Man charged in Vietnam for spraying workers with water hose amid land dispute

Nguyen Duy Manh, 36, faces charges of public disturbance for an incident where he repeatedly sprayed construction workers with a high-pressure water hose as they dismantled a rooftop. The case, which occurred two months prior, has now led to a formal indictment approved by the Hanoi People's Procuracy for Region 10. Manh is currently prohibited from leaving his place of residence.

The dispute originated from a conflict over land use between the families of Phan Thi C. and Nguyen Huu D. In 2001, Ms. C.'s family built a three-story house with a balcony and eaves that encroached upon the airspace of the adjacent property, now owned by Mr. D.'s family. Despite multiple attempts at negotiation, the families failed to reach an agreement.

Legal proceedings resulted in a court order for Ms. C.'s family to dismantle the infringing structures. On June 3, 2026, Mr. D., along with family members and hired workers, began clearing the roof of a single-story house to prepare for the court-ordered execution of the judgment. During this process, Ms. C.'s children, including Manh, obstructed the work.

Manh then used a high-pressure water pump, similar to a car wash machine, to spray water directly at the heads and faces of the workers dismantling the roof. This caused pain and forced them to stop working. The confrontation, which was filmed and widely shared on social media platforms, garnered hundreds of thousands of views and tens of thousands of negative comments, causing significant public anger.