Vietnamese Farmers Displaced for Trump Golf Resort, Compensated $3,200 and Rice

Vietnamese farmers in Hung Yen province were forced to surrender land for a $1.5 billion Trump-branded golf resort, receiving compensation as low as $3,200 and rice provisions. Thousands of villagers were offered $12-$30 per square meter for farmland, drastically reduced from initial estimates exceeding $500 million.

Context: The 990-hectare site supports fruit farms growing bananas, longan and other crops. Vietnamese real estate company Kinhbac City paid Trump Organization $5 million for brand licensing rights. Vietnam fast-tracked approvals while negotiating a crucial trade deal with Washington. In Communist-run Vietnam, the state manages farmland, and farmers have little recourse when land is reclaimed.

Significance: Trump family profiting from foreign development while serving as president creates direct conflicts of interest, with Vietnamese government fast-tracking approvals during trade negotiations. Minimal farmer compensation reveals Trump brand benefiting from authoritarian land seizures and state coercion, enriching the presidential family through displacement of vulnerable populations.