"Tree of Justice" vs. the Elite: The Accident That Is Shaking Vietnam

A traffic accident in which an 18-year-old woman was killed in Hanoi is shaking Vietnam, after state television confirmed that the driver was a former senior party official. The public protest, led by Generation Z, has become an unusual test for the one-party regime.

A deadly traffic accident that occurred 15 months ago in Hanoi, Vietnam, is now shaking the country after state television confirmed that the driver who ran over and killed 18-year-old Do Ngoc Phuong Thuy was a former senior party official. The driver, Cuong, was driving illegally in the opposite lane but was not prosecuted because he paid compensation to the victim's family. A critical detail omitted from the state report is that Cuong's wife is Vietnam's Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Public anger grew after a security video leaked online showing the luxury car smashing the motorcycle and the driver leaving without providing assistance. The regime's attempts to censor the protest, including discarding flowers placed in her memory, only fueled the demonstrations. Young people began tying white ribbons to their bags and setting up virtual memorials. The protest reflects deep frustration with corruption and elite privileges, and is seen as an unusual test for the one-party regime against Generation Z.