Gia Lai Resettlement Project Stalls as Residents Dispute Land Origin, Compensation

A contentious land dispute is unfolding in Phù Mỹ Đông commune, Gia Lai province, where residents are resisting a government-led resettlement project. At the heart of the conflict lies a fundamental disagreement over the origin of the land: the villagers maintain they have been cultivating and living on the land since 1983, having reclaimed it from a state of disuse. Conversely, the local authorities, specifically the Phù Mỹ Đông Commune People's Committee, classify the land as belonging to the commune and claim the residents have encroached upon it.

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The villagers say the land, houses, and gardens in this area were reclaimed by them for living and farming since 1983.

This discrepancy in land claims is directly impacting the residents' willingness to participate in the resettlement project. The villagers argue that they have invested years of labor and resources into developing the approximately 15,000 square meters in question. They express frustration that their long-standing use of the land, despite not having formal land use certificates, is being disregarded. Their primary concern is the potential lack of compensation for the land itself, with fears that they might only receive compensation for the structures and assets currently on their properties.

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The local government asserts that the source of the land the households are currently using is due to encroachment on land managed by the commune.

Adding to the residents' distress is the historical context of their settlement. Many families, including Mrs. Lê Thị Tảo, began by building temporary shelters on the land in the early 1980s due to difficult circumstances. As their economic situation improved, they constructed small, permanent homes between 2000 and 2004. However, attempts to expand or renovate these homes between 2015 and 2017 were reportedly met with fines and prohibitions by local authorities, leaving many properties in their current state and contributing to the current impasse.

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Due to a lack of legal understanding at the time, the people had not completed the procedures to apply for land use certificates.

The villagers are appealing for the authorities to acknowledge their legal ownership rights over the land they have cultivated for decades and to maintain the status quo, allowing them to continue living peacefully. The situation highlights a common challenge in Vietnam where informal land use, particularly in rural or reclaimed areas, clashes with official land management policies, leading to protracted disputes and community resistance.

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The villagers are increasingly worried by the information that they will not be compensated for the land, but only for the assets on the land when it is recovered.