday in the Gia Lai province. REUTERS/Kham 

Ethnic M'Nong men perform during a ceremony in Pleiku city in Vietnam's Central Gia Lai province March 28, 2006. The Space of Gong culture of ethnic groups in the central highland were recognised by the U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization as a world heritage at a ceremony on Tuesday in the Gia Lai province. REUTERS/Kham 

Delegates from different ethnic groups chat during a tea break at the first-ever Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups in Pleiku city, in Vietnam's Central Highland Gia Lai province, March 28, 2006. A series of cultural activities are being held until March 31 in the Central Highlands Gia Lai province to welcome the Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups. REUTERS/Kham 

Ama Thuong, a Vietnamese ethnic Jrai, poses for a photo in front of a portrait of late Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh during the first-ever Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups in Pleiku city, in Vietnam's Central Highland Gia Lai province, March 28, 2006. A series of cultural activities are being held until March 31 in the Central Highlands Gia Lai province to welcome the Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups. REUTERS/Kham 

Vietnam's President Tran Duc Luong (C) poses for a photo with ethnic people at the first-ever Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups in Pleiku city, in Vietnam's Central Highland Gia Lai province, March 28, 2006. A series of cultural activities are being held until March 31 in the Central Highlands Gia Lai province to welcome the Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups. REUTERS/Kham 

Vietnam's President Tran Duc Luong speaks in front of a portrait of late Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh at the first-ever Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups in Pleiku city, in Vietnam's Central Highland Gia Lai province, March 28, 2006. A series of cultural activities are being held until March 31 in the Central Highlands Gia Lai province to welcome the Congress of Solidarity of Ethnic Groups. REUTERS/Kham 

A Vietnamese minority worker transports coffee bags at the Hung Binh coffee factory in Vietnam's central city of Pleiku April 27, 2004. Vietnam, the world's top robusta exporter, estimated on Monday its coffee exports in the October-April period of the 2003/2004 season at 531,000 tonnes (8.85 million 60-kg bags), up 30.5 percent on a year earlier. REUTERS/Kham KHAM/FA 

H'Pat, a 26-year old from the Ba Na ethnic minority group, holds her
18-day-old boy Chieu Win while selling produce in a market in Pleiku,
capital of the Vietnamese central highland province of Gia Lai, on
February 19, 2002. Gia Lai was one of several highland provinces hit by
ethnic protest over land and religion last year. A United Nations plan
to repatriate minority people who fled to Cambodia was delated last
week after the United States and human rights groups expressed concerns
about inadequate safeguards. REUTERS/Rathavary Duong

DB/JD 

Thailand's national soccer captain Kiatisak "Zico" Senamuang (R) smiles
to fans from an open car after arriving in the town of Pleiku in
Vietnam's Central Highlands February 18, 2002, while compatriot player
Chukiat Noosalung (L) and a fan accompany him. Zico, who spent an
unsuccessful spell with English league side Huddersfield, has signed to
play for Vietnamese first divison side Hoang Anh, which is owned by a
furniture manufacturer in Pleiku. According to Vietnamese press reports
he has secured a deal worth at least $8,000 a month, a Mercedes Benz
car and a house, making him the highest paid player in football crazy
Vietnam. Noosalung also plays for Hoang Anh. REUTERS/Rathavary Duong

DB/PB/JD 

Hill people walk down a street in Pleiku in Vietnam's Central Highlands
February 18, 2002. The Central Highlands, including Pleiku, were the
scene of serious ethnic unrest last year over land and religion. The
U.N. refugee agency plans to start repatriating some of the more than
1,000 minority people who fled to neighbouring Cambodia following a
crackdown on the unrest, but the plan has been criticised by rights
groups and the United States as lacking sufficient safeguards.
REUTERS/Rathavary Duong

DB/TAN