Social News 12/8 Workers successfully evacuated from Libya Vietnam Airlines has successfully evacuated all 458 Vietnamese labours of Korean Huyndai Engineering Construction from war ravaged Libya. The last flight carrying 180 Vietnamese workers departed at 23.00 on August 11 from Cairo, Egypt and is scheduled to land in Noi Bai International Airport at 13.00 on August 12. Vinamex Company Deputy Director Do Xuan Chien said all 458 Vietnamese workers have successfully and safely been evacuated to Cairo on five flights of Libyan Airlines. Tran Tam Anh, Second Secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt, said that a group of 33 Vietnamese workers will travel by road to Egypt via Salloum border gate. The embassy is working to ensure entry into Egypt for the labourers. In early August, 25 workers also fled by car to Egypt through Salloum border gate. By mid-July, Vietnam had 1,750 workers in Libya, including 281 working in war-torn areas of Tripoli and Benghazi. As of August 11, 626 Vietnamese workers in Libya had returned to Vietnam. Authorities remand exec over hospital machines   The police's initial investigation found that the company had illegally imported 46 Hitachi biochemistry automatic analysers through two customs centres at Noi Bai and Gia Lam from 2007-12.  The Ministry of Public Security has remanded Pham Hong Anh, 41, of Tuong Mai District in Ha Noi, director of ANNA Company, for allegedly smuggling refurbished medical equipment. Importing second-hand medical equipment into Viet Nam is forbidden under local law. The police's initial investigation found that the company had illegally imported 46 Hitachi biochemistry automatic analysers through two customs centres at Noi Bai and Gia Lam from 2007-12. Police said that 38 of the 46 biochemistry automatic analysers had been sourced from France's Fameco Company, which specialises in trading re-manufactured analytical instruments. The company made a request to the Ministry of Health's Institute of Medical Equipment and Construction Design in April last year to allow it to import new medical equipment, including Hitachi biochemistry automatic analyzer models 904, 911 and 917 manufactured in 2012 and 2013 from America, Japan and France. The application was successful and the institute issued a license for the company to begin imports of new medical equipment. However, the medical equipment imported into Viet Nam was refurbished, with the company opting to lend the medical equipment to district-level hospitals and health care centres for no fees. The hospital and health care centres were then asked to buy chemicals from a unit specified by the company, in addition to committing to using quantities of chemicals worth US$2,000-3,000 per month. More details are expected to emerge as the police continue their investigation. The incident follows an earlier discovery made by Ha Noi police on July 28, where city-based Thuong Tin Hospital was found to have borrowed a Hitachi 717 biochemistry analyser, an outdated model that had been placed on the country's list of prohibited imports, from the Dong Da-based Phu Cuong An Co Ltd. The hospital had also purchased VND1.2 billion ($57,700) worth of analysing chemicals from Phu Cuong An company. The hospital was fined VND30 million ($1,400) for its violation. Family hospitalised after eating python Several family members in the Central Highlands province of Dac Lak were recently hospitalised in critical condition after suspectedly eating a python and drinking wine mixed with its blood. Six were in better condition after four days of treatment, although four still had high fever, said Dr Nguyen Ngoc Vinh of HCM City Tropical Diseases Hospital. One man from the family bought a 10-kg python for VND1.5 million ($70) from a neighbour and invited relatives to join the meal. Ten days later, all experienced high fevers, chest pain, rapid heartbeats and vomiting. Six patients with serious symptoms, three of whom were children, were sent to the hospital in HCM City while the others were treated at Krong district's general hospital. Man dies at Lao Cai hydropower plant An accident at the Coc San – Chu Linh Hydropower Plant construction site in the northern province of Lao Cai yesterday resulted in one death and left three workers in critical condition. According to a local report, the casualties were caused by the workers' exposure to methane without protective clothing, causing suffocation. Thao A lung, a 29-year-old resident of Hau Thao Commune in Sa Pa District, Lao Cai, was killed while a 46-year-old and two 19-year-olds were injured. Coach accident leaves 23 injured About 23 passengers were injured when a coach crashed into a sleeper bus in the central province of Quang Ngai yesterday morning. The 24-seat coach, which was driving from Quang Ngai to Dak Lak, suddenly lost control after having a puncture and collided with a sleeper bus on National Highway 1 in Pho Cuong Commune, Duc Pho District. As many as 23 injured passengers were sent to local hospitals, two of whom were seriously injured. No fatalities were reported. The provincial authority compensated the injured passengers with VND2 million (US$94) each. The Duc Pho District's People's Committee also provided VND1 million ($47) to each victim. Gov't Inspectorate halts pipeline probe Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved a proposal from the Government Inspectorate of Viet Nam to suspend the investigation into the incidents leading to the rupture of the pipeline bringing water from the Da River to Ha Noi. The move aimed to avoid overlap with the Ministry of Public Security investigation, which started July 29. The Government inspectorate, following a July 25 order by Phuc, had started to investigate whether Vinaconex Clean Water Joint Stock Company under the Viet Nam Construction and Import-Export Corporation (Vinaconex) obeyed regulations in managing construction investment. The VND1.5 trillion (US$70.8 million) pipeline has broken nine times since it was put into use in 2009, disrupting the daily lives of about 70,000 living in Hoang Mai, Thanh Xuan and Tu Liem districts. Water levels surge in upper Mekong Water levels in the upper section of the Mekong River have been rising quickly, breaching or close to alarm levels in some places, according to the National Hydrometeorological Forecast Centre. On Sunday, the Tien River in An Giang Province's Tan Chau town was flowing at 3.65 m, 0.15 m above the Alarm No 1 level. In the Hau River in An Giang Province's Chau Doc town, the water level was 2.8 m, just 0.2 m below Alarm No 1. The centre has forecast the water level to continue rising in the coming days. On August 14 the level in Tan Chau will peak at 3.9 metres, just 0.1 m below Alarm No 2, and in Chau Doc it will rise to 3.1 m, 0.1 m above Alarm No 1. Communes and districts along the riverhead in the provinces of An Giang and Dong Thap are focusing on reinforcing embankments to ensure safety of people and their autumn-winter rice crop. The flood control committees in An Giang and Dong Thap have urged commune and district authorities to monitor rain and flood levels at the riverhead to make early forecasts and take necessary measures to minimise losses. Friendship Union urged to boost cross-cultural exchange Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee President Nguyen Thien Nhan has called on the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) to promote peace, solidarity, friendship and cross-cultural exchange with the people in the region and the rest of the world. At a working session with the VUFO on August 11, Nhan said that as one of 46 VFF member organizations, the Union should coordinate with the Front and create links with other agencies like the Youth Union, Vietnam Women’s Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to improve working programmes. Concerning the roadmap for building the ASEAN Community in 2015, Nhan said that this is a significant milestone in the history of the development of ASEAN, providing a good opportunity for the VUFO to strengthen people-to-people exchange and solidarity with regional nations. At the meeting, the VFF President also discussed with the Union on how best to work hand in hand in reducing poverty and monitoring the disbursement of aid from foreign non-governmental organizations (Foreign NGOs). VUFO President Vu Xuan Hong expounded his union’s key tasks for the remaining months of this year, stressing the need to boost friendly relations and cooperation with the people of other countries, including neighboring countries, strategic partners and traditional countries. These tasks are pivotal in supporting foreign NGOs in conducting surveys and providing aid for localities and implementing activities to protect sovereignty and ensure peace, security and stability in the region, Hong said. On the occasion, Nhan presented the Independence Order, second class to the VUFO President for his great contributions to national socialism construction and national defence. Exchange programme promotes overseas Vietnamese’s unity An exchange programme, called Mai Am Viet (Vietnam’s home), has brought together many Vietnamese in the UK to a joint effort to forge a bond of unity in their community. Held for the first time in London on August 10, under the auspices of the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese Association in the UK (VAUK), Mai Am Viet encouraged participants to help each other in daily life and in integrating into the host country. The programme is also meant to serve as a common playground where the Vietnamese in the UK meet and speak Vietnamese, thus becoming more united in community affairs, said Son Thanh, VAUK President. For the aims, the event will be held every three months, Thanh added. The first programme was a big success with art performances and the showcase of traditional signature food.- 300 ethnic minority households relocated About 300 ethnic minority households in the central coastal province of Ninh Thuan have been resettled since 2008 under a plan on farming and residential resettlement adopted by the Prime Minister in 2007. Of them, 70 households have lived together in a centralised resettlement area while 230 others were relocated in residential areas near communal centres that enabled them to benefit from modern life convenience such as electricity, school, and healthcare services. Some 70 households were provided with farming land to develop production. According to Vice Chairman of the provincial Committee for Ethnic Affairs Le Thanh Hung, the resettlement has greatly helped improve the living standards of the tribesmen and contributed to eliminating huger and reduce poverty in the province. In the meantime, efforts are being made to put another centralised resettlement area, which is reserved for other 116 ethnic minority households, in place in Lap La hamlet, Lam Son commune, Ninh Son district in 2015. However, poor infrastructure as well as old-fashioned perceptions and habits of ethnic minorities have caused a slowness in the work. Hoa Hao Buddhist dignitaries in Vinh Long meet State officials The Executive Committee of Hoa Hao Buddhist sect in the southern province of Vinh Long has vowed to rally the involvement of its followers in residential lifestyle and new rural development campaigns. The pledge was made at a meeting between over 230 Hoa Hao Buddhist dignitaries and officials from the Steering Committee for the South-western Region, the Ho Chi Minh Academy of Politics and Public Administration, the provincial Party Committee, and the provincial chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front on August 11. The event aimed to update the dignitaries of the religious situation and the implementation of Party and State policies on religions and beliefs over the past time. Dignitaries urged local authorities to promptly handle wrongdoings committed in the name of religion, make it easier for Hoa Hao Buddhists to be admitted to the Party, and support followers in having places of worship in line with law. Home to over 35,000 Hoa Hao Buddhist followers, Vinh Long authorities have acted to ensure that religious policies are in full place and their citizens are entitled to pursue any religions or beliefs in conformity with law. Founded in 1939 in the southern province of An Giang, the sect has spread across 19 cities and provinces nationwide with over 2 million followers. Hoa Hao combines Buddhism, Animism, Confucianism and indigenous practices under the motto "For the dharma, for the nation". Chief of General Staff welcomes Cuban guests Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty hosted a reception for a delegation of Cuban armed forces in Hanoi on August 11. Sen. Lt. Gen. Ty highlighted the traditional friendship between the two countries, which was founded by President Ho Chi Minh and President Fidel Castro and have been nurtured by generations of leaders of both sides. He hailed the development of bilateral ties in the field of defence over the past few years, particularly the signing of a cooperation agreement between the two armies in March this year. Head of the Cuban delegation, Chief of the Logistics Department under the Cuba ’s Western Army, Maj. Gen Roberto Rodriguez Dopico affirmed that Cuba always regards Vietnamese armed forces and people as comrades and brothers. Cuba is always ready to assist and cooperate with the Vietnamese people and army to the best of its capability, he said. Vietnam seeks to boost gender equality in public sector Policymakers, experts and scientists from domestic and foreign institutes, organisations and universities joined in a seminar in Hanoi on August 11 to discuss how to promote gender equality in the public sector. As part of the project “Empowerment of Women in the Public Sector in the Context of International Economic Integration”, the event was jointly organised by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme in Vietnam. Participants focused their discussion on Vietnamese women’s involvement in leadership and management in the public sector. They pointed to the fact that there are more women holding key positions in private firms, while the rate in state-run agencies sees a remarkable decrease. Attendees also underlined the necessity to outline specific roadmaps and measures to further promote the participation of women in various areas of the public sector, suggesting that a mandatory legal quota on the rate of women in elected bodies should be applied in the coming time to better the situation. The seminar helped raise public awareness of gender equality as well as aided policymakers and managers in perfecting legal systems and policies in the field, thus accelerating gender equality. Over 330 mln USD for Mekong Delta’s irrigation system until 2020 The Southern Institute for Water Resources Planning has set aside over 7 trillion VND (330 million USD) to develop irrigational infrastructure in the Mekong Delta between now and 2020, said its Director Nguyen Xuan Hien at a recent workshop in Kien Giang province. The sum is small compared to more than 19 trillion VND (900 million USD) needed for developing the region’s irrigation system, he said, adding that 12 irrigational projects will serve extensive, intensive and semi-intensive farming of shrimps, fish and rice Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Ben Tre, Tien Giang and Long An provinces. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang called on irrigational works to be zoned for eco-friendly development, ensuring that they are adaptable to climate change and sea water level rise. Under a master plan for irrigational works in the Mekong Delta region by 2020, with orientations to 2030, localities lying on the left bank of Tien Giang river will invest in reservoirs, salinity control and upgrading of coastal dams while those in the Long Xuyen quadruple will finish the construction of irrigational works for Vam Rang – Ba Hon aquaculture area, and Ha Tien – Rach Gia coastal dyke in Kien Giang. The northern and southern areas of Ca Mau and coastal areas of Kien Giang will dredge canals and build more seawater reservoirs. With over 1.36 million ha possibly used for aquaculture, the Mekong Delta is set to zone off over 805,000 ha by 2020, with about 572,000ha for breeding shrimp living in brackish water in the eight above-mentioned provinces. Japanese present gifts to AO victims A 12-member delegation from Saitama Prefecture, Japan, has donated 13,400 USD to build and upgrade houses for Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims in the central province of Quang Nam. The donation was offered during the delegation’s visit to Quang Nam on the 53 rd anniversary of the day the US began spraying AO in Vietnam. On the occasion, the Japanese delegation witnessed the hand-over of two houses to local AO victims. The houses were built with support from the Japan-Vietnam Council for Peace and Friendship (JVPF) in Saitama. The guest also visited AO child victims at a local caring centre and presented gifts made by the elderly in Japan to the ill-fated children. Chairman of the JVPF-Saitama Shigeru Yamashita said Japanese sympathize with the Vietnamese people over the pain they are suffering from AO/dioxin. He pledged to call for more support from his people for AO victims in Vietnam. During the war in Vietnam, the US troops sprayed nearly 80 million litres of herbicides, 61 percent of which was Agent Orange containing 366kg of dioxin. An estimated 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to the toxic chemical, with over 3 million of them dying or painfully struggling from its serious effects. The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and localities nationwide have been carrying out charitable activities to support victims of Agent Orange/dioxin and their families in response to the Day for AO/Dioxin Victims. Vietnam launches first multilingual dictionary on labour safety Vietnam has launched its first multilingual dictionary on labour safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Terms Dictionary has 2,590 entries in seven languages, namely English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Korean and Vietnamese. Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen An Luong, President of Vietnam Occupational Safety and Health Association, said the dictionary is the result of over 30 years of studying international documents on the field, ensuring the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the entries. The dictionary is a valuable document for managers, researchers and lecturers in the field, as well as for employers of foreign workers and Vietnamese working abroad. Vietnam lacks specialised ships Imbalance in the structure of ship categories was a major difficulty for Vietnam's sea transport industry, said Head of the Marine Department Nguyen Nhat. According to the department, Vietnam had about 1,700 sea ships, including 28 container ships, 172 bulk carriers, over 940 mixed ships, 150 oil carriers, nine liquefied gas carriers and 37 passenger ships. The figures showed that Vietnam had an abundance of small ships, but lacked ships with high loading capacities or specialised vessels, Nhat said. In the last four years, the number of container ships worldwide increased on average 6.8 percent, but the percentage in Vietnam was just 1.1 percent. Nhat said the imbalance put sea transport firms in tough competition, particularly during the economic slowdown, when they were burdened with increased input costs and fewer transport orders. High logistic costs and inadequate sea port facilities also hindered the development of Vietnam's sea transport sector, Nhat added. Vietnam had about 800 logistics firms but the majority of them were small and only provided services in Vietnam and neighbouring countries, Nhat said. "Most firms don't focus enough on efficient supply chains," he said, noting that they hardly had a separate section specialising in logistics management. Most of the 44 sea ports in Vietnam were not designed to receive container ships and did not have proper equipment to load or unload containers, he added. General Secretary of the Vietnam Ship Owners' Association, Do Xuan Quynh, said owners were suffering losses from sluggish operations. They could not afford to improve their fleets and expand production, he said. The Vietnamese fleet can currently only deal with 30 percent of the market share, and foreign shipping companies take the rest. About 400 Vietnamese ships carry goods overseas but mostly on routes to China and Southeast Asian countries. Quynh said that financial support policies such as preferential loans, reduced interest rates or reduced marine fees were needed. Vice director of New Sai Gon Port Company, Ngo Minh Tuan, said that it was time to develop logistics centres in line with industrial and economic zones. Transport infrastructure must be developed to connect such centres, zones and seaports, he said, emphasising that combined efforts could help improve the competitiveness of Vietnam's sea transport industry. During talks between leaders of the Transport Ministry, seaport operators and shipping companies on August 5, Minister Dinh La Thang said the ministry would review seaport development planning and the structure of ship categories. He said the investment to improve seaport infrastructure and links between sea transport to other transport models would be continued. At present, key projects are ongoing, including Hai Phong's Lach Huyen International Seaport, a waterway passage for heavy vessels to the Hau River and improved waterway passage to the Cua Lo Port. VN-Cambodia Association’s Thai Nguyen chapter makes debut The Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association’s chapter in the northern province of Thai Nguyen was officially launched at a congress in the locality on August 7. The chapter has 417 members who are Vietnamese war veterans and former experts who helped the Cambodian people escape from the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime and made great contributions to their national construction. It serves as a bridge for strengthening solidarity and mutual understanding between the two nations in general and between Thai Nguyen and Cambodian localities in particular. Speaking at the congress, Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Hul Pha Ny hailed the establishment of such organisation in Thai Nguyen province, saying that it will help the two governments promote poverty reduction programmes and maintain security and peace in both countries. The congress adopted the draft statutes of the chapter and elected its 23-member executive board for the 2014-2019 term led by lieutenant colonel Nguyen Duy Quyet, who served in Cambodia from 1970 to 1973. Vietnamese, Lao provinces enhance border work Officials from the central province of Quang Tri and its neighbouring Lao province of Savannakhet on August 7 agreed to enhance their relations to build a borderline of peace and friendship as well as maintain security and social safety in border areas. During the talks in the Vietnamese locality, the two sides agreed to work closer in the communication work so as to raise public awareness of the Vietnam-Laos borderline and the marker system between the two provinces. They will increase coordination in crime prevention and borderline protection for mutual development, while facilitating the travel and trade activities of their people and businesses. Quang Tri and Savannakhet will instruct their competent agencies to prepare for the implementation of the “One-stop-shop” mechanism, which will be officially launched at their Lao Bao and Densavan border gates in January next year. In the first half of 2014, Quang Tri and Savannakhet border guards conducted 16 joint patrols, during which they detected and solved 132 border regulation violators and seized nearly 26,000 methamphetamine pills. The provinces have basically completed the planting of border markers in the field and are about to set up additional 25 auxiliary ones in 15 locations. The Vietnam-Laos 2,067km borderline, 206km of which running through Quang Tri, is the longest land boundary that Vietnam shares with a neighbour.- Over 900,000 USD collected for national sea, islands More than 20 billion VND (940,000 USD) has been raised during a two-month texting campaign titled “Joining hands for the homeland’s sea and islands”, according to the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC). Started from May 19, the campaign received more than 1 million messages worth over 19.1 billion VND (897,700 USD). Apart of this, over 1.6 billion VND in cash was sent to the VRC from 121 individuals and organisations to support the campaign. At a ceremony to review the campaign in Hanoi on August 7, 93 cameras and 23 seawater filters bought from the collected money were handed over to the Vietnamese coast guard and fisheries surveillance forces. Meanwhile, several fishermen and naval soldiers’ relatives were also provided with financial assistance. According to Vice President and Secretary General of the VRC Central Committee Doan Van Thai, the campaign offered a source of encouragement for offshore fishermen and soldiers who are working to protect the national sea and islands. It also helped raise public awareness of safeguarding the country’s sea and island sovereignty. On this occasion, Vietnamese website go.vn presented a Vietnam-shaped map made from over 106,000 photos to people and soldiers living in Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago. ADB continues helping preserve biodiversity in Vietnam An Asian Development Bank (ADB) delegation on Augut 7 and 8 inspected the implementation of a project funded by the bank in the central province of Thua Thien Hue which aims to preserve the biodiversity corridor in the locality and the region. The second phase of the Greater Mekong Subregion Conservation Corridor Project benefits 10 communes in two districts of A Luoi and Nam Dong with the goal to ensure sustainable forestry ecosystem services and climate change resilience in the central Truong Son region, and improve the livelihood of the local community. During working sessions with local officials, the involved sides agreed on management regimes at provincial and district levels in the province. During the sessions, the parties also agreed to maintain the decentralisation model empowering district and communes to perform the most important tasks of the project. According to Phan Ngoc Tho, Deputy Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee, between 2011 and 2013, the project formed 10 forest patrol teams and organised training courses for local authorities, while supporting 30 local families to develop their organic vegetable gardens. Scheduled to conclude in 2019, the project covers 34 communes in six districts of three provinces of Quang Nam , Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, aiming to establish a biodiversity corridor system in the localities for the restoration and preservation of the ecosystem connectivity in the region. It consists of four main components, including improving the capacity of administration bodies and community in managing biodiversity corridors, and bettering livelihood and small-scale infrastructure system in beneficiary communes. Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND