Why were Vietnamese scenic spots removed from poll?

10:27' 15/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – According to NewOpenWorld, the organiser of the new world natural wonder selection, Vietnam’s Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Fansipan Mountain were rejected from the selection list because of lack of official support committees.
In an email answering Tien Phong Newspaper’s question about why it removed the two above sites from the nomination list, NewOpenWorld said all nominees become official nominees when they have official support committees, otherwise they will be removed.
According to NewOpenWorld, each nominated site must be registered, using NewOpenWorld’s form, and faxed to +49-89-818196033. The registration form includes the name of the site and information about the support committee.
The committee must be assigned by the government or have a legal presence or responsibility to the registered site.
Nguyen Van Tinh, Head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Physical Training’s International Cooperation Agency, said that Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Fansipan were nominated by local administrations and the media. Only Ha Long Bay was registered and supported by the government and state agencies. Ha Long’s support committee is temporarily the People’s Committee of Quang Ninh province.
To maintain the top position of Ha Long Bay in this selection, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is printing posters to deliver to passengers on Vietnam Airlines flights, organising Vietnamese cultural weeks abroad, which include events to advertise Ha Long Bay.
Quang Ninh province, the site of Ha Long Bay, is awaiting the government’s approval to launch a nationwide campaign calling for votes for Ha Long Bay.
Pham Sanh Chau, Chief of the External Cultural and UNESCO Agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said NewOpenWorld will choose only one wonder in each country. Is it reasonable that three scenic spots of Vietnam be represented in the selection? Should Vietnam focus on only one nominee?