Woman survives near crushing in land grab protest in Vietnam
| Publisher | Radio Free Asia |
| Publication Date | 10 July 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Asia, Woman survives near crushing in land grab protest in Vietnam, 10 July 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55b1f84031.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
2015-07-10
Le Thi Cham, 54, is pinned down under a bulldozer track during a protest in Hai Duong province, July 10, 2015. Screenshot of video posted by an RFA listener.
UPDATED at 1:20 p.m. EST on 2015-07-13
A 54-year-old Vietnamese woman sustained serious injuries when she was pinned down by by a bulldozer last week while she and fellow farmers were protesting the confiscation of farmland in northern Vietnam.
In an incident filmed by witnesses and posted on Youtube, Le Thi Cham is seen pinned under the bulldozer's track while she and dozens of farmers shout in vain to get the driver to stop. Initial reports in Vietnamese media said she had died in hospital later, but a citizen journalist filmed her several days later in her hospital bed, where she was recovering from critical injuries.
"There were a lot of people there, all trying to stop the bulldozer. I tripped and fell. I think the driver knew I was there, but I guess he just ignored me," she said, in video obtained by RFA's Vietnamese Service.
According to Vietnamese state media, the farmers were protesting over the meager compensation for farmland seized to build an industrial park in Cam Dien, Hai Duong province, about 60 km (36 miles) from the capital Hanoi.
Land grabs in which government officials use their authority to confiscate and sell land to developers are a common cause of social unrest across Southeast Asia and China, with cases causes small- and-large scale protests on an almost weekly basis.
In many cases, local villagers say they receive little compensation or less than was promised by authorities and are forced to vacate fertile land for less-productive parcels far from their places of origin and with poor infrastructure.
Reported by RFA's Vietnamese Service. Translated by Minh-Ha Le. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
CORRECTION: Initial reports had said Le Thi Cham had died from her injuries.
Link to original story on RFA website
