Bewildered residents question this controversial statistic mentioned by President Tô Lâm.
The Latest: On the afternoon of Sept. 27—less than a day after the public consultation period closed—President Tô Lâm announced that 71.8% of residents supported plans for the Red River project during a meeting with voters in Hà Nội.
- He stated that the figure originated from Hà Nội’s report on public feedback on urban zoning plans for the Red River Landscape Boulevard project.
- He also stressed that the results were not final and that authorities needed to continue listening to residents and experts.
- “Anyone with a better design is welcome to submit it, and implementation will only proceed once consensus is reached. Hà Nội has not decided on a policy or model,” he said.
From the Government: Hà Nội authorities have yet to announce when they will release the consultation results, saying only that the feedback period would run for 20 days starting Sept. 7.
A ward official in the project area previously told Luật Khoa that consultation results would be reported daily to Hà Nội’s Department of Construction—”once in the morning, once in the afternoon.”
- The official did not know when the results would be released or when the planning map would be approved.
Furthermore, public consultation meetings have faced sudden delays.
- On Sept. 24, the Long Biên ward People’s Committee issued an urgent notice postponing a consultation meeting, even though invitations had been issued earlier that same day. No new date has been announced.
- Similarly, on Sept. 27, Hà Nội’s Department of Construction announced the postponement of an online public consultation scheduled for the morning of Sept. 28, citing an “unexpected work commitment” of the city’s People’s Committee.
From the Residents: On social media, many residents said that they were “bewildered” by the results Tô Lâm announced, asking, “Where did that number come from?” and “Who was asked, and how?”
- They noted that their families and relatives living within the planning area had all voted against the proposal.
- Other commenters expressed anger at the results and stated that they also opposed the project.
In Red River residents’ groups, many questioned the vote-counting process.
- They described the consultation as a formality, comparing it to elections. Some argued that seeking feedback in areas not directly affected by the project inflated support, pointing to an approval rate of more than 99% in Đông Anh commune, Hà Nội.
- Many residents also expressed frustration that authorities postponed meetings, only to call them at short notice before reporting high approval rates.
According to a survey by Luật Khoa during the project’s public consultation period, every resident interviewed opposed the project and expressed unease and doubts about the transparency of the consultation process.
The Background: The Red River project is a strategic megaproject intended to reshape Hà Nội’s urban space.
- It spans 16 communes and wards, covers about 11,418 hectares, and carries a preliminary investment estimate of 736.963 trillion đồng ($28 billion).
- The development is expected to affect roughly 200,000 residents.
Lê Sáng wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on September 28, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.
