Residents are crying out. Their representatives are silent.
The Latest: In recent days, within Facebook groups dedicated to Red River residents, several accounts have questioned the silence of National Assembly delegates and expressed hope that the representatives of the people will speak up for them.
Throughout this period, no sitting National Assembly delegate, including those from Hà Nội, has spoken publicly about the Red River Landscape Boulevard project or reflected residents’ concerns and aspirations regarding it.
The Details: In the group “Hội Cư dân Hà Nội- Quy hoạch Thành Phố Sông Hồng; Hồ Tây,” which has 29,000 members, one account asked, “May I ask whether any National Assembly delegate also has a home under planning, faces total clearance, or has family members losing their homes in investor-led projects?”
The user stated that National Assembly delegates, as representatives of the people, need to bring residents’ “very urgent” concerns to the National Assembly and the media so the public can know.
Earlier, in the group “Đại lộ Sông Hồng – Thành Phố Ven Sông – Chia Sẻ Thông Tin,” which has more than 77,500 members, an account named Minh Nguyễn shared an article about preparations for a comprehensive amendment to the Land Law at the second session of the National Assembly.
The user stated that they hoped “the National Assembly will adopt provisions to protect the lawful rights and interests of Red River residents in Hà Nội when amending the Land Law.”
Meanwhile, as of March 24, Hà Nội authorities had received more than 8,300 opinions from residential communities. The vast majority stated that relocating high-density communities would destabilize social welfare and sever local livelihoods.
The Mandate of National Assembly Delegates: Under Article 21 of the current Law on Organization of the National Assembly, a National Assembly delegate represents the will and aspirations of the people in their constituency and of the people nationwide. A delegate also acts on behalf of the people in exercising state power in the National Assembly.
However, experts often describe Việt Nam’s National Assembly as a “rubber-stamp” body within the country’s one-party system.
The Background: In early May 2026, Hà Nội authorities stated that they had agreed to gradually relocate and replan all residential areas outside the dike to serve the Red River Landscape Boulevard project.
Following that, many Facebook groups were created to share information and express residents’ frustration and opposition to the project.
Residents in affected areas have continuously sent petitions, open letters, personal appeals, pleas for help, and other writings while also hanging banners and slogans.
Their central demands are:
- No total clearance,
- Priority for preserving villages and existing residential communities,
- Adequate compensation.
On Vesak Day, residents of Hải Bối ancient village in the former Đông Anh District even wore matching shirts printed with slogans and went to village communal houses and pagodas to pray for divine protection over their neighborhoods.
Additionally, a nonprofit website called “Cộng đồng ven sông Hồng” has recently appeared, aiming to equip residents with knowledge and guidance on how to file petitions.
The Red River Megaproject: The Red River Landscape Boulevard project is a strategic megaproject for Hà Nội, aimed at advancing the redesign of urban space along the Red River and improving the quality of the capital’s central urban area.
The project is expected to affect about 200,000 residents and would normally fall under the approval authority of the National Assembly under Article 30 of the current Law on Investment.
The project passes through 16 wards and communes, covers about 11,418 hectares, and has a preliminary total investment of about 736.963 trillion đồng, or $28 billion.
Why It Matters: Since Dec. 12, 2025—when Resolution 258 on special mechanisms and policies for major development projects in Hà Nội took effect—Hà Nội authorities have gained more authority to decide proactively and flexibly on investment policy approvals instead of the National Assembly.
On the morning of May 11, 2026, the Hà Nội People’s Council—the local state power body representing the people—approved the investment policy for the project, with 100% of attending delegates voting in favor.
Compared with the previous policy, the new version removed three wards from the project area—Vĩnh Tuy, Hoàng Mai, and Vĩnh Hưng—and reduced total investment by about 118 trillion đồng, or $4.49 billion.
Tensions escalated on May 27 when state media reported that the Đại Quang Minh – THACO – Hòa Phát consortium, the investor of the project, had sent a document to the People’s Committee of Hà Nội proposing that the land clearance period be shortened to 2.5 months, triggering strong anger among residents.
As a result, on May 30, the Government Office sent Official Dispatch No. 4975 to the chairman of the People’s Committee of Hà Nội, asking Hà Nội agencies to properly handle public information and outreach, as well as compensation, support, and resettlement when land is recovered, while ensuring the rights and interests of residents.
Lê Sáng wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on June 2, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.
