Nghệ An has imposed a ban on photography and recording at land seizure sites related to the construction of the Vinh-Thanh Thủy Expressway.
The Latest: On Oct. 12, 2026, the Nghệ An Provincial People’s Committee issued Decision No. 4456, banning audio recording, video recording, and photography at 13 areas placed under “temporary protection” to “serve the forced land seizure” for the Vinh–Thanh Thủy expressway project.
- The 13 areas consist of land plots belonging to 13 households facing seizure in the hamlets of Hồng Thái and Long Bình within Nam Đàn Commune.
- Some families own several adjoining plots.
- The Nghệ An Provincial People’s Committee justified the ban by classifying these sites as places “where situations seriously threatening national security, social order, and safety could arise.”
Nghệ An provincial police are responsible for enforcing the ban.
- Police will work with state agencies to put up signs reading “Protected Area” and “No Audio Recording, Filming, or Photography.”
- Police will also “manage and control” the movement of people and vehicles to deal with violations.
On Oct. 14, 2026, authorities carried out forced seizures against the first five households under the decision.
- As of that date, localities had cleared about 47.68 out of 60 km (79.5%), while thirteen households in Nam Đàn still had not accepted the compensation plan.
Decision No. 4456: Under the decision, the 13 areas will be “protected” in four phases, starting at 6 a.m. on Oct. 14, 21, 22 and 23, 2026, and lasting until “the forced land seizure and construction are completed.”
- The decision states that any organization or individual that records audio or video, or takes photos, at these sites without permission from the provincial chairman or the land seizure enforcement team will be dealt with according to regulations.
The Expressway Project: The National Assembly approved the investment policy for the Vinh–Thanh Thủy expressway project in Nghệ An on Dec. 11, 2025.
- The road runs about 60 km, with a total investment of nearly 24 trillion đồng (about $913 million), and is expected to open in 2029.
The project requires seizing about 648 hectares of land, affecting 3,057 households, 199 of which must be resettled.
- However, only 3 of the 13 resettlement areas have been completed.
- The project also affects farmland, forestry land, protective forests, and hundreds of graves.
The Nam Đàn Commune People’s Committee stated that it held seven dialogues on the land seizure between June 2026 and Oct. 13, 2026.
- As of that date, 19 households still had not accepted the compensation plan or agreed to hand over their land.
The Background: Local authorities elsewhere have also banned recording to make way for land seizures.
In November 2016, the Sa Pa District People’s Committee in Lào Cai Province issued a decision banning interviews, filming, and photography in the forced land seizure zone for the Hàm Rồng eco-tourism project.
- Atty. Nguyễn Văn Quang called the rule unreasonable and stated that it violated residents’ rights and journalists’ work.
In February 2017, the Thụy Khuê Ward People’s Committee in Tây Hồ District, Hà Nội, forcibly removed floating houses in the area.
- During the operation, officials put up fences and “no filming or photography” signs and repeatedly warned reporters at the scene.
Why It Matters: At projects such as the Red River Scenic Boulevard Project, Sun Group’s Safari project in Ba Vì, and Sun Group’s urban renovation and upgrading project in Vĩnh Hưng, residents successfully recorded many photos and videos of land seizures and site clearance.
- These images were posted and shared on social media, drawing attention and sympathy, while some videos spread widely to help convey the residents’ concerns and wishes.
In Việt Nam, many localities frequently bar residents from recording when they deal with state agencies.
- In January 2019, the Ministry of Justice reported that 28 localities and several ministries and agencies had rules barring residents from recording audio or video at citizen reception offices without officials’ permission.
- However, in March 2023, former Government Inspector General Đoàn Hồng Phong clarified that the Law on Citizen Reception does not ban residents from recording audio or video at citizen reception offices.
Lê Sáng wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on October 15, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.
