"Rapid development, legal changes put pressure on Vietnam’s forestland", 4 August 2025

Rạch Tràm fishing village stretches along the northern coast of Vietnam’s Phú Quốc Island. Surrounded on three sides by the forests of Phú Quốc National Park and facing the Gulf of Thailand on the other, with Cambodia visible across the water, the village has until recently been part of a pristine river-forest-sea ecosystem…

The Rạch Tràm project, covering 172 hectares (425 acres), is being developed by Cityland Group — one of Vietnam’s leading real estate firms. It will eventually host multiple resorts, luxury villas and high-rise residential developments…

Under Vietnamese law, all land is collectively owned, with the state granting land-use rights to individuals. People who hold these rights can use the land long-term, and they are allowed to transfer, sell, inherit, donate or mortgage their land-use rights, but they do not own the land itself…

… Former Kiên Giang authorities have classified the Rạch Tràm Ecotourism and Residential Area project as being allocated “for socio-economic development and in the national and public interest,” meaning that clearance and acquisition follow the compensation amounts set by the state.

… Vân, like many residents, also rejects the distant resettlement option, saying it is far from their homeland and unsuitable for their fishing livelihoods…

… Cityland, the developer, says responsibility for the relocation process and compensation lies with local authorities. “So far, the project has built a new school and a resettlement area, including social housing for local residents in Rạch Tràm. However, compensation, resettlement support and land acquisition in Rạch Tràm are the responsibility of the Phú Quốc authorities. Cityland only receives ‘cleared land’ to carry out the project,” a Cityland representative tells …, referring to land handed over to developers by the state. The company did not respond to specific questions regarding protecting the interests of local people or about the environmental impact of the project…