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Social News 9/6
Master
plan on
Deputy
Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam gave the nod to a master plan on conserving and
promoting the value of the
He
assigned the provincial People’s Committee to coordinate with offices
involved to design the relic site planning to be submitted to the Prime
Minister for approval.
Located
in Bo Trach district, the park covers 85,754 hectares with a 195,400-hectare
buffer zone. It is among the 238 most important ecological zones in the
world.
Phong
Nha – Ke Bang won UNESCO heritage recognition in 2003 thanks to its system of
300 different caves and grottos which date back some 400 million years.
With the
length of 7.7 kilometres, Phong Nha cave system is said to have the longest
water cave and the most beautiful grottos.
Meanwhile,
Son Doong, which was first explored in 2009, is considered the largest
natural cave in the world.
It has a
length of at least 8.5 kilometres and is at least 200 metres in height (while
its very largest chamber is an incredible 250 metres in height, enough space
to accommodate 40-storey skyscrapers).
On May
13 this year, the American television network ABC (American Broadcasting
Company) made a live broadcast through the Good Morning America programme
featuring En and Son Doong caves.
More
than 400 people visited the Vietnam House in the Canadian capital
Located
at No. 85 on
On its
opening day, visitors were welcomed in to view a typical Vietnamese interior
space. The ancient house, which has distinctive white walls and a red-tiled
roof, is decorated inside with handicrafts, wooden furniture, and paintings
and photographs depicting the landscapes and hospitable people of the
country.
The
building’s former owners, the Sheahan family, were among the visitors. They
expressed their pleasure with the new look of the house.
The
opening of the Vietnam House to the public is part of an annual programme to
honour heritage buildings in
This
year, more than 120 historically, culturally and functionally significant
buildings opened their doors on June 6 – 7.
The
annual architectural event has drawn nearly 800,000 visitors since its launch
in 2002.
Hai
Phong moves to become a green port city
Authorities
in the northern port city of
Hai
Phong is now home to 34 ports and transhipment complexes, with 38 enterprises
operating there.
In
recent years, the volume of goods passing through ports in the city recorded
a yearly average increase of between 15-20 percent, hitting 66 million tonnes
in 2014.
According
to Nguyen Van Tien, General Director of the Vietnam Container Shipping JSC
(VSC), local businesses are focused on investing in infrastructure
development and improving the quality of services.
He said
that almost all firms working in the locality have good awareness of maritime
environment protection and do their utmost to prevent environmental
pollution.
The
local port authority usually implements inspections to ensure that companies
strictly abide by the regulations in this area.
Bui Van
Minh, Director of the Hai Phong Port Authority, said his agency and relevant
units are working to support ports improve their infrastructure system so as
to meet environmental friendly standards.
Additionally,
a modern international gateway port – the Lach Huyen port - with a capacity
of handling ships with tonnage up to 100,000 tonnes is to be completed in the
city. This is expected to help the city realise its environmental targets,
solidifying the National Strategy on Green Growth.
The Red
River Delta
In 2015,
the provincial Red Cross will accelerate the implementation of mangrove
afforestation, part of the Forests and Deltas project on climate change
adaptation, funded by the US Agency for International Development and Winrock
International.
The
locality also aims to sustainably circulate the outcomes of a mangrove
plantation and disaster risk reduction (MP/DRR) programme which has been
carried out since 1997 in 15 communes in the coastal districts of Hai Hau,
Giao Thuy and Nghia Hung.
Under
that programme - which was funded by the Danish Red Cross between 1997 and
2005 and by the Japanese Red Cross since 2006 - more than 6,500 hectares of
mangrove have been planted, contributing to protecting the environment and
biodiversity.
According
to Vice Chairman of the Nam Dinh Red Cross Pham Minh Phuong, the mangrove
plantation has made a significant contribution to protecting the local sea
dyke system, preventing and controlling natural disasters and boosting
socio-economic development.
The
project has benefited more than 2,000 households in Giao An commune, Giao
Thuy district, with more than 1,200 hectares of mangrove planted together
with nearly 900 hectares of trees.
Chairman
of the Giao An Red Cross, Vu Duc Phuong, highlighted the practical benefits
from the project to the targeted coastal residential areas over the past 18
years, saying that they have seen a significant change in their defences
against high sea waves and stormy winds.
The
mangrove forests have also contributed to consolidating the local sea dyke
system, thus reducing landslides, erosion, flood tides and embankment
breaches.
Nam Dinh
is one of the localities most vulnerable to natural disasters during the
flood season due to its geographical features. The areas surrounding the Red,
Dao, Day and Ninh Co Rivers are particularly prone.
It is
one of ten Vietnamese provinces to benefit from the MP/DRR programme. It has
developed 91km of sea dykes and more than 300km of river dykes.
A nation
heavily engaged in cutting-edge research benefits tremendously and will most
likely develop a new generation of researchers, further strengthening its
ability to drive innovation and economic development.
Along the
vein, the Ministry of Science and Technology has unveiled a list of the top
20 innovative organizations in
The
Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences topped the list followed by the
Three
health facilities cited in the list were the National Hospital of Tropical
Diseases, National Institute of Hygiene & Epidemiology and
In comparison
with other countries in the region,
Japan-technology
waste treatment plant operated in
The
facility was constructed since June 2013 in conjunction with the anniversaries
celebrating 40 years of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties and five years of
Hanoi- Fukuoka cooperation establishment.
According
to Nguyen Trong Dong, Director of the municipal Department of Natural
Resources and Environment, the project worth almost 47 billion VND (2.19
million USD) includes a landfill covering around 3 hectares with a designed
treatment capacity of nearly 100 tonnes per day.
The
facility receives and treats solid waste from the capital’s western part
including Son Tay, Ba Vi, Phuc Tho, Thach That, and Dan Phuong suburban
districts.
Speaking
at the inaugural ceremony, Fukuoka Governor Ogawa Hiroshi said
Chairman
of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao noted that the project
reflects enhanced collaboration and friendship between
He
appointed the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment to
work closely with the Japanese sides in operating the facility and reviewing
its outcome.
Lotus
seats likely for overhead train
The
Railway Project Management Unit has submitted to the Ministry of Transport a
design of train for the Cat Linh – Ha Dong rapid transit railway project.
The
train is expected to have an aerodynamic design, with wedge shape and dark
glass windows.
The
image of Khue Van Cac (the pavilion of the constellation of literature) in
Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (the
The
train will mainly be green in colour and will have a youthful and dynamic
look, in addition to being environmentally friendly. Its body is to be of
stainless steel.
The
train's look will be harmoniously balanced with modern and traditional styles
to match
For its
interiors, the train will have handrails curving toward its windows, creating
larger space for passengers; and its seats will be in the shape of a lotus
leaf. There will be reserved seats for disabled people and pregnant women.
Under
the project, 13 trains, with four carriages each, will be manufactured by
Le Kim
Thanh, General Director of the Railway Project Management Unit, said that if
the ministry approves the proposed design, the locomotives will be quickly
built and presented to authorised agencies, experts, and people who have
contributed ideas.
According
to an appraisal report issued by the ministry's Transport Engineering
Construction and Quality Management Bureau, the trains are estimated to be
acquired for over 63 million USD.
The Cat
Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project was approved in 2008. Its cost was
originally set at 552 million USD and later readjusted at 892 million USD.
The entire project measures 13km, and encompass 12 stations and a depot. It
stretches from
The
construction is expected to finish by the end of 2015, with the trial phase
set to begin in January 2016.
Asian
labour unionists prepare for seafarers summit
A
delegation of the Workers’ Union at the Vietnam National Shipping Lines
(Vinalines) participated in a meeting held recently in
The
union’s website reported that the meeting was attended by leaders of 17
labour unions representing seamen in 12 Asian countries and territories.
The meeting
focused on issues related to seafarers in the Asian region, including the
maintenance of urgent communication channels in cases of maritime accidents
or ships and seamen abandoned at sea.
Participants
also discussed the preparation of the ASSM, which is scheduled to be held in
September in
Meeting
celebrates World Oceans Day, Sea and Island Week
A
meeting was held in central Quang Ngai province on June 8 to mark the World
Oceans Day and the
This
year’s Sea and Island Week takes the theme of “
At the
function, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Chu Pham Ngoc
Hien said to develop sustainably amidst complicated situation in the East
Sea, Vietnam needs to determinedly protect its national sovereignty and
interests in the waters and oppose all violations of its sovereignty,
sovereign right and jurisdiction at sea.
Marine
economic activities should also be fostered so as to soon transform
Vice
Chairman of the Quang Ngai People’s Committee Le Quang Thich said 400 years
ago, the province was the base of the Hoang Sa flotilla set up by the Nguyen
Dynasty to exercise control over Truong Sa (Paracel) and Hoang Sa (Spratly)
archipelagos. The flotilla regularly sailed to the islands to erect
sovereignty markers, exploit marine resources, build temples, and draw maps
of the waters. Many historical and cultural relics related to the flotilla
are still preserved in Ly Son Island.
Quang
Ngai will strive to protect coastal and marine environment and develop its
maritime economy, helping safeguard the national sovereignty and interests,
he added.
The
Efforts
to be made to narrow growth gap among ethnic groups
The
Government Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs will design more measures
to support ethnic minority groups and rapidly reduce development gap among
regions and ethnic groups, pledged Minister-Chairman of the committee Giang
Seo Phu.
He noted
the high poverty rate among ethnic minority groups, which make up only 14.3
percent of the national population but account for over 47 percent of the
total number of households living under the poverty line, despite great
improvements seen over recent years.
Phu
explained that although the Party and State have paid great attention to
designing support policies for ethnic minority groups, the total investment
remains limited.
For
example, allocated investment for Programme 135 on boosting socio-economic
development in extremely difficult, ethnic minority and mountainous regions
has reached only 64 percent of the total plan, he noted, adding that in 2015,
the programme has received only 6 trillion VND (282 million USD), just half
of the approved amount of 12 trillion VND (558 million USD).
Regarding
measures to mobilise resources for socio-economic development among ethnic
minority groups, Phu said the policies will focus on increasing loans and
reducing non-refundable aids.
A
programme will be designed to encourage lending to people from ethnic
minority groups, creating favourable conditions for them to boost production
and improve income, he said.
Meanwhile,
the committee will mobilise all possible resources for the work, including
contributions from organisations and enterprises as well as donation from
individuals and international organisations.
Phu
revealed that the Government has recently approved an investment of up to 6
trillion VND (282 million USD) for the implementation of support policies for
ethnic minority groups, raising the total capital allocation for the work
this year to about 10 trillion VND (467 million USD).
The
Minister-Chairman also expressed hope that ministries and localities will
promptly realise the policies and simplify administrative procedures, thus
making it easier for ethnic minority people to access the capital.
VFF
leader meets with overseas Vietnamese experts
President
of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Nguyen Thien Nhan has urged the
overseas Vietnamese intellectuals to join in seeking the solutions to the
five key socio-economic tasks of the country in the period from now to 2030.
He made
the call when meeting with participants of the first forum for overseas
Vietnamese intellectuals on
The VFF
leader asked OV community to contribute their ideas on how to turn
Speaking
at the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Hong
He
reported that many of the OVs proposed organising the forum regularly to
allow them to contribute more in national development.
Festival
strengthens Vietnam-France friendship, solidarity
An
exchange festival was held in
More
than 60 Vietnamese, French, French-Vietnamese organisations and associations
active in various fields such as economics, culture, education-training and
humanitarian aid participated in the event.
The
programme, which is entering its second year, was first held in 2012 in
Choisy le Roi by the Vietnamese Embassy in France and the
Ambassador
Nguyen Ngoc Son highlighted the close-knit relationship between
The
associations have run a number of activities to support
He noted
that the projects in various fields such as culture, vocational training,
health, environment, poverty reduction and war recovery have helped to
improve local living standards and human resources.
Mayor of
A
plenary session was held as part of the event to disseminate the image of
The
festival also includes a seminar, culture exchanges, Vietnamese traditional
dishes, handicrafts and souvenirs, lion dancing, an “ao dai” fashion show,
and martial artsdisplays.
Tap
water runs to 27,775 more households in HCMC
An
additional 27,775 households in HCMC had got access to clean water in the
year to the end of May, raising the total number of local households using
running water to 1,523,600.
The
number represented 81.3% of total households in the city, said Nguyen Thanh
Chung, director of the HCMC Department of Transport.
Chung
told a media briefing on water supply in HCMC last week that more households
with access to running water had resulted in a sharp decline of 18.7% in
households having to use unsafe water to 350,510.
Towards
the year-end, the city will build 1,559 kilometers of water pipe and install
1,096 central water tanks to supply clean water to 213,259 more households.
To
ensure clean water supply for all households in HCMC, the city will invest in
Tan Hiep 2, Kenh Dong 2 and Thu Duc 4 water plants in 2016, 2018 and 2019
respectively. These new facilities are designed to supply an additional
850,000 cubic meters of clean water per day and increase the city’s total
water supply capacity to 2.95 million cubic meters per day.
The
implementation of water supply projects in districts 8, 9, 12 and Hoc Mon are
progressing smoothly, according to local authorities. However, water supply
stations in the outlying district of Cu Chi may fall behind schedule due to
prolonged bidding procedures.
Marine
police seize 700,000 tonnes of smuggled oil
Viet Nam
Coast Guard High Command said they have seized a vessel carrying 700,000
tonnes of oil of unclear origin from southern
Early on
Friday, a scout team that had been patrolling the area for two weeks stopped
a My Hung 8 vessel with registration number ST 06030 for a check.
The team
found 700,000 tonnes of oil in the vessel's tank. Ho Nhat Anh, the captain,
and three crew members failed to hand in papers on the volume of oil.
Anh told
police that he received the oil from an unregistered ship near Dai Ngai
marine area.
According
to police, the vessel belongs to My Hung private enterprise, located at Giong
Giua Commune in Tran De District,
The
seized oil cargo has been moved to a naval port in Can Tho City's Binh Thuy
District. Police are investigating the case further.
The
investigative police in the northwestern
The
police stumbled upon the illegal arms and man when they were investigating
the causes of a forest fire.
On
January 5, Moc Chau District authorities in the province was informed about a
forest fire, which reportedly broke out after someone used the slash-and-burn
practice to clear uphill land for cultivation.
After
initial investigations, a joint-agency team consisting of rangers, policemen,
and local officers, visited the house of one Dinh Quang Dong, born in 1984,
at Tieu khu 11, Moc Chau Town in the district.
Dong
fled after receiving a tip-off about the investigation team's visit.
The team
seized an AK rifle, a homemade gun, and 28 bullets from his residence.
Possession
of military arms is illegal in Viet Nam.
On
Sunday, the investigative police caught Dong.
Dong
allegedly confessed that he had bought the arms from an unknown man at Chieng
Ve commune in the same district for hunting purpose.
The
police are investigating further.
Red
tape delays hospital construction in HCM City
The
Traumatology-Orthopaedics Hospital's move to HCM City's outskirts and the
expansion of the Tumour Hospital have been delayed for many years, with
construction failing to start in either case after being stuck in procedures.
The
Compensation and Ground Clearance Joint Stock Corporation, which will build
the Traumatology-Orthopaedics Hospital in Binh Chanh District, has stopped
paying compensation to locals for land.
"We
only have money for compensation and ground clearance but not for
construction," Pham Ngoc Lam, the chairman of the corporation, was
quoted as saying in Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.
"So
we have to wait for banks' approval before resuming compensation
payment."
The
district People's Committee had announced early last year that land would be
taken over from 62 households. But only 14 agreed to sell and move with only
11 getting the compensation so far.
"The
compensation delay will surely impact others and they don't want to give
their land now," Nguyen Van Truong, deputy chairman of the district
People's Committee, said.
Lam said
banks loans were not forthcoming because the lenders wanted the approved
investment certificate, detailed 1:500 master plan, design, project and capital
approval and other documents.
"But
we can only get them once we have cleared land."
The city
People's Committee has yet to begin the process of selling the current site
of the Traumatology-Orthopaedics hospital on Tran Hung Dao Street, District
5.
It is
estimated to be worth VND500 billion (US$23.1 million), but the new hospital
will cost double and the city has not said how the difference will be raised.
In the
normal course, the corporation will build the hospital using its own
resources. The city will fix the price of the old site, hand it over to the
builder and pay the rest from its coffers if there is a shortfall.
Both the
corporation and banks had asked the city to set a value right at the time the
project was approved.
"We
are ready to return the project to the city with a condition it has to repay
us the VND30 billion ($1.45 million) we spent on design and
compensation," Lam said.
Construction
of the Tumour Hospital's medical examination and high-tech treatment block
was approved in 2004 but the work never got off the ground after the
estimated cost increased from VND46 billion ($2.2 million) to 76 billion
($3.6 million).
The two
hospitals are overloaded now and it is imperative that the construction
begins soon.
Nguyen
Van Lam, deputy head of the city People's Council's State Budget and
Economics Commission, said, "I have requested relevant authorities to
appraise the capability of [the builder] and speed up procedures."
Ha
Noi tackles water shortages as hot weather dries up city
Ha Noi's
Party Committee has asked authorised agencies to re-examine the demand and
supply of water and electricity to minimise shortages, especially during the
prolonged hot summer.
Speaking
at an inspection of water and electricity supplies in Ha Noi on Saturday,
Secretary of Ha Noi's Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi said after the recent
hot days, demand for water demand had already exceeded supplies.
The
city's water supplies were unsustainable, he said, and pumping stations were
at their maximum capacity.
Nghi
said it was time to study the scheduled increase of water prices, which would
ease pressure on the State budget and would create funds for water projects
to serve the city.
According
to the Ha Noi Water Supply Company, there would be a shortage of 60,000 cubic
metres per day.
Underground
water sources are forecast to decrease by 1-3 per cent, while the demand for
clean water during summer is likely to increase by 7-10 per cent compared to
the previous year.
Currently,
the company supplies 620,000 cubic metres per day.
The
company has 12 factories and 10 water stations, and is working with other
companies to provide between 40,000-60,000 cubic metres per day for residents
in Cau Giay and Dong Da.
The
company has also upgraded existing wells and drilled new wells to ensure
supplies.
Construction
work will begin on two water stations on the Hong and Duong rivers this year
to supply an additional 600,000 cubic metres per day.
Son
La’s forest development efforts produce results
The
northern mountainous province of Son La has enjoyed a fast and sustainable
forest recovery rate thanks to its efforts to increase forest coverage.
According
to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the
province’s forest coverage reached 41.2 percent in 2008, and increased to
44.7 percent in 2013, higher than the national average rate of 39.9 percent.
The
increase was attributed to the joint efforts of local authorities and people
to protect the existing forests, and implement a number of reforestation
projects.
Son La
is striving for forest coverage of 55 percent by 2020. To achieve this goal
the locality will carry out strong measures to stop deforestation and illegal
forest product exploitation.
HCM
City kicks off Green Consumption drive
The
annual Green Consumption Campaign, which seeks to improve people's awareness
about environmental protection, kicked off last Saturday at Co.opmart
Foodcosa supermarket in HCM City.
The
campaign, organised by the Liberated Sai Gon newspaper, the city's Department
of Industry and Trade and Saigon Co.op, encourages businesses and consumers
to be environmentally responsible.
As part
of the campaign this year, the Co.opmart and Co.opXtra supermarket chains
implemented six promotions from June 6 to 25 to increase consumption of
products produced by enterprises that were environmentally friendly, Nhan
said.
About
200 enterprises have joined the campaign this year, with more than 2,500
products, an increase of 15 per cent over last year, he said.
No cure-all
At first
blush, it seems to be a happy ending to the saga about a man who was proven
innocent after serving 10 years in jail on charges of murder and robbery. The
Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam has paid what is the country’s biggest
compensation amount in a court case for Nguyen Thanh Chan, a resident in the
northern province of Bac Giang.
After a
long period of laborious negotiations with the supreme court, Chan agreed to
get VND7.2 billion (US$330,000) in compensation though he earlier asked for a
bigger sum. Of this sum, the supreme court compensated a mere VND500 million
for spiritual loss suffered by him and his family due to the wrong court
verdict against him while he demanded VND2 billion.
Local
media has carried long articles about how he would use such a big sum of
money. Some reports say Chan would use part of the money to pay the heavy
debts which his family owed in their long, strenuous journey to seek justice,
and spend some more money on a long list of other things including sending
his wife to hospital for medical treatment and rebuilding their shabby home
to offset all the sufferings endured by his family.
Money
may be used to cope with the material losses but not the spiritual distress
faced by Chan and his family members for more than 10 years. His children
dropped out of school and one of them had to go abroad for guest work to earn
money for her mother to seek justice for Chan. His wife once suffered from
mental illness after spending many years knocking on the doors of different
state agencies at different levels.
A decade
ago, Chan’s family was leading a happy life but he was suddenly arrested and
jailed for murder and robbery in 2003. However, a young man named Ly Nguyen
Chung turned himself in October 2013 and pleaded guilty of stabbing Nguyen
Thi Hoan to death and robbing her of gold and money.
Since
2003 the fates of Chan’s family members had changed completely as life had
become shattered. If justice had come to him earlier, such misery and spiritual
loss would have been avoided.
Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri
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Thứ Ba, 9 tháng 6, 2015
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