National Assembly member Phan Nguyen Nhu Khue, head of Propaganda Department of Ho Chi Minh City’s Party Committee, on October 7, at a meeting to collect opinions of voters in District 2 before the parliament’s 10th session, has promised voters that he will speed up solving the issue of Thu Thiem new urban area, to carry out the project of establishing Thu Duc city.
However, many voters at that time said that the citizen’s complaint related to wrongdoing in the Thu Thiem new urban area project lasted for more than 20 years, and should be resolved completely, before the establishment of Thu Duc new city.
Responding to Radio Free Asia on October 9, 2020, Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, who is also an injustice resident of Thu Thiem, said about the meeting with Mr. Khue:
“People in District 2 on October 7 met with the city’s National Assembly delegation, in which Khue was the leader of the delegation, to listen to him. But the National Assembly delegation did not really supervise all activities of the City People’s Committee. The National Assembly delegation should cooperate with the city’s People’s Council to resolve all the wishes of the people about Thu Thiem and the establishment of a new city, the people have the opinion that the complaint must be resolved first. About the establishment of a new city, the people did not react much, but had to solve the problems in District 2 and 9 which have not been resolved for a long time … Mr. Khue took notes and said he would report to the National Assembly and the government. He reported many other times but his voice was not heard. So people meet, talk, talk, but are very disappointed, because they want to her actions, not words.”
In response to the opinions of the people of Thu Thiem, legislator Phan Nguyen Nhu Khue said he was looking forward to the Government Inspectorate to dialogue with the people of Thu Thiem, to come to the final step of resolution.
Responding to Radio Free Asia on October 9, 2020, regarding this issue, Mr. Nguyen Dinh De, a land petitioner in Thu Thiem said:
“The inspector coming here cannot solve anything, the problem is that there are 4.3 hectares recognized by the city outside the boundary, which the city has not yet resolved. Not done because the compensation is still based on the 1997 decision, but this decision is completely wrong. Terrible mistakes so this time is still not resolved. Local people sued the 4.3-hectare area with three hundred and ten households to settle it yet. If recognizing 6 outlying neighborhoods, with more than 4,000 households, it is out of the city’s settlement. Should the inspector come in also, Mr. Khue said that it would not solve anything. Unless Ho Chi Minh City realizes what was wrong with the 1997 decision, the city actually takes off the shirt of the previous term, abandons that decision, and replaces it with a new one in the next term, it will be solved for the people.”
According to De, the suggestion of Thu Thiem’s relatives is very correct, the government was too hasty in establishing a new city, and named it Thu Duc city too hastily. Mr. De said that they should solve the Thu Thiem problem after all and then set up a new city. But according to him, to establish a new city should take it as Eastern Saigon. Because Saigon is Eastern Pearl, Saigon is very good, many people know, please name the city as Saigon. He continued:
“Their interests are too great, I also know what they want to do … But I also hope the state will listen to the people, solve the Thu Thiem problem, the people are now industrious, so hungry. God always, settle for the people, support the poor. We have to use a policy of public security. For 20 decades, we will let people go and do whatever they want.”
Mr. De said that the government only solved the top part, not the original part, not finished settling for the people but built the theater, which was the new city …
And Mr. Cao Thang Ca, another land petitioner in Thu Thiem, when answering Radio Free Asia on October 9, 2020, said that Mr. Khue’s meeting with voters was just an act, because the government does not collect people’s opinions for establishing a new city. He continued:
“But now they say more than 90% off Thu Duc people agree, over 90% of District 9 people agree, and in District 2 they say eighty a few% of the people agree … But they consulted. Where people are, the majority of people do not agree with the establishment of a new city, because it does not bring any benefits to the state and the people, it is just an opportunity for state officials to share benefits with each other. Therefore, our people completely disagreed with the establishment of the new city of Thu Duc. And now they keep making promises, blaming this and that, the purpose is that they are determined to make a new city, and ignoring the opinions of the people.”
Mr. Cao Thang Ca said that he and the people of Thu Thiem have lost their total trust in the HCMC government. He continued:
“At present, our petitioners are going to Hanoi, are stretching banners to ask the government inspector to obey the instructions of the General Secretary, the President, the Prime Minister, to resolve completely and dialogue with people. At the same time, we also spread banners to denounce Chairman of the People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong, intentionally violating the law to cover up his predecessors, to the appropriate property of the state and people.
From October 5, 2020, the people of Thu Thiem, resumed their trips to the capital Hanoi to request the central government to quickly resolve the case in Thu Thiem. The people believe that the government of Ho Chi Minh City and District 2 clearly reveal the nature of not wanting to dialogue with the people of Thu Thiem. In addition, on September 30, when some Thu Thiem residents came to the old land, where their foundations were put on, with the banners announced they would rebuild their houses if the city government refused to settle. to put an end to the wrongdoings in Thu Thiem, the local authorities openly suppress thugs.
To find out more, Radio Free Asia on October 9, 2020, contacted Lawyer Pham Cong Ut, and he explained regarding this matter:
“In my opinion, if the settlement of Thu Thiem is completed to establish Thu Duc city, this is a condition, but it is not related. Because the settlement for the people of Thu Thiem is obligatory. However, the city has repeatedly promised and given many timelines to resolve, but those milestones have not been resolved, not yet resolved. So the damage of the people still happens every day, every hour, not say every month, every year, or for decades, or when will they ever end the situation where people lose their homes and lose their land or places.”
According to Lawyer Pham Cong Ut, the two things are not related, one side is the city of the city, which is the development and upgrading of 3 districts to merge into one city. And there will be development for these 3 districts, but Thu Thiem’s disadvantage is a small residential community, so it is impossible to require solving the small first and then solving the big. According to Attorney Ut, these two issues are not closely related to each other. He continued:
“I think that Thu Thiem’s issue is to be solved, but if you put it on the scale to solve Thu Thiem first and then establish a city later, I see these two problems have no close relationship with each other, but it benefits the people. Because when upgrading, infrastructure will develop, residential development, roads develop … Thus, the 3 districts will go to the city, the conditions of the people of these 3 districts will be clearly shown, Land prices will increase and people benefit. Therefore the benefits of the common and the interests of a residential area are not closely related to each other.”
But lawyer Pham Cong Ut said that he himself still wants the government to settle for Thu Thiem’s land petitioners. In addition to Thu Thiem, lawyer Pham Cong Ut also hopes that the government will settle other areas such as Loc Hung vegetable, from January 2019 until now, it has been 1 year and 9 months for people to live, no place to live. According to lawyer Pham Cong Ut, all these things have to be resolved for the people, not for the people to lose themselves like that. And to avoid for 10 years, 20 years like Thu Thiem, it must be settled for Loc Hung vegetable garden as well as elsewhere.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
