Local authorities remain unable to identify who ordered the illegal leveling of 17 graves for the Gia Bình Airport project, even as affected families are pressed to accept compensation and waive their right to complain.
The Latest: Nearly a week after excavators illegally leveled 17 graves belonging to 16 households at the Ngọc Xuyên Village public cemetery in Bắc Ninh Province, authorities state they are “urgently” investigating but have yet to identify who ordered the destruction.
The incident occurred on the evening of June 13 during land clearance operations conducted by a contractor for the Gia Bình Airport project. Following rapid negotiations, affected residents were asked to sign a pledge agreeing not to file complaints after receiving compensation.
The Details: According to Nguyễn Hồng Nguyên, a representative of Thái Minh Group JSC, the destruction occurred during work on a resettlement area serving the airport.
- The contractor claimed that the incident was an unfortunate accident caused by the excavator operator’s carelessness while working at night.
Nguyễn Trung Kiên, vice chairman of the Gia Bình Commune People’s Committee, stated that there is currently “no basis” to determine who ordered the leveling of the cemetery area.
- This assertion comes despite Lt. Col. Nguyễn Bá Phú, head of the Gia Bình Commune Police, confirming that authorities have identified the excavator operator.
- Kiên acknowledged that the incident severely impacted the emotional and spiritual lives of the affected families.
During a second dialogue on the afternoon of June 16, residents demanded that authorities urgently carry out remediation and clearly identify each damaged grave to allow families to perform incense offerings and worship rituals.
- At this meeting, Thái Minh Group proposed a compensation plan offering approximately 37 million đồng in support per grave, an additional 10 million đồng for families that carried out exhumation and cremation, and 15 million to 20 million đồng for constructing a new grave.
While many households initially rejected the proposed compensation levels, Đinh Đình Diệp, secretary of the Ngọc Xuyên Village Party Cell, confirmed that by the afternoon of June 17, all affected households and the company had agreed on a remediation support plan.
- The families also pledged not to file complaints or pursue further disputes.
Public Anger on Social Media: The land clearance process for the Gia Bình Airport has generated significant anger among local residents and religious institutions.
The Bắc Ninh Diocese has repeatedly utilized its official Facebook page and website to highlight the frustrations of Catholic parishioners forced into temporary housing.
- On June 16, the Bắc Ninh Diocese commented under a Facebook post: “At present, the diocese is in dialogue with provincial authorities over relocation and land handover for the Gia Bình Airport project. There has been no official decision or agreement on land or religious facilities. Please be mindful of the information you share on media platforms.”
Earlier, on June 8, a post titled “When even the dead must leave their homeland…!!!” by an individual named An Bình garnered over 1,700 reactions.
- The author wrote: “What stood before my eyes was no longer the familiar scene of a Catholic cemetery, with orderly rows of graves and crosses stretching toward the beloved church of the parish. Instead, there were deep trenches carved into the ground, upturned earth, and fresh traces of excavators and bulldozers. Everything appeared chaotic, empty and heartbreakingly desolate.”
The Background: The overarching Gia Bình International Airport project was approved on Dec. 11, 2025, when the National Assembly passed Resolution No. 256/2025 based on a Ministry of Construction proposal.
- Managed by the Ministry of Public Security, the facility aims to become a premier aviation gateway for northern Việt Nam.
- It carries an estimated total investment of 196.378 trillion đồng and is expected to handle 30 million passengers and 1.6 million tons of cargo annually by 2030.
- The project requires the recovery of nearly 1,885 hectares of land, affecting 118 organizations and approximately 7,100 households, with resettlement planned for 5,800 of them.
- As of Nov. 11, 2025, Bắc Ninh Province had disbursed nearly 1.998 trillion đồng in site-clearance compensation to roughly 4,054 households.
- Construction is split into two phases (2025–2030 and 2031–2050), with the first two years prioritized to serve the 2027 APEC Summit expected to be held in Phú Quốc, Kiên Giang Province.
Why It Matters: Article 319 of the 2015 Penal Code of Việt Nam, which covers the offense of violating corpses, graves, or human remains, strictly states: “Anyone who digs up or destroys graves, appropriates objects placed in or on graves, or commits other acts violating corpses, graves, or human remains shall face non-custodial reform for up to two years or imprisonment from three months to two years.”
Thành Phương wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on June 18, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.
