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Displaced villagers in Bắc Ninh are pleading for relief amidst reports of forced utility cuts, sudden relocations, and unpaid compensation due to the multi-trillion đồng Gia Bình International Airport project.

The Latest: Following statements from Vicar General Fr. Peter Nguyễn Công Văn regarding power and water shutoffs at Catholic churches in Gia Bình Commune, Bắc Ninh, local residents are stepping forward to report identical conditions.

On June 15 and 16, 2026, the Diocese of Bắc Ninh published video interviews on its Facebook page featuring residents of Ngô Thôn Village.

The video series, calling for “communion and prayers for the brothers and sisters of Ngô Thôn,” documents the severe hardships and sudden losses villagers are experiencing as their land is rapidly recovered to make way for the Gia Bình International Airport project.

In the Video Series: Residents in the video series spoke about their experiences regarding aggressive land clearance timelines.

One individual said that the state was building the airport “too fast, too urgently.” Residents had fewer than seven days to vacate, the person said, and if they did not comply, their power and water would be disconnected. The resident explained that temporary relocation sites are located far from their church, forcing the community to scatter and pack away prayer books and rosaries. “When we think of our homes and our land, we cannot eat or sleep,” the resident said through tears.

Another woman stated that her family, previously classified as near-poor, would likely become truly poor because they had “nothing” and had “not received a single đồng in compensation.” She expressed uncertainty over how she will raise her children and noted that her petitions to state agencies remain unreviewed.

“I feel my life is too tragic. Sometimes I do not want to live anymore, but because of my children, I have to keep trying to live,” she said.

Utility Cuts: The utility cuts align with an unverified document circulating on social media, identified as Official Dispatch No. 468, dated June 5, 2026.

Attributed to the Gia Bình Commune People’s Committee, the document requests that electricity and clean water be cut off for households in the Ngô Thôn Village land recovery area to expedite clearance.

While the committee has not confirmed the dispatch's authenticity, multiple residents report receiving ultimatums regarding their utilities.

The Background: Approved by the National Assembly via Resolution No. 256/2025 on Dec. 11, 2025, the Gia Bình International Airport project aims to become a major northern aviation gateway and a top 10 global airport.

Designed to meet five-star international service standards, the project boasts a total investment of approximately 196.378 trillion đồng. It will recover nearly 1,885 hectares of land, displacing roughly 7,100 households and 118 organizations, with about 5,800 households requiring resettlement.

By Nov. 11, 2025, Bắc Ninh authorities had already paid nearly 1.998 trillion đồng in land-clearance compensation to roughly 4,054 households.

The project is split into two phases (2025–2030 and 2031–2050), but construction in the first two years is heavily focused on completing facilities to serve the upcoming 2027 APEC summit.

By 2030, the airport is expected to handle 30 million passengers and 1.6 million tons of cargo annually, placing immense pressure on local authorities to clear land at an unprecedented pace.

Why It Matters: Ngô Thôn Village, which comprises either 217 or 227 households (including 50 Catholic households depending on conflicting reports), is designated as a priority area for early land handover. The relocation process has occurred in rapid, phased successions:

May 28: The first 15 households in Ngô Thôn Village relocated to new residences.

April 4: 40 households that voluntarily handed over residential land early (on March 31 and April 1) received reward payments from the commune and the investor. Each household received 150 million đồng (approximately $5,703 US), totaling 6 billion đồng.

June 4 and 5: The provincial Land Fund Development Center, the Gia Bình Commune People’s Committee, and Masterise Aviation Infrastructure JSC paid land-clearance compensation to 137 households, totaling roughly 410 billion đồng.

June 6: The commune People’s Committee announced that 100% of village households had registered to hand over land before June 8, with 96% having already finished dismantling structures and moving property.

June 8: The commune handed the cleared site over to the investor, claiming that essentially all households had surrendered their land by June 7.

Efforts of the Clergy: The Diocese of Bắc Ninh has actively published accounts of the grievances faced by parishioners. They have reported that residents have been forced into temporary housing and are facing difficulties and disruptions in daily life as well as religious practice.

June 16: The Diocese issued a public comment stating: “Currently, the Diocese is in dialogue with the provincial authorities over relocation to make way for the Gia Bình Airport project. There has been no official decision or agreement on land or religious facilities. Please be mindful of information when sharing it on media platforms.”

Lê Sáng wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on June 16, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.

‘Too Fast, Too Urgent’: Gia Bình Residents Lose Power, Water for Airport Land Clearance

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