Vietnam's Gen Z Demands Justice Online After Politician Cleared Over Do Ngoc Phuong Thuy's Death

Vietnam's Gen Z has launched a major online campaign demanding accountability after former politician Nguyen Sy Cuong was cleared of criminal liability over a fatal 2025 Hanoi crash that killed 18-year-old student Do Ngoc Phuong Thuy.

According to reports, the campaign intensified in August 2026 after Vietnamese authorities confirmed Cuong was driving the BMW involved in the collision but said he would not face criminal prosecution.

Nguyen Sy Cuong Confirmed as Driver in Hanoi Crash

The fatal crash took place on 30 May 2025, on Nguyen Huy Tu Street in central Hanoi. According to an official statement broadcast by state broadcaster Vietnam Television (VTV), Cuong's BMW crossed into the opposite lane and collided with a motorbike carrying Phuong Thuy and her father, Do Viet Hung.

Phuong Thuy, also known as Mina, suffered catastrophic injuries, including the severing of her right leg. She died in hospital about 10 days later, shortly before her high-school graduation examinations.

Her father suffered a broken leg but survived.

For more than a year, authorities released limited information about the crash, while speculation spread online over the identity of the BMW driver and whether political connections had influenced the investigation.

Why Cuong Was Cleared of Criminal Liability

VTV reported that Cuong had 'sincerely confessed and actively and fully remedied the consequences' of the crash. The victim's family also submitted a petition asking authorities to exempt him from criminal prosecution.

As a result, Cuong was cleared of criminal liability.

The decision is permitted under Vietnamese law in certain circumstances, particularly when a victim's family does not pursue criminal charges and compensation has been provided. However, questions about the process have continued to circulate online.

Cuong is a former deputy chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee and a long-time Communist Party official. His political background has intensified public discussion over whether influential figures receive preferential treatment.

Vietnam Gen Z Turns Hanoi Tree Into 'Justice Tree'

The controversy exploded online in early August, with millions of posts appearing across Facebook, Instagram, Threads and X using hashtags including #NguyenSyCuong and #BMW.

Young Vietnamese users began demanding greater transparency over the crash and the subsequent decision not to prosecute Cuong. The campaign also moved beyond social media, with flowers, ribbons, poems and other tributes appearing around a tree near the crash site.

The location became known online as the 'Justice Tree' or 'Memorial Tree 55'.

When police removed flowers from the area, further tributes appeared or were moved elsewhere. Supporters also created a virtual version of the tree, allowing people to leave messages of remembrance online.

Authorities Warn Against Online 'Disorder'

The campaign has also prompted warnings from Vietnamese authorities. A senior police official said the Ministry of Public Security had identified what it described as 'highly dangerous plots' involving hostile or reactionary forces seeking to create unrest.

Phuong Thuy's father also appeared in the VTV report, thanking members of the public for their concern while saying the family considered the matter resolved and asking people to respect their privacy.

Despite the appeal, online discussion has continued. For many young Vietnamese users, this case has come to represent more than just a single traffic accident.

Meanwhile, the Justice Tree campaign has evolved into a broader debate over accountability, transparency and perceived political privilege, while also demonstrating how Vietnam's Gen Z is increasingly using social media and anonymous online networks to express grievances.