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Social Headlines December 25
Human
traffickers jailed for 80 years
The
People's Court in the southern Tay Ninh province yesterday sentenced 23
defendants to 80 years in jail for human trafficking, illegal money lending
and fraud with the intent to appropriate property.
The
harshest sentence, 12 years and six months in jail, was given to Nguyen
Truong Son, 39, the head of the ring, from
The
indictment by the provincial People's Procurary said the couple, along with
other members of the gang, cheated and forced some 40 women to work at a
karaoke bar. They also lent money to these women as monthly stipends at very
high interest rates. The couple is believed to have earned more than VND1.2
billion (US$56,000) from such illegal money lending.
In addition
to being loan sharks, the couple also confessed that they had trafficked 20
women.
Man
killed in road accident
A man was
killed instantly while five persons were injured when a coach and acollided
at 2 a.m. today on
The
two vehicles, coming from opposite directions, collided head-on on the
highway that goes past Thanh Hai Commune in Phan Rang –
The
provincial authorities are investigating the accident.
Bac
Ninh suspends 13 unlicenced clinics
The
Health Department of the
Nine
other private clinics were fined over VND28 million (US$1,300) for
infringements relating to health service advertisements and pricing.
Nearly
500 private clinics and drugstores in the province have been inspected since
the beginning of the year, and 148 of these were found violating medical
examination and treatment regulations.
Judgement
upheld for man accused of subversion
The
Supreme People’s Court Chamber in the central city of Da Nang upheld the
original sentence given to a man accused of “conducting activities aimed at
overthrowing the people’s administration” at an appeal court on December 23.
Ngo
Hao, a resident of Tuy Hoa city, capital of the central
At the
hearing, which was held upon Hao’s appeal against the court’s initial
decision, the jury said the first verdict had considered all the evidence and
circumstances.
It
refused Hao’s appeal as no new evidence or circumstances were found.
According
to the indictment, between 2008 and December 2012, Hao wrote many articles
and distributed various documents, all of which contained distorted
information about the system and defamed leaders.
Hao
received money from the “Exiled Government of the
The
provincial police found out about Hao’s acts and brought legal proceedings
against him on February 7, 2013. The provincial People’s Procuracy in August
prosecuted Hao for implementing activities to overthrow the people’s
administration under Clause 1, Article 79 of the Criminal Code.
The Ha
Noi Transport Department has taken measures to ensure those traveling on the
roads remain safe during the upcoming (Tet) Lunar New Year.
Officials
said that during the holiday period, beginning January 28, traffic congestion
is forecast to be 3-4 times higher than normal.
Among
steps taken, the department has installed new traffic lights at key traffic
intersections, including Tran Thai Tong–Duong Dinh Nghe in Tu Liem District;
Nguyen Xien–Kim Giang in Thanh Xuan District; and Phap Van – National Highway
1B in Thanh Tri District.
Director
of the department Nguyen Quoc Hung said at a meeting late last week that
inter-agency inspection teams, made up of traffic police, traffic inspectors,
and police in districts, would conduct more inspections to deter violations
of traffic laws, especially in inner districts and on stretches of national
highways.
The
teams would also attempt to stop street vendors from entering onto roads to
do business and causing traffic jams, he said.
Lane
separators for cars and motorbikes are to be set up between January 15 and
February 16, he said.
Also,
vehicles with loading capacities higher than 1.25 tonnes would be banned from
traveling during rush hours on several streets, including Pham Van Dong, Pham
Hung and Thang Long Boulevard, he said.
Depending
on the situation, the department could also issue plans to adjust the time
for taxis being on the roads to reduce traffic congestion, he said.
Colonel
Dao Vinh Thang, head of the Ha Noi's Traffic Police Office, said that the
city now had 49 black zones which often suffer from serious traffic
congestion, and 164 other zones which were forecast to have high levels of
congestion during Tet.
However,
officials said there were not enough traffic police and inter-agency traffic
inspectors to control the situation when the traffic density was predicted to
be higher than normal, he said.
Thang
suggested temporarily suspending coach and taxi drivers from working, if they
were found to have violated traffic rules, he said.
In the
meantime, Hung, director of the department, said that transportation firms
might need to reduce the number of vehicles picking up passengers at bus
stations if their coaches or taxi drivers were discovered to be carrying more
passengers than allowed, or if they were picking up passengers at
undesignated locations.
Border
crackdown targets illegal birds
Authorities
must crack down on illegal smuggling of poultry to prevent avian influenza
from spreading throughout the country, Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development Cao Duc Phat has ordered.
In
provinces bordering
In
addition, poultry in areas which are highly vulnerable to bird flu are to be
vaccinated, following directions provided by the Department of Animal Health,
said Van Dang Ky, head of the department's epidemic section.
"Despite
the fact that no case of avian influenza has been recorded in Viet Nam until
now, there is still a high risk in the near future of disease outbreaks in
the country, especially in provinces where a large number of cases involving
the illegal smuggling of chickens have occurred, as Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hai
Duong, Ha Noi, and Hai Phong", Ky said.
The
Ministry of Information and Communication is also required to direct its
units to work at local levels to provide the public with information about
the harmful effects of avian influenza, warn them not to eat sick or dead
poultry, and ask the public to inform authorities about any deaths of poultry
or any outbreaks of avian flu.
Meanwhile,
Nguyen Thi Ngan, 41, a farmer from the northern
"I
have already gotten chickens vaccinated to prevent the virus", she said,
stressing that she would inform local authorities in case poultry becomes
infected with the virus.
So far
this year, cases of H7N9 avian flu among humans have been recorded in 12
provinces in China, including among 140 people, of whom 47 have died.
There
have also been two H7N9 flu patients in the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Zone and another flu victim in
New
Cold Mass to hit Northern, North Central Provinces
According
to the
Furthermore,
temperatures will also continue to drop and the
Due to
affects of the new cold mass, waters off central coastal and southern
provinces will sustain wind speeds of level 6-7 with gusts up to level 8-9.
In
Meanwhile,
the Southern Provinces will receive morning mist and the temperature in
Ministry
orders check all private preschools
The
Ministry of Education and Training sent a document asking its sub-divisions
to enhance supervision to private educational facilities after
nursemaids at a preschool in
The
Ministry said that various types of tortures used by the nursemaids including
beating, strangling, pressing heads on the ground, holding noses with towels,
slapping faces have badly affected children’s health condition and mental
growth as well as caused public concerns.
Accordingly
the Ministry ordered departments of education and training in coordination
with local people’s committees to dress the current situation in private
preschools in districts.
Education
authorities should publicize licensed private, unlicensed and suspended
educational institutes so that parents can best select the most suitable
educational establishment for their children.
The
Ministry also requested departments to provide training courses as well as
professional ethics and love for children to managers and teachers of private
schools. Local authorities should pay regular visits to private establishments
to discover wrongdoings as well as strictly suspend these violating
facilities from opening.
Hand-Foot-Mouth
disease is currently spreading quite rapidly in the Mekong Delta, informed
Dr. Ha Anh Tuan, Head of Intensive Care Unit of the
The
spread of Hand-Foot-Mouth disease, a contagious viral infection that affects
mostly infants and children, usually occurs at the end of the year.
Presently, there are many serious cases of Hand-Foot-Mouth disease in the
hospital.
The
The
disease is characterized by fever and a rash most frequently seen on the
palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and inside the mouth. Parents should
look for early symptoms to provide timely medical treatment for their
children.
Unemployment
rate among young Vietnamese remains high
The
unemployment rate of those aged 15-24 accounted for 48% of total unemployment
in 2013, one official said.
Nguyen
Thi Xuan Mai, the Director of the General Statistics Office (GSO)’s
Population and Labour Statistics Department, said at a press conference held
on December 23 that the unemployment rate among university graduates is also
high.
According
to Mai, the number of unemployed university graduates between the ages of 21
and 29 reached just over 100,000 during the year, representing about 10% of
the total number of unemployed in that age group.
The
number of unemployed people aged above 15 was around one million more than in
2013, 48% of whom were aged between 15 and 24.
Statistics
showed that the country has 53.65 million people above 15, up 1.61% from a
year earlier. The number of people who are of working age reached 47.49
million, accounting for about 53% of the country’s population, up just under
1% from last year.
Non-contracted
labour accounted for around 34% out of total 52.4 million people 15 and
above. The rate of non-contracted labour in urban areas reached above 47%,
while in rural areas it was only 28.6%, up 0.6% compared to the figure of
2012.
Nguyen
Bich Lam, Director of GSO, attributed the rise in the number of
non-contracted labour to the considerable labour transformation from official
sectors.
The
unemployment rate among those who are of working age was 2.2% in 2013, up
0.24% on year. The rate in urban areas was 3.6% and in rural areas was 1.6%,
up 0.37% and 0.19% respectively from a year earlier.
“The
increase in the unemployment rate has been a result of economic difficulties
faced by businesses and the large number of companies that went bankrupt this
year,” Lam commented.
An
estimated 60,737 enterprises went bankrupt or were forced to halt operations
during the past year, up almost 12% from last year. Of the total, 9,818
enterprises have bankrupt, up 4.9% from the previous year.
Even
though the number of new enterprises increased by about 10% to 76,955 in
2013, total registered capital fell, almost 15% compared to 2012, to VND398.7
trillion (USD18.88 million).
Vice
President praises youth tech-innovators
Vice
President Nguyen Thi Doan said yesterday that the Party and State always
encourage young people to conduct scientific research and develop useful
projects for the country's development.
She
made the statement at a meeting with 80 outstanding representatives in
science research who received the country's Golden Globe Awards since 2003.
In the
past ten years, some 105 young people received the awards, of which 85 were
awarded for their achievements in information technology and
telecommunications, 9 in medical technology, 6 in environmental technology
and 5 in biological technology.
The
Ministry of Science and Technology and Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union
Central Committee set up the Golden Globe Awards and the Reward for the
Brightest Female Student in Information Technology in 2003.
Initially,
the award was only given to outstanding individuals in information
technology. Since 2011, however, the Golden Globes have been presented to
outstanding young individuals in 4 fields: information technology, pharmacy
and medical technology, biological technology and environmental technology.
While
praising the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and the
Ministry of Science and Technology for the initiative, the Vice President
asked for the expansion of the award to draw the participation of even more
young people.
Treatments
empower HIV-positive mothers
Standing
on the threshold of her unfinished house, 32-year-old Nguyen Thi Luong lit up
with joy thinking about her coming baby.
Three
years ago, the thin woman from northern
But
with the support of her friends and continued counseling, as well as the help
of the local branch of Hoa Huong Duong (Sun Flower) Club, an organisation
that provides care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS, Luong
eventually gained back her sense of self.
When
she joined the club of 100 HIV-infected members— 83 of whom were women—Luong
found that having HIV did not mean her life was over.
Through
monthly discussions, Luong learned about how to deal with her condition.
However, the club sessions did not address her primary longing: a baby.
Last
year, after much counseling, Luong and her new partner decided to go through
with a pregnancy.
"Nobody
supports our decision. Neighbours and relatives, even my sister, believed
that I would transmit the deadly virus to my baby and it would be a burden to
society after I died," Luong said.
However,
Luong is now four months pregnant and receiving antiretroviral therapy (ARV).
She strongly believes that her baby will be born without the virus.
"My
partner and I are building our house and preparing everything to welcome our
baby," Luong said.
Another
woman from Ha Thuong Commune, 33-year-old Tran Thi Thu, has the same desire
as Luong but failed twice to become a mother.
Her
five-year-old daughter died of the disease five years ago; her son followed,
only one hour after coming into the world.
"I
participate in several projects for HIV, which makes me busy the whole day.
But after work, I'm a lonely woman in the cold house where I so longed to
have a child," Thu said.
She
expressed determination to try to have another baby next year.
"Even
living with HIV, a woman still deserves to have her own baby," Thu said.
"As long as you are optimistic, I strongly believe that God will not let
you down whether you are a healthy person or an HIV sufferer."
Luong
and Thu's desire to have a baby is common among HIV-infected women in the district,
according to Dinh Thi Xuan, head of Hoa Huong Duong club.
"All
female HIV carriers in the club talk about their burning desire to have
children," she said.
Xuan
added that three members of the club have children who tested negative for
HIV. This encouraged other women not to give up hope of having healthy
children.
"I
will also have a baby when my financial state is better," Xuan confided.
Without
preventive intervention, between 20 and 45 per cent of infants born to
HIV-positive mothers contract HIV through mother-to-child transmission during
pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding, according to the World Health
Organisation (WHO). The proportion can be reduced to less than 10 per cent
through a combination of prevention measures, including antiretroviral
therapy (ART) for the expectant mother and her newborn child, hygienic
delivery conditions and safe infant feeding.
Thai
Nguyen ranks fourth out of ten provinces nationwide with the highest number
of HIV cases, according to the provincial department of health. Over 9,000
HIV cases have been reported throughout the province, 19 per cent of them
women.
The
risk of mother-to-child transmission reported in the province last year was
six per cent, said vice director of the province's HIV/AIDS Prevention and
Control Centre Truong Binh Minh.
"Motherhood
is stipulated to be the legal right of women following the Viet Nam
Population Ordinance so nobody can prevent HIV-positive women from having
children," he said.
However,
Minh recommended those women ask for counselors' advice before having
children during pregnancy and after delivery. In addition, they should take
account of factors that affect a woman's ability to bring up the child such
as financial condition, job and support from relatives.
"Scientists
have not found any drugs to eradicate HIV/AIDS, so both HIV-positive women
and their children face the risk of mother-to-child transmission. Thus, the
government should pay attention to the fact that HIV women are choosing to
have children," Minh said.
The
United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) officially states that
parents living with HIV have their sexual reproductive rights protected and
can have HIV-free babies.
"All
women have the right to choice when it comes to exercising their sexual and
reproductive health and rights and protecting themselves from risk of HIV
infection," said UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management and Governance,
Jan Beagle. "AIDS is much more than a health issue, it is a development
issue, a rights issue, and it is clear that gender equality and human rights
are non-negotiable elements to ensure effective HIV and health responses as
well as social justice for all."
In a
recent UNAIDS survey, women living with HIV expressed concern about the
advice given by many health workers and authorities to avoid having children.
They also complained that they lacked information about how to have a safe
pregnancy and deliver an HIV-negative child.
"People
living with HIV aim to live in a world that protects their sexual and
reproductive rights," the survey concluded. The authors added that this
required training health providers to teach HIV-positive individuals
considering becoming pregnant about safe conception methods as well as
changes in regulations to improve access to fertility procedures that reduced
the risk of passing on the virus.
Nation
aims for better social welfare
It was
heard at a conference on social welfare by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids
and Social Affairs (MOLISA) in
During
the period, the rate of the mentally ill under rehabilitation treatment in
care centres will rise from 3-10%.
The
MOLISA will perfect the social support system step by step while
restructuring over 432 care facilities to extend help to all living below the
poverty line.
The
sustainable poverty reduction schemes will come aligned with growth and
development, making it easier for residents to earn stable income.
Delegates
also mulled over the framework project on national archive on social welfare
for the 2015-2025 period, and the 2014-2015 plan to provide the
mentally-disabled with social care and rehabilitation services.
At
present, the underprivileged group makes up 28% of total population. Nearly
8.5 million of them are the elderly, over 6.7 million living with
disabilities, over 3 million households in financial need and nearly 170,000
drug abusers.
Each
year, around VND6 trillion (US$28.5 million) in State allowance is earmarked
for social beneficiaries.
The
coverage of social care policies has so far risen to 3% of the population. By
late this year, the rate of poor households has fallen to 8% from 9.6%.
VAVA
marks the 10th founding anniversary
Chairman
of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan has lauded
the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin (VAVA) for
its strenuous efforts in support of AO victims over the past 10 years.
At a
ceremony celebrating its 10th founding anniversary in
He
also called on the Vietnamese both at home and abroad, and friends across the
globe to stand side by side with the victims in the struggle for justice.
Established
on January 10, 2004, VAVA now groups chapters in 59 cities and provinces with
over 315,000 members. It has set up funds in 33 localities and 24
rehabilitation centres in 20 provinces and cities.
It has
raised nearly VND718 billion (US$34 million) in and outside the country to
repair and build houses, grant scholarships, generate jobs and offer storm
relief to AO victims and their families.
The
association has played a core role in putting pressure on the
The
Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam and the Lao Ministry of
Information, Culture and Tourism is jointly holding a training course for 30
Lao journalists, starting on December 23.
As
A Lao
Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism representative thanked
Workshop
discusses nuclear safety
Nuclear
power lecturers and students have gathered at a seminar in
The
December 21 event, co-organised by the Electric Power University and Russia’s
Rosatom State Energy Corporation, provided an opportunity for Vietnam’s
future nuclear energy experts to access modern knowledge, especially the
safety in nuclear power plant operation.
Dr.
Alexander Khrobostov from Russia’s Nizhny Norgorod Technical University
talked about the modern trend in building nuclear power plants and Russian advances
in nuclear power safety technology following the incident at Japan’s
Fukushima Daiichi reactor two years ago.
He
also answered students’ questions on waste treatment, VVER technology and
nuclear safety principles.
At
present, six universities and institutes nationwide are offering nuclear
technology training. Some 160 students have been sent to Russia and several
countries for short-term, master and PhD courses during 2012-13.
In
addition to theory, the learners will take at least 1-3 years for practice
before working officially at reactors, Alexander affirmed.
Under
an approved national energy master plan, Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant
will be put into operation by 2020.
The
country’s nuclear power capacity is expected to reach 10,700 MW by 2030,
making up 10% of the national power output.
Museum
mirrors Vietnamese press’s history
The
Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) on December 20 launched a drive to
encourage the donation of documents and objects to the Vietnam Press Museum.
The
drive was part of the activities in a project to collect documents, artifacts
and photos conducted by the association.
Addressing
the event, VJA Permanent Vice President Ha Minh Hue thanked journalists,
individuals and organisations for their donation of valuable objects to the
museum.
Hue
called on them to make more contributions to the preservation and development
of the traditional values of Vietnam ’s revolutionary press.
Hue
further said that the museum aims to preserve and uphold the traditions of
the Vietnamese press while serving as a venue for journalists to exchange
their professional experience.
Objects
to be displayed at the museum reflect the development history of Vietnam ’s
revolutionary press and feature outstanding figures in the domestic and foreign
press circles, he added.
Initiated
in 2012, the project to collect documents, artifacts and photos is one of the
four activities in the Vietnam Press Museum Scheme. It has so far collected
more than 150 objects from 11 journalists and their families.
In
July 2013, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung agreed to add the Vietnam Press
Museum into the master plan of the country’s museum system by 2020.
Construction
of the museum is scheduled to begin in early 2014 in Hanoi’s Cau Giay
district and be completed six months later.
EVN
targets remote communes in Lai Chau
The
Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) said on December 23 that the group will supply
power for remote and far-flung communes of the northern mountainous province
of Lai Chau, seeing it as a priority in its assistance plan for the locality
from now to 2015.
This
is part of the group’s 480 billion VND (22.56 million USD) package that looks
to help the districts of Than Uyen, Tan Uyen and Phong Tho, apart from
accessing the national power network, build boarding schools, open vocational
training courses and purchase health and schooling equipment.
Nguyen
Tan Loc, EVN Deputy Director, said the group will allocate the capital in a
suitable manner to enable 90 percent of households in the targeted communes
to access the national power grid.
The
benefiting localities have suggested the group pay more attention to
resettlement communes and sites, particularly infrastructure development in
Pha Mu and Ta Hua communes in Than Uyen district, where communal officials
are working in poor conditions.
Holding
an important geographical position, Lai Chau boasts the largest number of
hydroelectric projects nationwide, which allows it to play a decisive role in
ensuring energy and water security in the northern region.
The
locality is one of the poorest localities in Vietnam with its per capita
income last year being 12 million VND.
With
exerted efforts made by local authorities and people and assistance provided
by the Government, the number of poor households in the province dropped by
7.5 percent annually on average.
State
budget investment in mountainous areas reviewed
Party
and State policies and investments have brought remarkable changes,
especially in infrastructure, in mountainous and ethnic group-inhabited
areas.
The
view was heard at a workshop reviewing State budget allocations to
mountainous and ethnic group-inhabited areas.
The
workshop was co-hosted by the National Assembly’s Council for Ethnic Affairs
and the United Nation Development Programme in the central province of Thua
Thien-Hue on December 23.
The NA
Council’s Vice Chairman Danh Ut said the Party and State have issued a number
of policies covering almost all fields for mountainous and ethnic
group-inhabited areas. They have helped foster socio-economic development and
significantly reduce poverty in these regions.
Thua
Thien-Hue NA deputy Dong Huu Mao, however, pointed out that a considerable
overlap between the management and implementation of the annual State
investments to these regions is hampering the effectiveness of those
investment policies.
At the
workshop, besides looking into shortcomings, participants also proposed
measures to better the State budget allocation so as to enhance the
efficiency of the programmes and projects funded by the investment source.
Efforts
made to help poor people enjoy Tet
The
movement “Tet for the poor and Agent Orange (AO) victims” will be continued
to help the poor and disadvantaged people better celebrate the Lunar New
Year, or Tet holiday, the largest festive time for the year which falls at
the end of next month.
A
text-message drive will be launched to raise funds for AO victims and needy
people. Donors can text TET to 1409 to support the movement.
The
Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) also mobilises sources from organisations,
enterprises and benefactors to donate money and gifts to the poor.
Arts
performances and public fund raising programmes were organised in and outside
the country in response to the programme.
In
addition to financial support, VRC branches nationwide also presented charity
houses, production tools and materials to farmers and teaching aids to students,
while providing free medicine and food to patients during Tet holidays.
Started
in 1999, the charity movement has so far helped 60,000-80,000 AO victims,
disadvantaged and old people across the country enjoy a warm Lunar New Year
festival.
Students
to convene national congress
The
Central Committee of the Vietnam Students’ Association (VSA) will convene its
ninth National Congress in Hanoi from December 27-29 to set out its tasks for
the next tenure and elect a 99-member executive board.
With
the slogan “Vietnamese students striving to study, to be creative, do
voluntary work and integration”, 650 students representing their two million
peers across the nation will adopt key documents, said VSA Chairman Nguyen
Dac Vinh.
He
said that they will hold dialogues with officials of the Government, the
Ministry of Education and Training and other relevant agencies, whereby they
will gain a better understanding of the Party and State’s policies on
high-quality human resources training and employment, among others.
They
will also offer incense at a memorial dedicated to fallen martyrs and pay
tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum.
Earlier,
the VSA launched a 30-day emulation campaign running until December 16, a
festival of young creative students on December 15, and a music tour from
November 5 – December 27.
Those
who achieve academic excellence and contribute efforts to students’ movements
will be honoured at the annual January Star award ceremony in Hanoi on
December 27.
As a
socio-political body with 22 chapters in cities and provinces nationwide, the
VSA also groups 47 centrally-run school-level chapters, and five abroad in
France, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.-
Cao
Dai dignitaries update security policies
The
southern province of Tay Ninh on December 23 opened a training course on
national security and defence for 300 dignitaries of the Cao Dai Tay Ninh
Church.
Among
the attendees are Monsignor Thuong Tam Thanh, head of the Church’s Executive
Council, and its deputy heads.
During
the three-day course, the dignitaries study five topics relating to
security-defence, the Party and State policies in the field as well as the
responsibilities of religious dignitaries.
They
also learn about hostile forces’ plots and schemes to abuse religions to
carry out a “peace revolution”.
They
are provided with contents of a number of laws and religious policies of the
Party and State, as well as the socio-economic situation of the province in
2013 and key tasks for 2014.
Founded
in the 1926 in Tay Ninh province, the Cao religion worships the Divine Eye,
known as the eye of heaven and a symbol of the supreme being of the Cao Dai
religion. Cao Dai’s doctrine honours the Divine and the miraculous quality of
supreme spirits, and considers them as the means for human beings to unify
with the God./.
Dai is
the third largest religion in Vietnam with over 46,000 followers nationwide.
Vietnam
helps Laos train political officials
The Ho
Chi Minh Academy of Politics and Public Administration on December 23 held
the closing ceremony for the training courses organised for popularisation
officials and lecturers from politics and public administration schools of
Laos .
Through
the courses, Lao trainees were provided with new knowledge on theoretical
research and popularisation work in Vietnam as well as studying and teaching
skills at politics schools.
Participants
became familiarised with Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts.
They
also studied the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao
People’s Revolutionary Party, the two countries’ national defence, renewal
and construction.
Along
with studying at the academy, Lao participants made fact-finding tours to
several localities in Vietnam to understand more about the country and its
people.
The
courses contributed to further strengthening the friendship and special
cooperation between the two Parties, States and their people.
Charity donors
spread holiday spirit across the country
Phan
Hoang Thu Anh, a third-grade student at the Vietnam-Australia International
School, began crying when she saw the children holding up signs reading
"We need food", "We need water" and "We need
help".
"I
wanted to give away my best items to my friends in the Philippines," Anh
said after watching a video about Typhoon Haiyan, which has left 1 million
children homeless.
Deeply
affected by the images of the children, Anh and her classmates decided to
give away their most beautiful clothes and shoes to their school's
Philippines Donation Drive.
"Dear
Santa, I don't need any gift from you. I hope you visit and present food,
water and other presents to my friends in the Philippines. They need
you," Anh wrote in her letter to Santa.
Her
teachers were behind the programme, which emphasises the need to give rather
than receive. "The drive includes 1,000 students on our campus. We hope
the students think more about disadvantaged children," Phan Thi Ngoc
Anh, Anh's core teacher, said.
"We
have encouraged our students to take part in charity activities by themselves,
not through adults," she added. "We believe this improves both
their mental and living skills."
The
programme has won support from all the parents, who want to develop their
children both spiritually and emotionally. "When Anh told us she wanted
to present her money and clothes to Filipino friends, we supported her at
once," Anh's father, Phan To Hong Hai, said.
Besides
the students at the international school, other children around town are also
doing good deeds by playing Santa to underprivileged children.
Many
of them are taking part in programmes launched early this month by the
Vietnam Youth Association, the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Association, and the
Cultural House for Young People.
Gifts,
scholarships and charity houses are being donated to children and indigent
women within the framework of the programmes.
As
part of the holiday season, social workers have visited outlying Binh Chanh,
Hoc Mon and Thu Duc districts, providing families with mosquito nets,
blankets, books and radio sets donated by local and foreign benefactors.
"We
want Christmas to be about giving, and making kids happy and
comfortable," Tran Thanh Binh of the Vietnam Youth Association said.
Binh
and his colleagues also plan to visit shelters and open houses on Christmas
Eve dressed as Santas who will sing and offer meals to children.
About
160 children who have no homes or are disabled have already taken part in
Christmas parties at the Hoang Mai Shelter and Tam Binh Centre in Go Vap and
Thu Duc districts, respectively.
The
meals were prepared by the Lotte Legend Hotel Saigon and Sheraton Saigon
Hotel, and toys and candies were handed out. Songs and games were also part
of the activities.
While
charitable events are always part of the Christmas celebrations, the city has
also continued to highlight the gaiety of the season by decorating the
streets with glittering lights and millions of flowers.
Thousands
of lights and lanterns are strung along downtown streets like Dong Khoi,
Nguyen Hue and Le Loi, as well as major public areas like Notre Dame
Cathedral.
Dozens
of seasonal activities, including art exhibitions and circus and music shows
are being organised in downtown areas.
"This
year has been very difficult for migrant workers. We have to take care of our
children, so we have no money for shopping and entertainment," said
Nguyen Van Son, father of a seven-year-old daughter and a three-year-old boy,
said.
He and
his wife toured Dong Khoi street on December 22, and spent 15,000 VND on
balloons from a dealer in a clown costume. "For me, it's enough for a
merry Christmas," he said as he took photos of his children with his
cellphone.
Another
child, Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung, 9, of Binh Chanh district, was downtown to enjoy
the lights, too. Hugging her brother, she said: "I love to walk around
and see people's faces in the lights. My mom promised us she would buy a
small Yule log to enjoy later at home. I love Christmas."
As in
previous years, local authorities will also organise fireworks shows in
Districts 2 and 11 on New Year's Eve.
During
the festival week, dozens of comedy, music and song performances will be held
for free in industrial parks and export and processing zones. Dam Sen, one of
the city's biggest parks located in District 11, will stage entertainment
shows during the week.
The
special week, called Noel Tung Bung- Don Chao Nam Moi 2014 (Joyful Christmas,
Welcome to a Happy New Year), will start on December 24, offering music,
dance, comedy, circus and puppet shows.
Shopping
centres are also having special sales, with Vincom Centre, Diamond Plaza and
Crescent Mall in Districts 1 and 7 beginning promotions last week on
ornaments, consumer goods, food and entertainment.
Restaurants
and hotels are also adding cakes, candies and special menus for the holiday.
Hotel Equatorial, for example, will have the traditional stuffed turkey with
carrots, roasted potatoes and green beans, and sauce. At InterContinental
Asiana Saigon, a Christmas choir performance will take place at 8pm on
Christmas Eve.
Roasted
turkey, honeyed ham and duck, as well as lobsters, mussels and oysters, will
be on offer. Bartenders and DJs, like many others in town, will stage a
dazzling New Year's Countdown Party.
For
cooler temperatures, many holiday revellers will travel to Da Lat, a resort
in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong famous for its flowers and tea
farms. Although its annual Festival of Flowers will open on December 27, many
locals and expatriates have decided to go earlier to enjoy the Christmas
holiday.
The
festival to celebrate the 120th founding anniversary of the city will be the
biggest ever with many cultural activities.
"My
family and I are going to Da Lat instead of staying at home in the hot and
noisy atmosphere," said Don Nguyen, an overseas Vietnamese visitor from
California, who has arrived to celebrate the New Year. "I hope a good
year is coming to all people," he said.-
Rice
support for students in difficult areas
A
batch of rice as the Government’s assistance to needy ethnic students of
schools in areas with difficult socio-economic conditions has been handed
over to the People’s Committee of northern mountainous Ha Giang province.
Under
the Prime Minister’s decision dated June 18, 2013, more than 55,000 students
of 115 primary and secondary schools in Ha Giang province are eligible for
the assistance and each of them will receive 15kg per month for nine months.
Le
Xuan Minh, Deputy Director of the State Reserves Department, said the move
shows the Party and State’s special attention to ethnic students.
He
said he hopes the beneficiaries will overcome their difficulties to continue
their education, becoming an important resource to the province’s
socio-economic development.
In
addition, local authorities have taken measures to help ethnic people against
cold weather in recent days.
The
Committee has urged district-level education offices and nursery schools to
allow students to stay at home during these cold days.
The
provincial Heath Department has also asked hospitals and medical units in the
province to prepare medicine and equipment for treating patients. Medical
centres in 11 districts sent their staff to communities.
Chilly
weather is forecast to continue in Ha Giang province in the next few days.-
Television
festival gives special gold to langur preservation
The
33rd National Television Festival has presented two special gold prizes to a
programme on the preservation of Delacour’s langur of the Vietnam Television
(VTV) and a reportage that unveiled dishonest acts to fake martyrs’ remains
of VTV centre in Ho Chi Minh City.
At a
closing ceremony in northern Quang Ninh province on December 21, the
festival’s organising board also presented 33 gold and 62 silver prizes and
139 certificates of merits to outstanding works.
During
the four-day festival, the organising board assorted and assessed 527 entries
made by 104 production units competing in nine categories, including
children’s programme, documentary film, reportage, scientific and educational
programme, dialogue-talks, ethnic language programme, musical, and soap
opera.
Hosted
by the Vietnam Television, the event played a platform for television
programme makers to share information and experience to overcome challenges
facing the sector.
The 34
th festival will be held in Hue imperial city, central Thua Thien-Hue
province.
War
monument inaugurated at Dong Loc T-junction
The
central Ha Tinh provincial People’s Committee on December 21 inaugurated a
park and a monument dedicated to those who laid down their lives at the Dong
Loc intersection during the American war.
Covering
3,000 sq.m, the complex saw its construction started in August at a cost of
4.4 billion VND (206,800 USD).
During
the war, Dong Loc junction was heavily bombarded by US forces as it was one
of the most important sites on the North-South supply route where trucks
carrying soldiers, food, arms and munitions passed through.
The
historic site witnessed the death of thousands of soldiers, volunteers,
traffic workers, drivers and civilians.
Hanoi’s
poverty reduction efforts hailed
The
capital city of Hanoi is taking the lead nationwide in poverty reduction with
local poor households cut by half to 40,000 over the last five years, said a
report by the municipal People’s Committee.
The
report was delivered at a December 20 working session between a National
Assembly’s delegation on supervising poverty reduction and the municipal
leaders.
Chairwoman
of the NA Committee for Social Affairs Truong Thi Mai praised Hanoi ’s new
and practical social welfare policies, especially those on tuition and
housing.
She
urged the city to take proper adjustments in order to achieve a breakthrough
in the field.
Minister
of Labours, War Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen also asked
the capital to build more appropriate and concrete poverty reduction
policies, with a particular priority given to ethnic people.
Speaking
at the session, Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Council Ngo Thi Doan
Thanh affirmed the city always regards poverty reduction as a leading task.
In the
coming time, the city will strive to narrow the gap between urban and rural
areas, ensure sustainable poverty reduction and take fair and open policies,
she said.
Over
the past five years, Hanoi has promulgated 21 documents relating to policies
for the poor while spending its own budget aiding them in production and
vocational training.
It has
helped 1.75 million people access preferential loans worth nearly 11,000
billion VND (5.2 million USD) from the Bank of Social Policies.-
Tay
Ninh to build waste-based production plant
The
Department of Planning and Investment of southern Tay Ninh province has
approved a project to build a plant to manufacture mechanical products from
industrial waste in the locality.
Accordingly,
Hue Phuong Green Environment Co. Ltd, which operates in the field of waste
treatment in the province, will invest 50 billion VND (2.35 million USD) to
implement the project.
The
6,000 sq.m plant will be constructed in Thanh Duc, Go Dau district with a
daily capacity of 300 tonnes of products, specialising in producing rivets,
screws, shaped steel, and slabs of bronze, lead and aluminium.
The
provincial People’s Committee asked the investor to use advanced and
environmentally friendly technologies in the plant while ensuring regulations
on waste treatment. The investor is also asked to prepare a report on the
environmental impact to submit to the Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment for approval.
The
department said solid waste in the locality was usually buried, wasting money
and land, and causing groundwater pollution.
Once
operational, the project is expected to contribute to protecting the
environment and bring economic benefits to the locality.-
Hanoi
to invest in industrial wastewater treatment
The
capital city of Hanoi will set up concentrated wastewater treatment systems
at its 16 industrial clusters during the 2014-2015 period.
Under
the project, which has been recently approved by the Hanoi People’s
Committee, the first seven clusters with such wastewater treatment systems
are scheduled to run in 2014.
The
municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment is partnering with
other departments, branches, agencies, districts and organisations to
accelerate communications campaigns to raise public awareness of industrial
pollution management.
In the
short-term, the city will form a network of communications workers covering
industrial pollution management and establish models of environmental
protection with the participation of residents and workers at craft villages
and industrial areas.
Hanoi,
at present, houses 47 industrial clusters, of which only seven has
concentrated wastewater treatment systems.
More than
90 percent of wastewater volume in Vietnam has not yet been treated so far,
causing serious environmental pollution, experts said.
The
nation targets to treat over 80 percent of its total wastewater volume by
2025.
HCM
City moves to deal with climate change
Ho Chi
Minh City is implementing a series of solutions to adapt to and mitigate the
impacts of climate change towards achieving a green growth and sustainable
development from 2014 to 2020.
Experts
pointed out that Ho Chi Minh City is among ten cities worldwide vulnerable to
climate change, especially sea level rise.
After
the Government adopted a decision on building a national action plan against
climate change, the city has taken numerous measures to mitigate the diverse
impacts of climate change on its socio-economic development.
This
year, it has worked with experts from the Netherlands to revise a report on
climate change resilience. However, there are difficulties in implementing
the solutions.
According
to Ha Minh Chau, deputy head of the municipal Office on Climate Change,
finance is the first difficulty and it comes then the selection of suitable
technologies.
Chau
also stressed that how to accurately assess the nature of climate change that
affects each service and each area is also very important to dealing with
this weather phenomenon.
In
recent years, climate change has occurred more and more severely in the city.
It has experienced more stormy weather and higher tides, which greatly
affected citizens’ daily activities and businesses’ operations.
According
to experts, the city should push forward urban planning and plans on land
use, and pay more attention to urban water resources management to adapt to
climate change.
Nguyen
Dinh Hung, Vice Director of the municipal Planning and Architecture
Department noted the need to conduct a full and exact assessment of all
actualities in order to have a basis, research and information on surrounding
impacts.
He
pointed out that previous planning schemes have yet taken into account such
changeable conditions so the planning work now must follow a new approach,
and thinking in planning must also be innovative.
In its
long-term effort, the city has taken scientific solutions, including the
application of scientific and technological advances in coping with the
globe’s changeable weather.
HCM
City is Vietnam’s largest economic hub. It is forecast to be heavily affected
by climate change. Therefore, an active response is necessary for its
sustainable socio-economic development.
Source: VNA/VNS/VOV
|
Thứ Ba, 24 tháng 12, 2013
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