Hà Nội authorities have walked back forced relocation protocols ahead of land seizures, but skepticism remains on this new “voluntary” requirement.
The Latest: Following a wave of public outrage, the Hà Nội People’s Committee quickly amended its rules on land recovery before resettlement, adding a requirement that residents participate “voluntarily.”
On Sept. 25, the Hà Nội People’s Committee issued Decision 130/2026, which amends the land recovery procedures previously established in Decision 127/2026 on Sept. 16.
- Both decisions took effect Sept. 26.
- Under Decision 130, authorities may recover land before resettling residents only if those residents voluntarily accept temporary housing or funds for temporary accommodation.
The Details: Previously, authorities needed to meet just two conditions:
- Having an approved compensation, assistance, and resettlement plan
- Having provided temporary housing or paid funds for temporary accommodation.
Both of these conditions remain in the new decision.
Although the decision was issued Sept. 25, the Hà Nội People’s Committee did not publish it on its website until Oct. 1.
- Beforehand, residents shared screenshots of a PDF of Decision 130 and stated that they could not find it on government websites.
On Sept. 26, a Luật Khoa reporter searched for the Hà Nội People’s Committee’s Decision 130/2026. Instead of an amendment to land recovery procedures, the reporter found a decision on personnel management.
- This decision has since been renumbered Decision 129/2026, although some government websites, including Điện tử Chính phủ (Government Online) newspaper, still identify it as Decision 130/2026.
From Social Media: Decision 130/2026 has circulated widely on social media with many residents stating that they do not agree to temporary relocation and questioning how the rules will work in practice.
On Oct. 1, an account named ***Hằng posted a screenshot of the decision in a Facebook group for residents along the Red River, highlighting the requirement for voluntary participation.
- Many commenters stressed that no one would voluntarily give up their land to move into temporary housing.
Others stated that residents could still be forced out through electricity and water shutoffs or have their objections recorded as consent, as they alleged had happened with published consultation results.
Some called the decision a government “ploy” to get residents to hand over their land sooner.
- They speculated that authorities could announce a limited supply of resettlement houses with land, leaving those who surrender their land later with apartments as compensation.
- This scenario—they said—could push residents to compete to hand over their land early and accept temporary housing.
The same day, another account posted a screenshot of the decision and wrote:
“Decision 130 amends 127. Authorities can recover land only when residents VOLUNTARILY accept funds for temporary accommodation. We’re not foolish enough to accept that. We’d get burned.”
The Background: On the morning of May 11, the Hà Nội People’s Council approved the investment policy for the Red River Scenic Landscape Boulevard project and a series of other major infrastructure projects.
- Since then, residents have voiced concerns about displacement under the project, particularly regarding resettlement and adequate compensation.
According to a Luật Khoa survey, residents remained unclear about compensation plans, resettlement arrangements, and the project’s timeline during Hà Nội authorities’ Sept. 7–27 public consultation on the Red River Scenic Landscape Boulevard project.
In addition, residents had previously expressed outrage over provisions allowing land recovery before resettlement in the Hà Nội People’s Committee’s Decision 127/2026.
Why It Matters: Even with the added requirement for “voluntary” participation, the new rules still fall short of the land recovery procedures in Article 87 of the current Land Law.
- The law requires authorities to publicly post compensation, assistance, and resettlement plans; seek residents’ input; and complete compensation and resettlement before recovering land.
Lê Sáng wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on October 1, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.
