Social News 11/5 Beetle plague eats up local homes Black-bean beetles have seriously disrupted the lives of hundreds of people in southern Dong Nai Province's Quang Trung Commune. Although the insects carry no diseases that can be transmitted to humans, they eat timber, including furniture, and quickly multiply. Diep Thi Theu, a resident in Lac Son Hamlet, said millions of the bugs had destroyed her furniture. Four members of her family could do nothing but trying to get rid of them. Theu said she collected five bags of bugs weighing more than 200 kilogrammes within five days. However, there were still thick layers of them in the ceiling spaces. Local People's Committee said that it had reported the situation to authorised agencies for measures. Whirlwind wrecks houses A sudden whirlwind occurred on Saturday afternoon, ripping off the roofs on 100 houses in central Quang Tri Province. They included 30 houses in a commune in the province's Gio Linh District and 70 other in a commune in Vinh Linh District. The whirlwind toppled many rubber trees and flattened rice crops in Gio Linh. A market, schools and a public cultural centre in Vinh Linh were also heavily damaged. No fatalities or injuries were reported. The communes are home to rural poor families, whose houses are not very firm from strong wind. Authorities in the communes have assisted the blow-off households with emergency necessities. Ha Noi taxi fares may rise The Ha Noi Taxi Association has received proposals from local firms to raise fares due to the RON 92 petrol price hike on Tuesday, the Giao thong (Transport) newspaper reported. The petrol price has been increased by nearly VND2,000 to reach VND19,200 (US$0.89) per litre. President of the taxi association Do Quoc Binh said the taxi firms wanted to increase the fares by about VND500 to VND1,000 per kilometre. "I think it is suitable," he said. It was up to each firm to decide when they wanted to increase the fares, he said. President of HCM City's Taxi Association Ta Long Hy said the petrol price has been increased for the second time since March. "It affected the business activities of taxi firms," he said. According to the finance ministry's price management department, fuel costs accounted for 25 to 35 per cent of the taxi fares. The petrol price has increased by about 22 per cent since early this year, compared to the period before Tet (Lunar New Year). A taxi driver of Phu Dong Taxi Firm said as the petrol price has increased by about 22 per cent, taxi fares might be increased by nearly VND1,000 per kilometre. Communications Director of Mai Linh Taxi Company Nguyen Van Hung said the firm was yet to decide on any fare increase. Fish farms blamed for polluted canal More than a hundred families living near the Tu Hu 1 Canal in Hau Giang Province are suffering from various diseases caused by its polluted waters, and the owners of two new fish farms are being blamed. The canal used to be clean and its water could be used for daily activities, said Vo Thi Kim Nam, a resident of Village 8 in the southern province's Hoa An Commune. However, it has become increasingly polluted after two fish farms were built in the area two years ago, she said. She squarely blamed the farm's owners, Tran Thi Giau and Ly Hiep, for discharging untreated wastewater and polluting the canal's waters. Nam's family, as well as the other families in the area, have always depended on the canal's waters for their daily life. "The water was clean and we could even use it to cook after filtering," Nam said. "Now even if we use the water to have a bath, we get rashes on our skin, especially the kids. I have to boil the water now for them." Le Van Nhanh, 75, another resident of the commune who has lived by the canal since he was a childhood, complained about the stinking smell emanating from the canal, saying he could no longer sit and relax by it, as he used to do before. Nhanh said residents have talked to owners of both farms, and received promises that the pollution would be removed, but nothing has changed. Le Cong Bo, head of Village 8, said that he had many times, on behalf of the village's residents, submitted complaints to higher authorities. Inspections have been carried out, but nothing has changed for the residents, he said. "All we ask is that owners of these two farms have a treatment system for their wastewater before discharging it into the canal," Bo said. He said water samples taken from the canal have shown pollution by many substances. For instance, the portion of oil in the water was 56 times higher than allowed, he said. Commune-level officials have not been proactive in responding to the residents' complaints. Vo Doan Ket, chairman of the Hoa An Commune People's Committee, said the committee had worked with owners of the two fish farms and requested them to improve the situation. But, when it was pointed out that there has been no improvement, he said his administration would seek intervention from higher-level authorities soon. Ninh Thuan farmers protest salt works Many households in central Ninh Thuan Province's Phuoc Minh Commune are living in tents outside a pumping station to try and stop a company storing and pumping sea water for salt production. They claim that the Ca Na Salt JSC had created so much saline intrusion on 60 hectares of cultivated land thast no more vegetables could be grown. In the meantime, the company said that the protests had stopped them from producing salt from more than 1,800 hectares of their salt field, causing the loss of tens of billion of dong. Nguyen Cong Su, resident in Phuoc Minh Commune's Lac Tien Village, said 27 households had reported salt intrusion on their land since 2008, when the company built reservoirs and a sea-water pumping station. Nguyen Thi Huong, a resident from Lac Tien Village, said she and other villagers hoped provincial authorities would take measures to solve the problem. Nguyen Duc Phan, deputy director of the company, said this was the seventh times local people stopped the company from pumping sea water. He said the company had spent nearly VND10 billion (US$460,000) to compensate affected residents. According to Phan, it will take at least four months and about VND30 billion ($1.38 million) to resume their operations. The 1,800 hectare salt field can produce 50,000 tonnes of salt a year, worth VND40 billion ($1.84 million). Phan said the company was willing to work with authorities and residents to solve the situation. Vice chairman of the provincial People's Committee, Tran Xuan Hoa, admitted that the company's reservour contaminated cultivated land. He said the committee has asked the Thuan Nam District's People's Committee to set up a team to evaluate the losses. Armed thieves arrested for trying to steal endangered timber Border guards in central Thua Thien-Hue Province nabbed 11 armed men with nearly five tonnes of rare timber on Friday in mountainous A Luoi District. The gang, including three local men and eight residents of neighboring Quang Binh Province, had 4.5 cu.m of hopea pierei, an endemic tree listed as endangered species. The tree is only found in parts of Viet Nam and neighboring nations. It's timber is considered so good that loggers have nearly wiped the species out. Border guards seized the wood, a motor boat, two guns and bullets. According to Major Ho Sy Hoa, head of the border guard unit, one of the men admitted buying the wood for local use. Heavy rain damages vegetables in Lam Dong A week-long, heavy downpour damaged nearly 200 hectares of vegetables in the central highland province of Lam Dong. In Da Lat's Don Duong and Lac Duong districts, vegetable productivity has been reduced by nearly 1,000 tonnes. In Don Duong District, where most green vegetables were planted in the province, hail and heavy rain ruined 300 hectares of vegetables. This led to a 10 to 30 per cent increase in vegetable prices over last month. Mai Van Khan, chairman of Tan Tien Commune's Co-operative, said they utilized other sources to maintain their supplies. Farm enterprises get high-tech certificates The Centre for Business Incubation of Agricultural High Technology granted certificates to three agricultural enterprises for doing quality business professionally and developing over the past three years. Viet Mushroom Corporation, Viet Food Co, Ltd and Vuong Tron Trading Co, Ltd won the certificates. Le Ha Mong Ngoc, director of Viet Mushroom Corporation, said the company has grown clean mushroom that meet VietGAP standards and won consumers' trust. Ngoc had six houses for planting mushrooms on an area of 1,000 square metres. Nguyen Hai An, director of the centre, said that the programme was modeled on similar ones in Japan, Israel and EU countries. It helped enterprises do business in a professional manner and develop in the high-tech agriculture sector. Tay Ninh farmers seek help on fruitless chillis Hundreds of households in the southern province of Tay Ninh's Chau Thanh District asked the local agricultural authority to help them find out why 100 hectares of chillis did not bear fruit this season. Le Van Trong, chairman of Long Vinh Commune's Farmers Association, said the loss of the chilli crop cost farmers nearly VND40 million (US$1,840) per hectare. He blamed the loss on the low-quality chilli seeds the district bought from HCM City-based Sao Phuong Nam Co, Ltd. He said farmers planted two types of chillis. Sao Phuong's were entirely fruitless, while the others bloomed as usual. A company representative said red spiders caused the poor crop, adding that the company would give out full refunds. El Nino may create severe heatwaves Severe weather conditions, especially heatwave and storms, are likely to affect the country till October, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has said. It said the northern and central regions would be the most affected areas. At a conference on Thursday, Director of the centre Hoang Duc Cuong said the El Nino pattern this year would have a negative impact on natural disasters in the country. The temperature will increase by one degree Celsius during severe heatwaves. Some areas, such as the northern Hoa Binh Province's Mai Chau District, Son La Province's Phu Yen District and central Nghe An Province's Tuong Duong District, will have temperatures of about 39 degreeds. The country can also expect 25 to 50 per cent less rain than in the previous year. Check on building too close to rivers The Government stipulated how far from river banks people can build in a decree issued on Wednesday. The decree, which will go into effect on July 1, creates corridors of between 20m and 5m between river banks and the area in which businesses and individuals can build. The corridors will protect the waterways' stability, reduce the threat of erosion and mitigate water shortages. The gap must be at least 10m from rivers, streams and canals passing through urban and residential areas. In non-residential areas, the space is reduced to 5m. For rivers, streams and canals that are eroding or at risk of erosion, provincial and municipal People's Committees can change the corridor's width depending on local waterway conditions. The decree also aims to prevent the encroachment of land upon water sources; mitigate activities causing water pollution; protect and develop marine ecology; create space for cultural and entertainment activities; and protect historical and religious areas near water sources. It regulates water corridors for hydro-power reservoirs, irrigation reservoirs, and natural and man-made lakes, as well. Naturally, land encroachment onto the corridors is prohibited. Also, hospitals and clinics for infectious disease treatment, cemeteries, waste dumping grounds, toxic chemical manufacturing workshops, and manufacturing and processing workshops discharging harmful waste water were banned from building or expanding onto the corridors under the decree. Vietnam police make massive seizure of rhino horns, arrest 2 Police in the north-central province of Nghe An have seized 31 rhino horns worth millions of dollar on the black market and arrest two men suspected of smuggling the contraband. The police caught Doan Duy Dinh and Le Thanh Trung, both 32, red-handed with the haul, weighing around 37kg and worth VND22 billion (US$10 million), at 1:30 AM on May 9 after the duo disembarked from a local railway station and were about to take a taxi.   The horns were hidden in three bags, the police said. During questioning, Dinh confessed that an unidentified man had hired him to transport the consignment from Ho Chi Minh City to Nghe An for VND40 million (US$1,850). He then asked Trung to join. Police are expanding investigation into the case. According to a Nielsen survey, 75% of those interviewed in Hanoi and HCMC believed that rhino horn has health benefits, with more than one-third of all respondents believing that rhino horn can cure cancer. Such health benefits have been proven wrongful as scientists found the horn structure is similar to human nails and hair. International conservation groups have identified Vietnam and China as the world's two major consumers of rhino horns -- a charge the two countries have bristled at. South Africa and Vietnam have signed a pact on biodiversity management to curb the rampant illegal trade in rhino horns. Vietnam has outlawed the commercial use of rhinoceros horn The trade has been fueled by a misguided belief in its supposed medicinal properties, including its ability to cure cancer. Many also flaunt the horns as a status symbol. Increased helmet use among children in major cities Following several intensive campaigns, Hanoi, central Da Nang city and Ho Chi Minh City recently recorded higher helmet-wearing rates among children, reaching 68 percent in average from 38 percent in March, according to surveys from the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundations. The positive rate was revealed during a conference reviewing the outcomes of the National Child Helmet Action Plan on May 8. The initiative is part of Vietnam’s response to the 3rd Global Road Safety Week initiated by the United Nations. Khuat Viet Hung, Deputy Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said the results are attributable to sound collaboration between promotion activities and law enforcement nationwide. CEO of AIP Foundation Mirjam Sidik said the encouraging rate is a meaningful and practical response from Vietnam to the UN’s international week. At the function, participants discussed barriers to adequate safety precautions among young citizens – most of which result from low parental awareness on the matter. Vietnamese expats turn their hearts towards the homeland Officials from Vietnamese agencies in Malaysia and numerous expatriates living in the host country gathered at the second community day held on the occasion of the 40th celebration of the Southern Liberation and National Reunification (April 30) and the 125 th anniversary of the late President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday (May 19). In his speech at the meeting, Head of the Vietnamese Liaison Board in Malaysia Tran Hong Chung highlighted that the event aimed to boost solidarity and support among Vietnamese expatriates and foster activities to build a robust community. He also reviewed the community’s activities for its homeland, such as raising funds to help flood-prone regions and support soldiers on the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, and organising art and sport performances commemorating national festivals. Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Pham Cao Phong called on the community to make contributions to developing the homeland. The Board’s Vietnamese women club debuted on the occasion, designed to protect women’s rights and support women. The event also included fantastic art performances and vibrant sport competitions. Eighth grader wins national UPU letter-writing contest Truong Hai Nam, an eighth grader from Le Huu Lap secondary school in central Thanh Hoa province, won the 44th Universal Postal Union (UPU)’s International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People in Vietnam. Nam surpassed over 9,000 candidates in this year’s UPU competition, themed "Tell us about the world you want to grow up in". In his letter, Nam took the role of the little match girl in Hans Christian Andersen’s famous story “Little Match Girl” and wrote to the author expressing wishes to grow up in a caring world where the girl’s tragedy would never happen. The coherent and moving letter has been translated into French and submitted to the UPU in Switzerland as the only Vietnamese entry to the contest’s international stage, according to the competition’s management board in Vietnam. At the award-presentation ceremony held in northern Hai Duong province on May 9, three second prizes, five third prizes and 30 consolation prizes were also presented. An additional of 10 sub-prizes came to ethnic and disabled young writers. Four students claiming the first and second places received the “Creative Youth” medal from the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. Tra Vinh expands biogas composite models The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh is deploying a project to construct 1,000 biogas composite tanks within the year. The project is developed by the Centre for Rural Communities Research and Development (CCRD) and the provincial Gardening Association. Accordingly, each livestock household participating in the programme will receive 1.5 million VND (70 USD) and be provided with a loan of 6 million VND (280 USD) for each biogas tank. The construction of a 6-cubic-metre tank costs about 10.5 million VND (490 USD) while those of 8-cubic-metre tank and 10-cubic tank are valued at 12.5 million VND (580 USD) and 14.5 million VND (670 USD), respectively. Since 2014, under a biogas development project designed for the Mekong Delta region, Tra Vinh has installed 600 biogas spherical tanks made of composite materials , said Chairman of the provincial Gardening Association Le Van Be. The composite tanks are highly durable, productive, economically efficient and environmentally-friendly, helping to reduce environmental pollution and conserve energy.- Agencies cooperate to strengthen Vietnam-Cambodia friendship The Steering Committee for the Central Highlands Region and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA) have reached consensus on closer cooperation towards enhancing relations between Vietnam and Cambodia. During their joint meeting held in the Central Highlands’ province of Dak Lak on May 8, the two agencies agreed to work together to support the activities conducted by the VCFA and its chapters in the region and in southern Binh Phuoc province. The Committee will be responsible for coordinating with local authorities in the region to promote people-to-people exchange while the VCFA will pay attention to its guiding role across Central Highland provinces, especially in border areas, in order to foster communications campaigns among local people towards stepping up the Vietnam-Cambodia friendship. The two sides committed to closely cooperate in advising the Politburo, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat and the Prime Minister on reinforcing relations between the two countries and suggesting policies for the Vietnamese community living in Cambodia to make the activities of VCFA and its chapters more effective and practical. They will also strive to help Cambodia train its human resources as a strategic concentration to further links between the two nations. Additionally, programmes encouraging Vietnamese families and VCFA’s chapters to sponsor and support Cambodian students in Vietnam as well as cultural and sport exchanges between the two countries’ students will be enhanced. Northern Agent Orange organisations meet in Thai Nguyen Representatives from associations for Agent Orange (AO)/Dioxin victims across the northern region gathered at a 2-day working conference on May 7 in Thai Nguyen. Their discussion revolved around a number of topics including State policies supporting victims; experience in fund raising, programme organisation, and resource management; and the construction of additional healthcare centres for AO patients. By the end of 2014, 61 of 63 provinces nationwide had established AO/Dioxin victim associations. The Vietnam Association of Victims of AO/Dioxin (VAVA) has thus far mobilised 240 billion VND (11.2 million USD) from different sources to help the victims. The association is also working to garner international support for AO victims’ legal struggle to seek justice. VAVA’s Thai Nguyen chapter, which has 12,000 members, has launched several practical activities to support disadvantaged communities such as providing free check-ups and medicines, building houses and presenting scholarships. Moving forwards, AO victim organisations in the north aim to to strengthen their operations and boost personnel training. Victory over Fascism remembered in Ho Chi Minh City The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and Ho Chi Minh City’s Vietnam-Russia Friendship Organisation jointly held a ceremony in the city on May 8 to mark Russia’s 70th Victory Day over Fascism (May 9). The organisation’s President Nguyen Huu Thanh said that although World War II ended 70 years ago, the value of the historic lessons from the fight against fascism remains relevant in today’s modern world. Thanh told participants that Vietnam just celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30), which was partly made possible by assistance from the Soviet Union. Along with the entirety of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City will work with Russia to tighten and develop the relationship between the two peoples further, he added. Russian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Alexey Vladimirovich Popov stated that the Russian people continually bear in mind the support from allied countries, including Vietnam, during their struggle. World War II encouraged people to unify in the name of protecting the world order based on security, justice and culture, he said. He also called for more efforts to help younger generations understand and remember glorious chapters in national history.- Charity programme gives bicycles to children The ‘life journey’ charity programme kicked off its second year with an event to present bikes to needy children at the Ha Tinh Film and Culture Centre on May 8 in the central province of Ha Tinh. The programme, organised by the Vietnam Children’s Fund and the AIA Vietnam insurance company, raises funds to buy bicycles for impoverished students and children. At the event, the AIA presented 50 bicycles and 50 gift packages worth a total of 90 million VND (4,151 USD). The programme includes activities involving child rights, traffic safety and environmental protection. It also includes a writing contest encouraging children to share stories of their journeys to school before and after owning bicycles. The programme was launched in 2014 and has thus far given away 770 bicycles worth 1.3 billion VND (60,000 USD) to children in 23 provinces and cities. The programme plans to hold 15 events this year nationwide to present at least 1,000 bicycles to children in 25 provinces and cities across the country. Major funding for south central, Central Highlands development Some 300 billion VND (14 million USD) will be poured into science research for developing the South central and Central Highlands regions. The figure was released by the Ministry of Science and Technology at a two-day workshop held on May 7 in the city of Nha Trang with more than 100 experts and local authorities in attendance. According to the Ministry’s report, the Government has focused its investment in programmes to develop rural and mountainous areas from 2011-2015. The programmes include fostering advanced technology application in irrigation projects as well as improving livestock and aquaculture efficiency and quality to meet international standards. Participants suggested upcoming priorities focus on developing key products and technologies to ensure food security and enhance added value.- Hanoi, HCM City Law Universities to be built with State budget Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to coordinate with other ministries in allocating State budget funds to construct new facilities for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Law Universities. The budget will be sourced from the middle-term public investment plan for 2016-2020. The PM also agreed with the Ministry of Justice’s proposal to shift the location of the second Hanoi Law University facility to Tu Son town in Bac Ninh province rather than Hanoi ’s outlying Soc Son district. Earlier, the PM approved a project to bring Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Law Universities to become key training centres for legal officials, providing updated curriculums and training methods. The new facilities, which will have full and modern equipment and updated management models, are expected to create breakthroughs in high-quality personnel training and legal science research, serving the country’s judicial reform strategy and law-governed State. Foreigners allowed to own homes for 100 years Vietnam will allow foreigners to extend their home ownership by another 50 years, after the first 50-year period ends, according to a draft decree. Last November legislators amended the law on foreign property ownership to allow foreign investment funds, foreigners with valid visas, international firms operating in Vietnam and overseas Vietnamese to buy residential properties. They are able to buy up to 30% of an apartment building or up to 250 houses in a ward -- a subdistrict-level administrative area that can contain thousands of properties. Ho Chi Minh City, for instance, is divided into more than 250 wards. These changes will take effect in July 2015. In a draft decree that offers instructions on implementing the amended law, the Ministry of Construction stipulates that foreigners can apply to extend their home ownership period at province-level administrations three months before the first 50-year term expires. The draft decree, pending government approval, is expected to be introduced later this month. Under the amended law, foreign individuals married to Vietnamese citizens are entitled to freehold tenure. The relaxation of foreign ownership restrictions is expected to boost an ailing real estate market saddled with oversupply. Foreigners working in Vietnam have been permitted to own apartments since 2009, but red tape and usage restrictions dissuaded buyers, with just 126 out of some 80,000 foreigners becoming home owners in the country as of 2013. Vietnam's new foreign ownership property law:     WHO: Foreigners with a valid visa; foreign investment funds, banks; Vietnamese branches and representative offices of overseas companies are eligible to buy.     TYPES: All residential property types including apartments, villas and townhouses. Previously only applicable to apartments.     VOLUME: There is no limit on the number of units a foreigner can buy, but the total number of units owned by all foreign buyers must not exceed 30% of the units in one apartment building, or 250 landed property units in one ward. Previously an eligible foreigner could buy only one apartment in Vietnam.     PURPOSE OF PURCHASE: The properties owned by foreigners can be sub-leased, traded, inherited and collateralized. Previously ownership was strictly for residential purpose. 9 Filipinos rescued at sea Vietnam and the Philippines have coordinated efforts to rescue 9 Filipinos, 5 men and 4 women including a child, near Vietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago in Khanh Hoa province. Earlier, a Vietnamese vessel rescued them from a small boat with a broken engine 120 nautical miles from Vietnam’s Sinh Ton Dong island. Informed by the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center, a Philippine ship dispatched by the Philippines Search and Rescue Center received the survivors on May 9. Surplus chilli held at borders Thousands of tonnes of chilli have been left sitting on trailers at the border gate with China in the northern province of Lang Son over the past week. Nguyen Thanh Dung, a lorry driver, said that his lorry had been held at the Coc Nam Border Gate in Van Lang District for six days, damaging the 100 tonnes of chilli he had been hired to transport. Dung added that some months ago, Chinese traders were buying chilli for VND52,000 (US$2.4) per kilogramme, so enterprises in the central provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh and Thanh Hoa had transported their chilli to the Lang Son Province to make the most of the competitive price. Given the surplus of chilli , Chinese traders dropped their prices to VND25,000 (US$1.1) per kilogramme. A chilli dealer in Lang Son Province, who wished to remain anonymous, said that he had agreed a deal for more than 160 tonnes of chilli at the right price, but in the last week, Chinese traders said his goods were of inferior quality. He was forced to drop his price to US$1.1 per kilogramme, and suffered a loss of VND2 billion (US$95,200). Ha Thi Khuyen, a chilli grower from Xuan Mai Commune, Van Quan District in Lang Son Province, said that her family planted nearly 4ha of top quality chilli, but she couldn't find a buyer for her goods and was forced to destroy the crop before switching to maize instead. Vi Van Tuan, chairman of the Xuan Mai Commune People's Committee, told Tien phong (Vanguard) newspaper that at the end of last year, the commune set up a project to plant chilli for export with participation of 12 households. Local residents took out loans from banks to invest in the project. The Phu Lam Joint Stock Company signed a contract with the commune to buy the products for VND5,000 (US$0.23) per kilogramme, but reneged on the deal, said Tuan. Director of the company Ma Thi Xim said that the commune had signed a contract to farm 5ha of chilli, but in fact it only cultivated a few hundred square metres. The resulting crop was not large enough to sell to Chinese traders, so the company refused to buy it. Another tourist elephant drops dead in Vietnam A 43-year-old elephant that was used to carry holidaymakers in Vietnam died on May 7, the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Center said, adding it is examining its carcass to find out what caused the death. Na Lieng, the female elephant, collapsed and couldn't get up on March 29. Its owner, Buon Don Trading and Tourism Company in Dak Lak Province, informed the center, which sent its vets to try to save the animal. However, it collapsed against on May 5 before succumbed two days later. Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted Pham Van Lang, vice director of the center, as saying that Na Lieng may have died of diseases and exhaustion Five domestic and one wild elephants in Dak Lak Province died so far this year. Elephant tourism is popular in Vietnam, as well as in some other Southeast Asian countries, but attracts plenty of criticism and claims of animal cruelty. According to a WWF report, the number of wild elephants in Vietnam has fallen from 2,000 in the 1980s to around 100 recently. Home to one of the largest elephant herds, Dak Lak Province's forests used to be inhabited by more than 550 wild elephants in 1980. However, the number has significantly shrunk to five herds with a total of 60-65 individuals. Some 20 wild elephants have died since 2009. The province has 42 domestic elephants and about 60-75 others in the wild. Vietnamese, Chinese arrested after selling 15 ‘wives’ to China Police in Tay Ninh Province in southern Vietnam have arrested two Chinese men and four Vietnamese women for allegedly brokering local women to Chinese men seeking wives. A police source said the six would be questioned for human trafficking. Officers caught three of them red-handed as they were about to put three women on a flight at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport on May 5. Their confessions led the police to the leaders Huang Qin Lu, 49, a Chinese national, and his Vietnamese wife Chau Thi Thuy Trang, 38. The China-based couple looked for men there who could not find a wife at home and supplied them wives from Vietnam for more than US$6,100 each. They paid a person in Vietnam VND80 million (US$3,700) to look for women and that person enlisted others. A Chinese national would bring customers from China to choose from a lineup of prospective brides in Ho Chi Minh hotels. The police said the gang has sent at least 15 Vietnamese women to China in this manner. Official figures show that thousands of women have been sent to China every year. The brokers would look for Chinese men who are either too poor or too old to find a bride at home and Vietnamese women from poor rural areas who dream of a better life overseas. Source : VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri