Facing opposition from local residents, real estate developer Sun Group is promising a “land-for-livelihoods” transition for the Ba Vì Safari Project, despite the controversy surrounding its prior implementation of this compensation model.
The Latest: On Oct. 1, citing the Ba Vì commune government’s website and Hà Nội’s Department of Finance, VnExpress reported that Sun Group had “promised” to help residents in the proposed Ba Vì Ecotourism Complex area transition to new occupations.
- According to the report, the proposal includes compensation in cash or land, alongside assistance in developing new sources of income as residents move from farming into tourism and services.
- The company refers to the proposal as a “land-for-livelihoods” model.
- Sun Group stated that it will need 400–500 workers during construction and 1,000 once the project opens, adding that it expects to recruit workers from households affected by the project.
Project Uncertainties: Despite Sun Group’s assurances, several important details remain unknown.
- It is currently unclear how many households in Giáp Thượng and Sơn Lý villages will have to surrender their land.
- The proposed compensation rates, the location of any resettlement site, and whether such a site has even been planned also remain unconfirmed.
Prior Failed Implementation: This scenario mirrors another Sun Group project currently facing a dispute over compensation rates, which prompted local authorities to pause the development process.
- In September 2024, a five-member consortium that includes Mặt Trời (Sun) Group Joint Stock Company received approval to develop the Hiệp Hòa urban area in Trấn Biên Ward, Biên Hòa City, Đồng Nai Province.
- The total investment was set at 72.2 trillion đồng, including about 16.7 trillion đồng for compensation and relocation.
- Residents subsequently objected, stating that the proposed compensation rates were below the actual value of their property.
- On June 12, the Trấn Biên Ward People’s Committee requested a pause in the compensation plan to secure residents’ agreement before proceeding.
Resistance from Residents: Beginning Sept. 28, several people reported that Ba Vì residents had gathered, spread out mats, and stayed awake through the night to keep outsiders from entering their villages.
- A video that circulated on social media on Sept. 30 showed residents of Giáp Thượng and Sơn Lý displaying a red banner with yellow lettering that stated:
“RESIDENTS OF GIÁP THƯỢNG AND SƠN LÝ VILLAGES, BA VÌ COMMUNE, DO NOT AGREE TO THE PROJECT BEING BROUGHT INTO OUR COMMUNITY.”
On Threads, user save.b*** detailed the sudden developments, writing:
“[…] Sun Group is holding a groundbreaking ritual without having met with residents or sought their views. They put up the tent at 8 p.m., after announcing the groundbreaking ceremony in the village’s Zalo group at 7 p.m. Residents knew nothing about the plans beforehand. People have had to take turns keeping watch day and night to stop unfamiliar vehicles from entering.”
The Background: The Mặt Trời Real Estate Group Joint Stock Company, a Sun Group subsidiary, is seeking permission from Hà Nội authorities to develop an ecotourism complex in Ba Vì without competitive bidding.
- Although the project has not been formally approved, Ba Vì commune authorities announced an Oct. 10 groundbreaking date.
- Angry that they were not consulted and fearful of losing their land, residents have organized round-the-clock watches and erected banners in opposition.
Why It Matters: No recent statistical dataset has documented how people make a living or how their incomes change after they acquire their land.
- The most recent figures date to 2011, when the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations reported that, following land acquisition, 13% of workers found local nonfarm jobs, 20% were fully unemployed, and 67% were underemployed.
Subsequent regional studies have produced mixed findings.
- A 2017 survey of 92 households at Lương Sơn Industrial Park in Hòa Bình found that 78.26% of respondents reported higher incomes after acquiring their land.
- Another 2022 survey covering 1,460 agricultural workers in Thanh Hóa City found that 70.14% were worried about employment, and 48.1% lacked stable jobs.
Thành Phương wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on October 1, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.
