Displaced residents plead for intervention in massive land acquisition projects while Việt Nam’s top leader focuses his attention elsewhere.
The Latest: President Tô Lâm has remained silent on the grievances of residents facing land acquisition for the Red River Scenic Boulevard, Gia Bình International Airport, and Ba Vì Safari projects.
- Meanwhile, Lâm devoted a meeting on Friday afternoon, Oct. 2, to physical education and sports, directing officials “not to use SEA Games results as the sole measure for investment in elite sports.”
The Details: In the many videos posted online by residents losing their land, Lâm appears to be the leader most frequently addressed, with desperate appeals such as “Uncle Tô Lâm, please save us.”
- In a video that surfaced on social media last week, Ba Vì residents knelt, bowed, and tearfully called out “Uncle!” They were protesting a Sun Group subsidiary’s proposed tourism complex, which had proceeded without consultation with residents and could leave many facing the loss of their land.
- Lâm’s only statement on these projects was to announce survey results showing 71.8% support for the Red River development plan during a meeting with Hà Nội voters on Sept. 27. Residents immediately questioned the figure on social media, asking where it came from given the widespread opposition.
Additional Context: Communist Party leaders, particularly the general secretary, have no established practice of receiving citizens with grievances or meeting groups facing land acquisition.
- Their encounters with residents take place in meeting halls with carefully selected participants.
- The specific disputes that fuel public frustration with the authorities are rarely addressed by them.
Trịnh Hữu Long wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on October 4, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.
