As hundreds of residents take to the streets to defend their homes from a multibillion-dollar megaproject, local authorities are using online threats and police summons while urging residents to make way for the project.
The Latest: After hundreds of residents in Hà Nội’s Vĩnh Hưng ward gathered for several days in a row to protest a Sun Group project, the ward’s police posted a warning threatening to “strictly punish” them.
- On Oct. 10, Vĩnh Hưng ward police posted a propaganda message warning residents against “illegal gatherings and marches.”
- The message appeared in the Facebook group “Tôi Yêu Phường Vĩnh Hưng 2 Thủ Đô Hà Nội,” which the police administer.
The Details: In the Facebook post, police urged residents “not to listen to incitement or be drawn into illegal gatherings and marches, disturbing public order, or obstructing the work of agencies and organizations.”
- They stated that they would “proactively verify, gather evidence, and resolutely and strictly punish” violators under the law.
- Furthermore, police directed residents to get their information from state agencies and not to post or share “false, unverified information” about the project.
- They stressed that all opinions and petitions should go to the relevant authorities, who would handle them under the law.
- The post ended by asking residents to “stand with local authorities” to maintain security and order and to help the Sun Group project move forward.
On that same day, a Facebook account posted a photo of a Vĩnh Hưng ward police summons dated Oct. 9, 2026, calling a resident in to discuss the Sun Group project.
- The account warned that “people should not protest.”
- In the comments, many individuals expressed anger at the development and at police for summoning residents.
The Vĩnh Hưng Protest: From Oct. 8 to 10, hundreds of Vĩnh Hưng residents gathered outside government offices at every level and marched through the streets to oppose the Sun Group project.
- They condemned plans to take residents’ land for a shopping center and demanded fair compensation if their land was taken.
- According to a Luật Khoa source, police ordered residents to disperse when they gathered outside the Vĩnh Hưng Ward People’s Committee.
The Sun Group Project: Sun Group is carrying out a 447-hectare urban renovation and redevelopment project in Vĩnh Hưng ward, backed by a total investment of nearly 186 trillion đồng (about $7.1 billion).
- The project broke ground on Aug. 28, 2026.
- However, state media did not mention the development again until early October 2026.
- Moving forward, the Vĩnh Hưng Ward People’s Committee will collect public comments on the project’s detailed 1:500 plan from Oct. 12 to Nov. 1.
Similar Crackdown: Police actions in Vĩnh Hưng are reminiscent of the Red River Scenic Boulevard Project.
- In late September 2026, police dismantled self-organized meetings where residents expressed frustration and opposition to the Red River Scenic Boulevard project.
- Earlier, on June 30, Hà Nội police warned residents against “inciting or drawing people into illegal mass gatherings related to the capital’s key projects.”
Historically, many individuals have been detained, and some even sentenced to prison, for gathering outside government offices to petition over land disputes.
- Following each incident, local police routinely remind residents to exercise their right to file complaints and denunciations “in accordance with the law.”
Lê Sáng wrote this news article in Vietnamese andpublishedit in Luật Khoa Magazine on October 11, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.