Social News 22/10 Infant dies after injected with Quinvaxem A three-month-old boy reportedly died yesterday after being vaccinated with the free 5-in-1 Quinvaxem at a health centre of the Quang Phong Commune in central Nghe An Province. The boy cried loudly, his body turned pale and he fainted four minutes after being vaccinated. Although doctors from the health centre made efforts to save him, the boy died a little later. The vaccine used to inject for the boy has been sealed, and the cause of death is being investigated. Quinvaxem, a liquid vaccine, which has been pre-qualified by the World Health Organisation, immunises babies against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and hepatitis B, besides Hib (Haemophilus influenza Type B). In May 2013, the use of Quinvaxem was suspended nationwide after a series of adverse reactions were reported. It was resumed in October 2015 after tests showed its safety and effectiveness.  A/H5N6 bird flu outbreak hits Nam Dinh   Nam Dinh Province's Agriculture and Rural Development Department said this morning that 3,300 poultry have died of the A/H5N6 bird flu virus in Hien Khanh and Truc Phu communes. This was the first time the A/H5N6 virus has appeared in the province, the department said. The announcement came after samples taken from the dead poultry, by the National Animal Health Diagnostic Centre, tested positive for the virus. Between October 1 and 10, the birds were found to be sick or dead, the department said. Vice-Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Viet Hung has ordered authorised agencies to quickly bring the situation under control by setting up quarantine stations and banning slaughter and transport of poultry from the affected areas to other places. Hung also asked the agencies to spray chemicals in the affected poultry farms and surrounding areas. All the dead poultry birds were destroyed as per regulations. In another move, Thai Binh Province's Agriculture And Rural Development Department said it had successfully controlled an outbreak of the A/H5N6 bird flu on Monday. Earlier, about 2,000 poultry birds raised by a local farmer in Quynh Khe Commune were discovered to be sick or dead from October 8 to 11. The birds had not been vaccinated against bird flu. Authorised agencies had taken proper measures to control the outbreak of the A/H5N6 bird flu, therefore, no further cases of bird flu infection have been reported so far in the province. VN seeks foot and mouth disease vaccine Viet Nam is stepping up research to produce a vaccine that will actively control foot and mouth disease (FMD), Agriculture Deputy Minister Vu Van Tam said. At the international conference on FMD held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Ha Noi yesterday, the deputy minister said FMD was one of the most dangerous animal diseases and was also a major obstacle to international trade for animals and animal products. Viet Nam has tried to control the disease through the implementation of a national programme to control and eradicate it in two phases from 2006 to 2015. The ministry has proposed the Government should continue to roll out the programme in the third phase from 2016 to 2020. According to Ngo Thanh Long, Deputy Director of the Veterinary Department, FMD ranks first on the list of global infectious diseases that need to be controlled, following the list released by the World Veterinary Association. Vaccines are one of many important measures needed to control the outbreak of the disease, but the shortage of the vaccine in Viet Nam is still a barrier to disease prevention, Long said. It is not so hard to combat the disease in Viet Nam, and the country has the potential to research and produce this vaccine, he added. Therefore, related agencies should get scientists and vaccine manufacturing companies to cooperate in producing a vaccine to control FMD, he said. Success in controlling the disease will help the country improve its exported animal products, Long said.  KOICA to fund Metro Line project feasibility study The Korean Government will fund pre-feasibility and feasibility studies on Metro Line No.5 Stage 2's construction from Bay Hien Intersection to New Can Giuoc Bus Terminal in HCM City. A record of discussion for the US$5-million project was signed yesterday by representatives of the agency responsible for Korea's ODA grant, KOICA, and the HCM City People's Committee. The signing ceremony was also attended by HCM City People's Committee Chairman Le Hoang Quan, Vice-Chairman Nguyen Huu Tin and KOICA Viet Nam Country Director Chang Jae-yun. The project aims to help reduce traffic jams, accidents and greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing the number of motorcycles in HCM City. It is also expected to contribute to industrial and economic development, just as the tourism and trade sectors. HCM City urgently needed to make bikers switch to public transport to resolve urban problems such as declining competitive edge of the city due to heavy traffic, severe air pollution and rising number of car accidents as a result of the rise in the number of bikers, KOICA said.  Hon Nghe to be connected to national grid More than 520 households in Kien Giang Province's Hon Nghe Island are expected to benefit from a project that will connect them to the national power grid next year. Under the plan, the Southern Power Corporation under Electricity of Viet Nam (EVNSPC), together with Electricity of Kien Giang Company, will complete their work early next year in the southern province. The sea-spanning power project will cost VND140 billion (US$6.3 million) and will involve the construction of a 16.37km-long 22kV transmission line and eight substations. The project is expected to supply power to nearly 2,230 people on the island and will meet their social and economic development needs. Besides Phu Quoc Island, Hon Nghe in Kien Luong District is an island that has great potential for the development of a marine economy, services, tourism and maritime transport, Deputy Director of Power Corporation Pham Ngoc Le said.  Highway No 1 opens in Quang Tri A section of National Highway No 1 in central Quang Tri Province was put into operation yesterday. The 70km-road section, which belongs to the project of Expanding National Highway No 1, was completed two months ahead the schedule. The Expanding National Highway No 1 project from Ha Noi to Can Tho City in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta is a key national project, said deputy chairman of the Quang Tri Province's People's Committee, Nguyen Quan Chinh. Speaking at the ceremony, the vice Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho said, the road section would help to meet the increasing demand for transport as well as to reduce traffic jams and accidents on National Highway 1. "The road would serve the socio-economy and ensure national defence and security for the Quang Tri Province in particular and for the whole central region in general," he said. Besides, the Ministry of Transport also highly appreciated the efforts of the investor, Project Management Board 6, to complete the construction ahead of schedule. The ministry asked the Project Management Board 6 and BOT investors to finish the remaining construction items as well as ensure regular maintenance work. Meanwhile, Chinh said the local people's support had helped the project to complete ahead of schedule. Expanding the highway in Quang Tri Province includes two phases. In the first phase, 70km of road was invested by the Project Management Board 6. The second phase of building 15 km of road will be invested under the build-operation-transfer (BOT) model by Truong Thinh Group and Truong Son Construction Corporation. The road section throughout the province is six lanes with a width of 20.5m. Chinh asked the ministry to invest in building and upgrading the road passing the Hien Luong Bridge area, Hai Lang and Ho Xa townships. The roads in the areas were seriously degraded. Water traffic plan increases safety Waterway traffic accidents decreased by 52 per cent five years after a campaign for waterway traffic safety was implemented. The information was shared on Monday during a conference on the campaign's results in the southern city of Can Tho. The event was organised by the National Committee of Traffic Safety. During the past five years, the country saw 516 waterway accidents that killed 409 people and injured 65 others, a decrease that fluctuated between 50 and 55 per cent when compared to figures in the five years before the campaign was implemented. The campaign covered 45 provinces and cities across the country. Under the campaign, provinces and cities organised meetings to disseminate knowledge and raise people's awareness of waterway traffic safety. More than 386,800 life jackets were distributed. More than 927,000 people were fined for violating waterway traffic regulations. As many as 972 people had their waterway vehicle driving licences revoked. Provinces and cities that had success in implementing the campaign were Bac Lieu, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Nam Dinh and Can Tho. Hoang Hong Giang, director of the Department of Vietnam Inland Waterway, told the Nong thon ngay nay (Countryside Today) newspaper that to uphold the campaign's results, localities should invest in waterway traffic infrastructure. "The work should be considered an important and preferential duty," he said. A representative of the National Committee of Traffic Safety said that next time, the committee would report the campaign's results to the Government, which could maintain the campaign and expand upon its results. Meetings to review the campaign's implementation would be held regularly. Khuat Viet Hung, deputy chairman of the committee, suggested that localities should incorporate the campaign into other movements in the localities, such as measures to modernise residential quarters, to prevent children from drowning and to protect the nation's security. RoK veterans to build cultural centre in Quang Nam The Vietnam Veterans’ Association of Korea (VVAK) met with authorities of Quang Nam province in Tam Ky city on October 20 to discuss the building of a Korean cultural centre in the central locality. Speaking at the meeting, VVAK President Woo Yong-rak said the association wishes to build a Korean cultural centre in Quang Nam as a way to help heal the wounds of war and strengthen the ties between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK). The initiative has received strong support from the Vietnam Veterans’ Association, he said, adding that the RoK National Assembly has approved 3 million USD for the project, which is scheduled to start next year. The centre is expected to become operational by 2018. Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Chin vowed his support for the project, saying that the province will create optimal conditions to keep it on schedule. The VVAK is now home to approximately 300,000 Korean veterans who served during the Vietnam war and about 2 million of their relatives. Can Tho seeks financial assistance for climate change adaptation The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho is in need of substantial funding to implement an embankment project along the Can Tho River to respond to climate change, said Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Thi Hong Anh.  Speaking at a meeting held in the city on October 19,Anh underlined the significance of the project in controlling floods, flood tides and water drainage in Can Tho city.  With a length of over 5 kilometres, the project requires a total investment of around 800 billion VND (35.89 million USD), she noted. The city is forecast to suffer heavily from climate change, she said, affirming that if the project is implemented, it will help minimise damages and losses caused by climate change.  Analysis of recent floods in Can Tho as well as of the impacts caused by climate change on the city show that erosion along the Can Tho River is becoming increasingly serious.  As such, it is crucial to carry out urgent projects to adapt to climate change in the locality, Anh stressed, adding that it will benefit not only local residents but also those in the wider Mekong Delta region. ASEAN at forefront of Hanoi Agenda The remainder of 2015 is pivotal in terms of ASEAN formation and cooperation say officials at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE). In October, Hanoi will host the 13th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Environment (AMME 13), ASEAN+3 Environment Ministers’ Meeting along with a wide array of coinciding ancillary events. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will chair the 13th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Environment as well as the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Environment. The Action Programme of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in cooperation with ASEAN on environment for the period 2014-2015 has been assigned the tasks of chairing and coordinating with domestic and foreign agencies to successfully host the AMME 13. The AMME 13 will review the progress on implementing regional environmental deals since AMME 12 and other issues related to their status as well as entertain proposals to enhance future environmental cooperation. The meeting will also discuss and adopt an ASEAN Declaration on Climate Change to prepare for the 21st United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) and the Joint Statement and Outcomes Statement of AMME 13. The event will to see the presence of environmental ministers from the countries of Japan, China and the Republic of Korea (RoK), along with the ASEAN Secretariat and representatives of ASEAN’s partner organizations. The officials at the MNRE say Hanoi will be buzzing with activity in the final days of October as ASEAN formation by the end of the year begins to shape up and take centre stage.  Police chief urges facilitation for foreigners over residence in Hanoi The online residence information system in Hanoi must bring convenience to foreigners who reside in the capital city, Major General Nguyen Duc Chung, director of the local Department of Police, has told a recent meeting. The official made the statement after Colonel Le Hoc Thu, head of the department’s division for the administrative management of social order and safety, briefed the conference on a draft plan to implement an online residence information system in the capital city.  It is necessary to have effective coordination between police officers controlling residential quarters and the police units in charge of the administrative management of social order and safety in order to execute the plan in the spirit of assisting foreigners who work and live in the city, according to Major General Chung. The system will be used and managed by police in the communes, districts and towns of Hanoi and by varied divisions under the police department, Col. Thu said. Under the plan, police officers will use declaration forms to collect residence-related information from foreigners and overseas Vietnamese in the capital and capture them into the online database, the official said. This work is required to be completed before December 20, 2015, he added. Col. Thu stressed that the online residence information system is a very important tool in meeting the requirements of the ongoing administrative reform and to improve the efficiency of state management over security and order in residential areas.  As part of the plan, the police department will offer training in anti-high tech crime to police officers in charge of residential quarters, he added. Ministry targets use of banned substances The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) urged authorised agencies to crack down on the use and trading of banned substances in animal husbandry. Despite increased efforts by relevant authorised agencies, the fight against food safety violators had not achieved any significant results compared with last year, officials said. The numbers of breeders using banned substances in husbandry remained high over the last nine months, said Nguyen Nhu Tiep, director of the country's agro-forestry-fisheries quality assurance department. "Using banned substances in animal husbandry should be considered a crime," said Minister of MARD Cao Duc Phat at an online conference with representative from 63 cities and provinces on Monday. "Relevant authorised agencies need to resolutely, strictly address the problem. It is unacceptable that individuals pose health risks to millions of people for their own benefit." Phat urged cities and provinces to conduct regular inspections and deal with violators. He said the country could only tackle the root of the problem by strictly punishing sellers of banned substances, not just small-scale breeders. He also asked the Ministry of Health to tighten its control over the import of Clenbuterol and Salbutamol, as enterprises are allowed to use these banned substances in medication production. Some enterprises were found selling these banned substances to breeders. Clenbuterol and Salbutamol are used in husbandry to stimulate growth of animals. These substances have been banned in Viet Nam since 2002. Sharing Phat's opinion, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam told the conference that violators must be strictly fined and should be prosecuted as criminals if they violate the regulations a second time. He called on the participation of other agencies, such as the Viet Nam Farmers' Association and Viet Nam Women's Union to raise consumers' awareness about health risks posed by the use of banned substances. He also asked MARD to make a detailed plan, and instruct cities and provinces on how to deal with the problem. Representatives from the Ha Noi and HCM City People's Committees said they stepped up inspections and conducted regular tests to improve food quality control. They also co-ordinated with other cities to establish a chain of safe, clean vegetable and animal breeding farms. However, due to high demand, the two cities have had to rely on supplies from other provinces. This makes it more difficult for the authorities to control the quality of agricultural products. Moreover, the smuggling of banned substances through the northern provinces of Lang Son and Lao Cai remains complicated due to the long border lines of the two provinces with China.  Jetstar Pacific offers 10,000 cheap tickets Budget airline Jetstar Pacific will offer 10,000 tickets at only VND20,000 a ticket on its 22 international and domestic routes, from 11am on October 20 to 12:59pm on October 22. The promotion is being held to celebrate the Vietnam Women's Union anniversary (October 20). Tickets (excluding tax and other additional fees) are available at the airline's ticket offices across the country and the airline’s website at www.jetstar.com. The airline has also kicked off the same promotion on the Da Nang-Singapore route, applicable at the time of purchase. Jetstar Pacific has announced that it will open three new domestic routes: Hue-Da Lat, Chu Lai-Buon Ma Thuot, and Ho Chi Minh City-Pleiku on October 25. Dong Nai wants Long Thanh airport site ready early Dong Nai Province is seeking Government approval to carry out site clearance and resettlement plans for Long Thanh international airport as soon as possible so that work can commence in 2019 as scheduled. The Ministry of Transport has recently set up a steering committee for implementing the airport project in Long Thanh District in the southern province of Dong Nai. Meanwhile, Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) is making preparations for organizing an international competitive tender to pick a consultant for conducting a feasibility study. ACV, the investor of the project, reckoned that it would take 15 months to select a consultant and complete the feasibility study from the time the project won approval from the National Assembly in June this year. The corporation expects the feasibility study could be completed in 2018 so that the project will be able to get off the ground in 2019. Therefore, Dong Nai Province said site clearance should be done early to pave the way for the project to start in 2019.     A source told the Daily that at a meeting between leaders of Dong Nai Province and relevant agencies last week, the total cost for site clearance had been revised down to VND13.1 trillion (US$587.93 million) from the previously estimated VND20.7 trillion (US$929.02 million). Around 5,000 hectares in Long Thanh District will be cleared to make room for the project. The area consists of 2,000 hectares in Binh Son Commune, 1,359 hectares in Suoi Trau Commune, 508 hectares in Cam Duong Commune, 158 hectares in Bau Can Commune, 659 hectares in Long An Commune, and 317 hectares in Long Phuoc Commune. Around 4,730 households with nearly 15,000 inhabitants will be affected. The source said the compensation plan for the airport project is planned to be carried out in two phases. Particularly, 2,558 hectares of land from 1,808 households will be taken back initially at a total cost of over VND5 trillion (US$224.4 million). Later, the remaining 2,442 hectares from 2,922 households will be withdrawn at a cost of nearly VND8.1 trillion (US$363.53 million). Dong Nai Province has proposed the Prime Minister allow separating the compensation and site clearance part from the airport project and advance capital for site clearance to ensure the airport will be able to get underway from early 2019 as planned. The province feared that site clearance would not be completed before work starts on the project if it is done after the legislature approves the feasibility study. Long Thanh airport project has a total investment cost of more than US$16 billion including over US$5.4 billion for the first phase. Phase one of the airport is expected to come online in 2023 and have one runway and one terminal able to serve 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo a year. Taxis defy bans to occupy streets in space-poor HCM City A dearth of available parking space in Ho Chi Minh City has caused taxi drivers to stop wherever they can and occupy roads citywide, despite no-parking signs and traffic cops ready to hand out fines. Cabbies know the streets where parking is prohibited, and have to work with police on a frequent basis, but “we have no other choice,” a taxi dispatcher from cab company Vinasun admitted to Tuoi Tre(Youth) newspaper. A long line of up to seven Vinasun taxis can usually be found waiting along the sidewalk on Bui Thi Xuan Street in District 1, even though parking is not allowed between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm any day. In other no-parking streets such as Le Quy Don in District 3 and Bach Dang in Tan Binh District, cabs occupy the roads on a daily basis and seem unfazed by civil penalties for traffic violations. Other vehicles, from motorbikes and cars to buses, often have to ‘crawl’ inch by inch to pass streets like these to avoid the parked cabs. Taxis are seen occupying a street in Ho Chi Minh City. The District 3 unit of city traffic police have frequently cracked down on illegally parked vehicles on Le Quy Don Street and lately fined dozens of cabs operated by the 27-7 Transportation Cooperative. “The taxis will just return to park on the street whenever the police are out of sight,” an attendant at the nearby War Remnants Museum revealed. Nguyen Dinh Duong, head of the traffic police unit of Tan Binh District, admitted that the area is short on parking space, so taxis have no choice but to defy parking bans. Bach Dang Street leads to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, where there is a huge demand for cabs. “So many taxi drivers just park where they are not allowed to, and deal with traffic police later,” Duong said. In addition, taxi drivers frequently resist bans to park in front of hotels, hospitals, trade centers and office buildings, where demand for them is high. Some taxi firms even sign contracts with hotels to be entitled to preferred pick-up service for passengers there. Police fine taxi drivers who have violated parking rules. For example, the Harmony Saigon Hotel on Bui Thi Xuan Street has signed an agreement to give priority for Vinasun cabs to receive its guests. “But Vinasun should be responsible for the traffic violations of its cabbies, not the hotel,” Nguyen Thanh Tuan, managing director of Harmony Saigon, said. Similarly, Mekong Maternity Hospital has made agreements with both Vinasun and Mai Linh, whereby it will “create conditions” for the two taxi firms to operate in front of its premises. The hospital will receive VND10 million (US$446) a month each from the cab operators for creating these favorable conditions. Ho Chi Minh City traffic police have handled more than 18,300 violations of the parking rules in the year to date, according to the unit head, Col. Tran Thanh Tra. “We are determined to sweep out such violators with more crackdowns from now until the end of this year,” Col. Tra told Tuoi Tre. The city’s transport department said it is preparing a new plan for the taxi sector, with a focus on the issue of parking. “The plan seeks to allocate parking space to taxis so that they will not affect traffic,” Le Hoang Minh, deputy director of the department, told Tuoi Tre. Vietnam soldier grows 30 years older in 3 years Nguyen Hieu Nghia looks 30 years older only three years after joining the army, but the strange phenomenon has nothing to do with military hardship. People do not believe they are talking to a 23-year-old man when they meet Nghia, a former serviceman in the southernmost Vietnamese province of Ca Mau, as his face is now full of wrinkles. Nghia was a young, fresh-faced man of twenty when he joined the military in early 2012, when he was assigned to a unit on duty near the sea, he told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. “Wrinkles began appearing on my face after just a few months, and I thought it was a kind of allergic reaction due to the change in the environment or the seafood,” he said. But the bizarre phenomenon continued for a year, until Nghia was forced to travel to Ho Chi Minh City to see a doctor. “They just told me they had no idea what disease it was,” he recalled. “I still thought it would disappear some day but I in fact I became older and older.” The wrinkles only appear on his face, mostly around his forehead and cheeks, while there is no abnormality with the rest of his body. “Whenever I go out with my friends, the first thing they say is, ‘Hey, why you look so old?’ or ‘What’s wrong with your face?’,” Nghia said. Most often the 23-year-old man would love to stay at home not to be bombarded with such questions, he admitted. Besides the wrinkles, his fingers and toes have also grown abnormally large. “I had to dump the shoes I bought when I joined the army because I am no longer able to put my feet in them,” he said. “Doctors still say they do not know what’s wrong with me. “I’ve even tried traditional herbal medicines, but they didn’t work.” In 2011, Nguyen Thi Phuong, a then 26-year-old woman, also caught a mysterious disease and suffered a similar accelerated-aging syndrome. The young woman in the southern province of Ben Tre morphed into an 80-year-old woman virtually overnight possibly due to mastocytosis. Her strange disease grabbed international and local headlines, and Phuong later was also helped to receive treatment. She died suddenly in August this year at the age of 30. Water crisis looms as short monsoon, El Nino hit southern reservoir A large reservoir that supplies water for Ho Chi Minh City and nearby provinces has seen its water level falling rapidly, signaling a possible severe shortage for the whole region, experts said. “Low rainfall as an impact of El Nino has significantly lowered the water level of Dau Tieng Reservoir,” said Nguyen Van Dam, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Irrigation Service Company. The reservoir on the Dong Nai River, whose main tributary Saigon flows into the East Sea, supplies water for vast farmland areas in Tay Ninh, Long An, Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City. It is also sourced for tap water for 10 million people in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong. Dam said low rainfall upstream has caused an increase in salinity. “The rainy season is predicted to end one month earlier than in previous years and this will exacerbate the problem,” he was quoted by Thoi Bao Kinh Te Saigon as saying. The water level at Dau Tieng Reservoir has hovered around 21 meters, compared to the average 24.4 meters in previous years. Meanwhile, the demand for water for irrigation has been on the rise due to newly-cultivated areas in Tay Ninh and Long An. According to Saigon Water Corporation (Sawaco), the company’s plants cannot treat saline water in the river. The company said it had to suspend tap water services several times because the salt concentration in the water was too high. The company also warned about pollution in the river and the increased risk of coliform bacteria contamination. Last week, water resource management agencies in Tay Ninh, Long An and Ho Chi Minh City have met to discuss solutions for the potential shortage. Water will be prioritized for tap services and aquatic farming while crop farmers may have to switch to other plants that need less water than rice, Dam said. “Dau Tieng Reservoir has cut back its discharge to save water for the final months,” he said, adding that a reservoir nearby will be sourced to minimize the impact of the water crisis that will likely affect the whole southeastern region. 86-year-old street vendor in Saigon converses in 5 languages At the age of 86, Tran Thi Dinh still walks briskly between the small tables of her curbside coffee shop. The octogenarian said she has been running the street stall for 37 years now. She had earlier worked for some American and French employers before 1975, and her French and English skills were “enough to help me communicate with them,” she told news website VnExpress. “I can speak French, English, Cantonese and Cambodian, but cannot read or write,” she said. “I studied the languages because I need to understand my foreign customers. I had tried Korean and Japanese. But I gave up because not many of my customers are Korean and Japanese, so it’s a bit difficult for me to practice.” Her small stall on Pham Ngu Lao Street in the popular backpacker area sees dozens of customers, many of them foreign tourists, every day. She closes it quite early, at around 4 p.m. “I want to go home and play with my four grandchildren,” said Dinh. Vietnam’s armed flight security officers to come from police ministry Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security will provide local aviation firms with in-flight security officers who will be armed with weapons, said the leader of the country’s civil aviation sector. Lai Xuan Thanh, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), made the statement while talking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper about a new rule that aviation security officers on flights operated by Vietnamese carriers will be equipped with weapons and support tools for use when necessary. This new regulation is included in Decree 92/2015 issued by the government on October 13, 2015 regarding civil aviation security, which aims to strengthen flight safety. Such in-flight security officers are civil servants who are tasked with and are trained to ensure flight safety and to tackle airborne terrorists, Thanh said. For that reason, such officers will not be drawn from airports’ existing security forces, but from the Ministry of Public Security, the official said. Under Article 11 of the decree, in-flight security officers are placed under the general control of the pilot in command of a flight. In case of any intervention occurring on flights, these officers will take action to ensure flight safety in accordance with a specific regulation to be promulgated by the ministry. Immediately after being informed of flight safety incidents, carriers must report them to the relevant airport authorities and airport emergency rescue units so that necessary measures can be taken to ensure flight security, according to the regulation. Thanh also said that the use of armed security officers on flights is one of the agreements reached by the CAAV and the US Federal Aviation Administration in relation to launching direct flights between the two countries in the future. Meanwhile, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has yet to officially decide on whether such aviation security officers are needed to be present on flights, Thanh said. The official added that the US’s current armed in-flight security force was re-established following the suicide attacks by al-Qaeda, a terrorism organization, on many targets in the US on September 11, 2001. On that day, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners and crashed the planes into their targets, including the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, killing themselves and nearly 3,000 people in the process. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri