Burial sites can be something that connects you to your family line, something that is important to so many different people. The ones that were lost to time are respected by giving them their true eternal rest.
What’s not so fortunate is how many would prefer land-based expansions rather than consider the ethics of moving the place of the dead. Now there are some questions.
There is all this and more in the discussion of the project aimed at reallocating ancestral graves and land in Vietnam, in place of a new golf course under the Trump Organisation.
The Trump Organisation complex
Many eviction orders had been issued for the new establishment of the Trump Organisation-branded luxury golf resort project, as citizens of the area had to make way for the new plots that were going to be built. The documents promised an extremely lush and beautiful benchmark with many things to do for various luxuries and commodities.
However grand and prosperous, it still holds a sort of sacrifice that the people must make to continue with the procedure. It was at the cost of their sacred ancestral burial grounds and the rich farmlands that belonged to many families and were their dearest livelihoods.
An extremely tough choice given the circumstances, not to mention the way the locals of the area had to agree to the project, where officials from the top leader of the home province went to every person and urged them to sign letters agreeing to the new community.
The project costs nearly 1.5 billion dollars and is being planned as we speak, as many are forced to let go of the land that means more to them than anything else. Let’s hear from some of them.
The voices of the people
For the many who agreed with the procedure, there have also been many who went against it. A farmer by the name of Tran Minh Hai had similar worries regarding the ancestral grounds. He had stated that, based on spiritual beliefs, people don’t really want to disturb the graves as a result.
Another, by the name of Mr Truong, had considered the fact that they would have to uproot an entire cemetery of 5 whole generations, just so the giant golf course could be built using said land. As well as the devastation of losing the rich farmlands that belonged to many families.
Alas, even then, he signed anyway. As he put it himself, ‘there’s nothing I can do’. Another by the name of Hoang Do stated that it was not only painful, but that they had no right to relocate the entire site, as his great-grandparents had been there since 1967, which was before the initial establishment of the country.
No matter what people are trying to do, the work of the higher-ups will always be more impactful than the ones experiencing the reality of the matter.
A pause
Since there had been many opposed to the project, due to their own matters and how it was not right to upheave so much land that meant a lot to the residents of the area on a large-scale course, the project has since been put on hold until 2027.
There was also the mention that, despite the citizens initially being more than okay with the project, the prices of the land that was sold to the farmers were very low.
This also brings into consideration just how willing the Vietnamese government was to create an agreement with the Trump administration and was eager to create that connection. At the cost of the people actually living in these rural areas who have made a living for years.
Other side of the coin
On the side of the government for a bit, we can see the thought process on what the project really aimed for. It has been stated that the Vietnamese government has also ignored its own important laws to initiate the project faster, which does raise a lot of concerns.
The desperation in trying to appease the Trump administration, even involving the highest-ranking individuals within the Vietnamese government to personally support the project, as it was a high honour to receive such attention from Trump himself.
Today, more than 4,000 households have resisted the project, some demanding higher payments and refusing to relocate their land, despite the government’s best efforts to convince the locals that it could boost the land with tourism-based opportunities and careers. But the people had spoken, and the project has been delayed for the most part until both sides have an agreement on it.
The dilemma
Now it’s understandable that there is a difference in views on what both parties desire and want. One wants recognition and connection; the other just wants to preserve their land and resources.
So how can there be a valid agreement between the two? Despite everything, we know that if the project does go forward, Trump can do whatever he wants regarding the plot of land that he claims for his organisation.
The practices and ways in which the government has handled the initiation of the project have shown how much they truly value the people’s voices and their choice in the matter.
With many having been against the idea, it proves that there has been at least some pushback from the locals in their right to claim the land and refuse to fall back and let it be, as many have their own reasons why they don’t want their lands to be lost.
So what is truly more important here, the people’s voice of your own country, or the connections you have with the international communities? What is truly more valuable? It’s a question to ponder, but every voice matters in the say of what happens, especially the people of one’s own country.
To conclude, these are matters that show how there are two sides to a situation with two separate viewpoints. In this scenario, one must sit and wonder how such situations can occur in such a way. Only time will tell how it goes from here. For now, we can just hope the voices are heard loud and clear.
References:
- https://www.tbsnews.net
- https://www.straitstimes.com
- https://www.straitstimes.com
- https://www.yahoo.com