Social News 3/12 Prisoners in Thai Nguyen’s prison receive amnesty decision    As many as 97 prisoners, including six foreigners, in the Phu Son Prison 4 in Phu Luong district, the northern province of Thai Nguyen, were granted the President’s amnesty in 2016. The list of those eligible for amnesty was announced at a ceremony held at the Phu Son Prison 4 on December 1. Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh highlighted the significance of the work, saying that it manifests the nation’s humanitarian tradition. Since 2008, the State has granted six amnesties, releasing 81,795 prisoners before the due date and 917 others, who had their imprisonment postponed. Reports from localities show almost all amnesty recipients had stable jobs and many of them have actively joined social activities in their localities. According to the Deputy PM, on October 17, the State President issued Decision No. 2230 on amnesty in 2016. The Central Advisory Council on Amnesty, relevant ministries and sectors have worked hard to prepare the list and documents asking for amnesty in a strict and transparent manner, and submit these to the State President for approval. On November 29, the President signed Decision No. 2534 on granting amnesty to 4,180 prisoners and 204 those being suspended from carrying out their sentences. Deputy PM affirmed all prisoners have equal opportunity to be reprieved, without discrimination of gender, religion, nationality, age and profession. Amnesty aims to provide prisoners with a chance to show their repentance, thus continuing working and studying to become useful citizens for the community. Deputy PM urges for efforts to eradicate HIV/AIDS in 2030 Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has urged for strengthened communications on HIV/AIDS prevention and control in the community towards eradicating the pandemic in 2030. Addressing a conference that sought to enhance the efficiency of cooperation among civil social organisations in HIV/AIDS prevention and combat, the Deputy PM affirmed that HIV/AIDS fight is among top priorities of the Government. He stressed the need to increase the public communications in diverse forms, including public meetings, while building financial plans for the work, popularise methadone treatment, and setting up more effective models of rehabilitation or drug users. He asked for closer coordination among agencies under the National Steering Committee on AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Control and social and political organisations for the improvement of the work. Meanwhile, President of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) Dang Vu Minh noted that over the past years, social organisations made positive contributions to the provision of preventive services against HIV/AIDS as well as the building of capacity for the community system. As of September 2016, the VUSTA project funded by the Global Fund has set up 96 community-based organisations to provide preventive services to more than 70,000 people in 15 localities nationwide. In the first nine months of this year, the VUSTA project helped 43,000 people get HIV tests, more than 21,000 of whom were found positive to HIV. It also helped more than 1,500 others access ARV treatment. The event, which was jointly held by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations and the National Steering Committee on AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Control, aims to highlight the role of social organisations in the field, and seek measures to strengthen the efficiency and sustainability of the community system. JICA-funded project helps improve water environment management A meeting to review the implementation of an environment project between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was held in Hanoi on December 1. Addressing the event, MoNRE Deputy Minister Vo Tuan Nhan said the project, a joint  effort of the two Governments, aims to enhance MoNRE’s capacity of building and implementing legal documents to improve the water environment in river basins. According to Nhan, Vietnam’s rivers, especially those flowing through cities, industrial parks and trade villages, are seriously contaminated. To address the problem, Vietnam has promulgated many policies, mechanisms, and normative legal documents in the field, and sought international assistance, of which the JICA project is an example, Nhan said. Naoki Kakioka, Deputy Chief Representative of JICA in Vietnam said the collection of basic data for implementing pilot projects has been fulfilled. Japanese experts said they are willing to share their experience and provide technical assistance for the Vietnamese side in order to effectively implement the project. Implementing from 2016-2018, the project “Strengthening the capacity of water environment management in river basins” will examine legal documents in the field, build six circulars and plans for the implementation of pilot projects at the basins of the Cau and Dong Nai rivers, and design plans and roadmaps for improving the management of water environment at river basins. Health industry expo gets underway in Hanoi The 23rd annual exposition for the Vietnam healthcare industry hosted by Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry & Trade has opened as planned on December 1 in Hanoi. The event is actually three separate exhibitions running concurrently showcasing the latest in medical and laboratory equipment; pharmaceutical products and processing, and packaging machinery; and hospital equipment. The expo, held annually in Ho Chi Minh City in August and in Hanoi in December, features products and services of 150 health-related organizations in more than 250 exhibition booths from 18 countries including Vietnam. In addition, a series of conferences, symposiums, free medical checks, product introductions, and blood donation drives are also part of the three-day expo running through December 3rd at the International Exhibition Centre. Nghệ An to monitor use of tower cranes The central Nghệ An Province has decided to remove tower cranes that don’t have licences or operate outside of specified construction sites as an effort of improving safety levels. Developers found violating norms will have their projects suspended, the provincial People’s Committee said. The decision was made after a tower crane collapsed on a high school in Vinh city, killing one student in the playground last month. Trần Văn Hải, a 10th grader at Lê Viết Thuật High School, died on the spot after the crane fell on him. The crane, operated by local construction company Trường Thành, also destroyed a part of the school’s roof. The committee has asked related agencies and the police to monitor and keep tight control over the operation of tower cranes. Construction sites using tower cranes will be inspected, it said. Sites close to residential areas and public spaces will not be allowed to use cranes. Ex-officials sentenced for encroaching locals’ land    Vĩnh Phúc Province People’s Court yesterday sentenced to prison eight former local officials at the first instance hearing. The accused, former officials of Vĩnh Yên City, were sentenced for abusing their position and power while doing public duty. The eight accused officials include Lại Hữu Lân, former Chairman of Vĩnh Yên City’s Peoples’ Committee, Secretary of Vĩnh Yên City’s Party Committee; Nguyễn Ngọc Quyền, former chief of the provincial People’s Committee, Chairman of Vĩnh Yên City’s Peoples’ Committee and Secretary of Vĩnh Yên City’s Party Committee; Nguyễn Xuân Trường, former Chairman of Đồng Tâm Ward’s People’s Committee, Secretary of Đồng Tâm Ward’s Party Committee; Nguyễn Xuân Liên, former official of provincial People’s Committee office, Deputy Chairman of Tam Đảo District’s People’s Committee. The other three officials -- Nguyễn Thị Kim Liên, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc and Vũ Văn Chức -- are all officials of Vĩnh Yên City’s departments. Dương Đình Tâm is a resident running a business in Vĩnh Yên City. According to the court verdict, since 2006, the eight officials abused power to order the compilation of illegal documents, confiscated 25ha of land from the residents and handed it over to Nguyễn Anh Quân and Dương Đình Tâm. The land then was put under the name “Farming project of Đồng Tâm Ward” invested by Đồng Tâm Ward’s People’s Committee. The court concluded that the offenders hold power and have knowledge about the Land Law, land use and planning regulations. The illegal action of offenders “causes destruction to the State, triggers public anger and harms the reputation of local state agencies.” Lại Hữu Lân and Nguyễn Ngọc Quyền were sentenced to five years and nine months in prison. Nguyễn Xuân Trường was given three years and nine month imprisonment, while Nguyễn Thị Kim Liên was subjected to a suspended sentence of three years with challenging time of up to five years. The other offenders were given two years and three months to three years in jail. Nguyễn Anh Quân who prompted the offence has escaped. The provincial investigative police have issued an arrest warrant against him. Popular folk singer dies at 65    Meritorious Artist Quang Lý, one of the country’s most popular singers of folk and revolutionary music, died Thursday morning after a heart attack at his home in HCM City. He was 65. Lý was born in Thailand in to a Vietnamese family, which moved to Hải Phòng when he was nine years old. He began his career as a singer for the Hải Phòng Music, Song and Dance Troupe and The Voice of Việt Nam in 1976. In the 1970s, he performed for the Southern Liberation Radio, which was established by the Southern Central Party Committee in the D Resistance Zone in Đồng Nai Province. The radio’s first programme aired in February 1962, marking a milestone in the struggle for national liberation by appealing to people to support the liberation effort led by President Hồ Chí Minh and the Party Central Committee. His singing focused on southern people and soldiers. In 1983, Lý moved to live in HCM City and worked at the Bông Sen Traditional Song and Dance Theatre, one of the region’s State-owned leading art troupes. With his strong, sweet voice and performance ability, Lý quickly became a bright star in the folk and revolutionary music scene. He performed songs written by composers such as Hoàng Hiệp, Xuân Hồng, Phan Huỳnh Điểu and Trần Hoàn. He also released many videos and albums, some of which were recognised as the country’s best albums in folk and revolutionary music in the 20th century. During his 40 year-career, he has sung many melodious pop songs with his warm bass voice, including Thuyền Và Biển (The Boat and Sea) by composer Phan Huỳnh Điểu, Thơ Tình Cuối Mùa Thu (Autumnal love poem) by the same composer and Sao Em Nỡ Vội Lấy Chồng (Darling, why getting married so soon) by Trần Tiến. His 2006 album titled Vọng Âm Sóng was a landmark in his career. “Possessing a rare beautiful voice, singer Quang Lý ensured a delicate beauty in his famed songs on waves and rivers in this album,” poet Đỗ Trung Quân said in introducing the album. In 2009 he released another album titled Cung Trầm with eight songs he composed himself. He has travelled to many remote areas across the country to perform for soldiers and rural residents. Singer Nguyễn Phi Hùng said Lý was one of his beloved teachers at the HCM Music Academy, where he taught for years, because of his talent and personality. Lý has inspired Hùng in the art by whole his heart. "His words have become my principles in art and life," Hùng said, "Though he passed away, what he has done for vocal art will live forever in the hearts of Vietnamese audiences." On his Facebook page, popular singer Kasim Hoàng Vũ wrote: "I was shocked to hear the news. I just did four shows with him in Hà Nội. He was healthy and joked with me. We sang together to open the shows. Today he suddenly passed away. I would like to share my sorrow with his family and wish him happiness in the other world." He is survived by a wife and two children. Gia Lai, Stung Treng strengthen cooperation Representatives of Gia Lai province and Stung Treng province of Cambodia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on socio-economic cooperation in Pleiku City. The two sides discussed important contents, such as implementing cooperation based on the agreements between VietNam and Cambodia in the principle of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit; and strengthening cooperation on tourism development in two provinces for the MoU. The MoU aims to boost tourism cooperation and support projects in agriculture and the processing industry and efforts to fight crime. The two sides agreed to help each other in agricultural technology, agro-processing; collaboration in fighting crime, terrorism, human trafficking; as well as prevention of cross-borderdrug trafficking. Stung Treng agreed to create favourable conditions for Gia Lai province’s task force to repatriate the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who died in wars in Cambodia. The MoU will foster the traditional friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance between Gia Lai and Stung Treng; as well as tighten the solidarity between two countries. HCM City sees rise in mother-to-child HIV transmission Many hospitals in HCM City have detected more children who are infected HIV from their mothers. Dr. Truong Huu Khanh from infectious disease ward from Paediatrics 1 Hospital said that the ward used to receive 1-2 new HIV-infected cases who were children in previous years. However, between January and September this year alone, the figure was up to 14 children who mostly come from other localities and are living in HCM City. So far this year, Gia Dinh People's Hospital has diagnosed six children who contracted HIV from their mothers. Meanwhile, the figure for Hung Vuong Hospital is three during the same period. According to the HCM City Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, the city detected 22 new cases of mother-to-child HIV transmission in the first eight months of this year, four higher than the same phase of last year. The number of children who died of HIV/AIDS in the city was up to 11 since early this year. In the first half of 2016, 563 pregnant women were diagnosed with HIV among the city’s total number of 618,500 who were given HIV tests. Dr. Truong Huu Khanh said that at industrial parks and export processing zones in HCM City, many female workers were not provided with opportunities to get access to HIV infection preventive measures, resulting in their lack of awareness. Meanwhile, public discrimination also discourages HIV patients from revealing their disease. Many international donors have cut their funding for Vietnam’s HIV/AIDS prevention and control programmes as the country was recognised as a middle-income country, which has added more difficulties in the country’s fight against lethal disease. Doctors warned that children infected with HIV from mothers who gave up their ARV treatment will also face HIV treatment drug resistance. Currently, there are over 215,600 people living with HIV in Vietnam, and 88,868 people living with AIDS. A total of 89,412 people have died from HIV/AIDS. Vietnam will face a huge budget deficit in health services for people with HIV/AIDS in the next five years, an official from the HIV/AIDS Prevention Agency, Duong Thuy Anh, said at a conference on insurance payments for ARV therapy on November 28. Anh said the State budget could only reserve VND100 billion (USD4.4 million) for ARV therapy in 2016-20, but the demand is for about VND600 billion (USD27 million). HCM City hosts green farm day next weekend Phu My Hung green farm day 2016 will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on December 10-11 at the Crescent Mall in Phu My Hung Urban Zone in HCMC’s District 7. According to Nguyen Buu Hoi, deputy general director of Phu My Hung Development Corp., the festival day is aimed at promoting a green and healthy lifestyle for local community via exhibitions of green and safe and nutritious products. Visitors to the event will have a chance to get more knowledge and information on how to wisely choose food and browse for diversified products and savor food and drinks. People will also learn techniques and steps to plant fresh vegetables and join health care talkshows presented by local experts. All the participants can join a lucky draw at any booth at the event. There are vegetables and straw decoration corners to bring a rustic yet peaceful space to participants and their families. On the occasion, the organizer also runs a contest on Phu My Hung green lifestyle to encourage people to plant and use fresh and safe products. The competition is open for all Phu My Hung residents and people in the city who love planting and taking care of vegetables and fruits. There are three categories of agricultural products’ decoration, planting green vegetables and making salad. Total value of the contest is over VND20 million. Deadline for registrations is until December 9. Vietnam among attractive destinations of US    Vietnam has become a big tourist attraction for United States citizens, with over 330,000 visitors in 2015, an increase of 33 percent year-on-year. According to the US Department of Commerce, last year, US citizens travelled abroad more than ever, with a total of 74 million people. Kim Sykes from Carefree Vacations travel agency said that Vietnam is a favourite destination for US tourists from 18 to 35 years old. In 2015, Mexico and Canada drew the most number of US tourists, followed by the United Kingdom, the Dominican Republic and France. Ha Giang’s buzz over bees creates chaos Last month, Lê Tien Tuân, a beekeeper from the northern province of Tuyên Quang, moved 320 foreign beehives into local gardens in two villages of Thài Phìn Tùng Commune, Hà Giang Province, as per an unwritten agreement with gardens’ owners – which should have transpired fuss-less. But the following day, local authorities demanded that Tuân move all his beehives out of the commune before 8:00pm the same day. However, he didn’t comply, insisting that his actions were fully legal by state law. Commotion broke out in the morning two days later, when villagers removed all of his beehives and deposited them 700m from the National Road 4C. Some even deliberately kicked over the bee boxes. Such forceful removal of ‘foreign’ beehives, and by implication, beekeepers from other provinces, involving the provincial police and other law enforcement, under the auspices of higher-ups, in addition to arbitrary official decisions, are condemned by many in the know as violating various laws. Previously, on September 19, Ð?ng Van District People’s Committee issued a document, stating that all beekeepers can transport bees into the district only after they’ve received written permission from the committee. They also require beekeepers to register for temporary stay, however, local police refuse to grant such papers for beekeepers, a VTV report states. Only 300ha out of 1,500ha of honey mint – endemic to the Ð?ng Van Stone Plateau – can be used in honey production, thus the 7,700 native beehives of local people will be prioritised, Dinh Chí Thành, Deputy Chairman of the People’s Committee, explained the rationale behind such barricades to the Dân Vi?t newspaper. Local beekeepers, like Vàng Mí Vàng, are concerned that their mint honey products may suffer in quality and quantity, “since foreign bees are larger, stronger, they overpower native bees and collect the already dwindling mint’s nectar, they may even kill native bees,” possibly leading to a collapse of native honeybee colonies. Hà Giang’s mint honey was known for its remarkable quality and at certain times, can fetch a million d?ng per litre. In 2013, the National Office of Intellectual Property granted a Mèo Vac Geographical Indication (GI) for the mint honey product made in four districts of Hà Giang, namely Ðong Van, Mèo Vac, Yên Minh, and Qu?n B?. Citing the protection of GI status, later that year, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued document No 1065 requiring authorities of the four districts to redouble their efforts in inspection and surveillance, and the prevention of any unregistered beehives from entering the localities. In 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) released Circular No 25 that aims to boost honey production by allowing the foreign bee – including the Italian variety – in commercial exploitation. Yet, Hà Giang hasn’t annulled document No 1065, and later even released another document No 3405 requiring beekeepers to obtain written approval from the local People’s Committee before moving beehives into localities in the province. Nearing the end of 2016, the province’s non-compliance has caused tremendous difficulties for beekeepers from other provinces. Ph?m Th? Hà, Deputy Director of Hà Giang’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, claimed that mint honey is granted GI, hence the locals must benefit from honey mint shrubs that grow only in this area; people from outside with foreign bees coming in freely and taking away the nectar will complicate their GI management. She also cited Article 7 under the Intellectual Property law as a basis to restrain inflow of foreign bees. However, Ph?m Vu Khánh Toàn, Director of the Ph?m & Partners law firm, pointed out two critical flaws in this rationale. First, they are confusing trademark and GI; specifically, registered trademark owners (i.e. businesses) benefit from exclusive rights, however, GI is common property available to all Vietnamese citizens, not an exclusive property of a certain province. Second, the cited Article 7, which puts limitations on IP rights to prevent abuse, is not relevant to the matter at hand. Viet Nam News tried to contact Hà and Son for comments but was unable to. A H’mong beekeeper in the Mèo V?c District checks up on his native beehive in the middle of a mint flower field, Hà Giang Province. - Photo tuoitre.vn The advantages of foreign bees The so-called ‘foreign bees’ were actually domesticated and have been considered ‘native’. “The ‘foreign’ bee species we are raising was imported from Italy way back in 1967. After several decades of breeding, this Italian breed was allowed in commercial honey production as per Circular No 25,” Nguyen Ngoc Chien, Deputy Chairman of the Phong The Beekeeping Cooperative in Tuyên Quang Province, said. Therefore, nation-wide, foreign bees currently account for the large majority – 1.2 million colonies, or 80 per cent - out of the total number of 1.5 million. According to Pham Thanh Xuân, Director of Thanh Xuân Mountain Bee Development Co Ltd, the Italian variety is “larger, more resistant to diseases, having lower swarming tendency, yielding higher output, coping better with stress during the hive moving process, and suitable for commercial exploitation,” while the native ones are a wild species and yield less output. Pham Minh Duong, a beekeeper from Bình Duong Province said, with foreign bees, in ideal conditions, honey can be extracted from combs every 2-3 days, while with native ones, it’s once every ten days to a month. Nguy?n Van Tr?ng, Deputy Director of the Livestock Department, said that beekeeping is ‘nomadic’ in nature, hives must be relocated to where flowers blossom for the bees to draw nectar, and beekeepers will hire gardens from local people. However, the number of flowers is limited, leading to unbalanced interests between local and ‘outside’ beekeepers, causing conflicts. Hà Giang’s authorities did support local beekeepers of native bees in terms of finance, facilitating their bank loaning with a zero per cent rate in first two years. The mint’s season starts in two months’ time but allocation for beehives have been claimed, mostly by local beekeepers with native bees. It’s “nearly impossible” for foreign ones to get in, said Dinh Chí Thành, Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee. Coupled with provincial protectionist regulations, it aims to boost local honey production as a means to lift ethnic people out of poverty in mountainous areas. But the case of Lý Sáng Dèn, an ethnic beekeeper in Qu?n B? Commune, challenges the effectiveness of such measures. With VNÐ50 million (US$2,300) borrowed from the bank and VNÐ40 million of his own, Dèn bought 90 beehives. Four months later, the empty bee boxes piled up in his storage, since the bees have either flew away or died during cold weather. He said he received no training on beekeeping, even though the provincial department of agriculture said they organise some 2,000 training classes per year. Ðinh Quy?t Tâm, head of the Vi?t Nam Apiculture Association (VAA), said that in October, VAA and MARD conducted a field trip to Hà Giang Province, and saw that some foreign beehives are “without owners”, and they are “worried that not only foreign bees will dominate native bees in collecting nectar, but also that counterfeit products might be falsely labelled as ‘Mèo V?c mint honey’ and pose a threat to genuine local products.” However, he is of the opinion that “the ban must be based on rational justifications, or it will create an undesirable precedent of protectionism.” The Department of Livestock (under MARD) issued Dispatch No 1566 on October 17, clearly stating that the honey quality is dependent on the flowers’ nectar rather on bee species, and asking all beekeepers to follow existing regulations, including the Law on Standards, Law on Biodiversity, and Circular No 25. The department also urged Hà Giang’s authorities to be proactive in building a local standard for honey bees and honey products, offering guidance to businesses, and developing conservation programmes for specific native species. Official regulations on apiculture are expected to be released in 1-2 years. Urban resilience undermined Insufficient funding, capacity and planning quality are major challenges facing Vietnamese cities in response to climate change, experts shared at a workshop on sustaining urban resilience in Vi?t Nam. The workshop was organised on Thursday by the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET), the country co-ordinator for the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) programme in Vi?t Nam. Ðào Anh Dung, vice chairman of C?n Tho City People’s Committee, said the city saw climate change cause erosion, storms and saltwater intrusion. However, he admitted that the city was still in dire need of knowledge, experience and competent staff to deal with it. Response to climate change’s impacts requires multiple sectors, provinces and nations, but legal policies and joint action plans among localities are not clear and detailed, he said. Dung’s counterpart in Bình Ð?nh Province, Phan Cao Th?ng, added that it has yet to be resolved how to harmonise today’s socio-economical growth with tomorrow’s sustainable development. The local government is struggling to arrange funding for climate change response projects, as they usually require huge investment — for example, dyke systems. Michael DiGregorio, country representative of the Asia Foundation in Vi?t Nam, said that it seems people in the country do not want to deal with climate change because they do not know what they could do. Therefore, much more communication is needed. He also said that although there is decentralisation in authority in Vi?t Nam, there is not decentralisation in funding and taxing. Therefore, local governments hardly impose their own taxes to balance their spending and serve their priorities.  Luu Ð?c Cu?ng, vice director of Vi?t Nam Institute for Urban and Rural Planning, said that the country has about 800 cities--300 of which were deemed vulnerable to climate change. Thousands of urban planning proposals are made yearly, but the quality of such planning is modest. “The way planning is made in Vi?t Nam is outdated, resulting in inflexible plans lacking feedback or contributions from involved parties,” he said. He added that any current response actions should not only deal with current problems but also consider possibilities for the future to avoid waste. “The work is difficult. Climate change involves uncertainty, while planning requires certainty,” he said. Ngô Th? L? Mai, Vi?t Nam’s ISET country co-ordinator, said that in 2009, the Rockefeller Foundation selected three Vietnamese cities – C?n Tho, Ðà N?ng and Quy Nhon – together with seven other cities in Thailand, India and Indonesia, to become part of its regional ACCCRN programme worth US$59 million. The programme provided technical support and capacity building to enable city governments to develop better climate change resilience plans and implement the plans. ISET’s work at each locality was developed based on local needs and priorities. For example, in Ðà N?ng City, it helped build storm-resistant housing, teach climate change at schools and study the city’s water resources. In Quy Nhon, it helped with mangrove restoration and early flood warning systems. In C?n Tho, it conducted projects in salinity monitoring, dengue prevention and management against riverbank erosion.   “A key part of ISET’s approach in designing the ACCCRN programme in Vi?t Nam is a focus on local engagement and capacity building through involving local partners so that ACCCRN impacts can extend well beyond its timeline and funding to inspire local and national actions as well as support future policies,” said Mai. She added that the approach is especially important in the uncertain context of climate change and urban development in the country. New farms see more health risks than traditional farms Newer farming villages are more polluted and witness higher risks to human and animal health than traditional farms, according to research released today in Hà N?i. The results came from a project on the health of human and animals in intensive livestock farming and traditional farming areas (ECOMORE) conducted by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. The research was carried out in 526 households, including 172 families with pig farms in Duy Tiên District, Hà Nam Province, from 2013-15. The research determined that the proportion of households that have pigs with health problems in developed livestock farming villages was higher than in traditional farm villages. In developed livestock farming villages, the proportion of pigs with disease symptoms reached 29,5%, while the rate of dead pigs was found to be 14,3 per cent, compared to 12.9 per cent and 1.6 per cent, respectively, in traditional farm villages. “The proportion of households that have pigs with sicknesses in developed livestock farming villages are higher than the traditional farming villages. For example, the rate of households that have Leptospirosis infected pigs was 14 per cent in developed farming villages, compared to 8.5 per cent on traditional farms,” said project officer Nguy?n Th? Thi Tho. The report further noted that the environment in developed farming villages was more polluted than in traditional farm villages. The ecoli bacteria infection rate in vegetables was found to be 51 per cent in developed farming households, in comparison with 31 per cent in traditional farm homes. Major sources of pollution came from pig and human waste. “Knowledge of transmission, disease prevention, arranging housing, sanitation, and animal disease prevention in people in traditional farming areas are better than in developed livestock breeding areas,” added Tho. The report also noted that there was no significant difference in the self-recorded health problems of communities in the two groups. People in the working age group (15- 55 years) and agricultural workers had higher rates of health problems, than did others. The research further recommended measures to improve guidelines on preventive measures for those in occupations related to livestock and agriculture, and to practice biosecurity livestock husbandry, particularly in areas of high-density livestock farming, as well as research on diseases transmitted from animals to humans. The health ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department deputy director, Ð?ng Quang T?n, said that outcomes from the project would provide an important foundation for policy makers to develop appropriate policies on poultry farming practices, in efforts to minimise risks of disease transmission from animals to humans. HCM City to crack down on fake health products ahead of Tet The Ministry of Health will crank up inspections in HCM City during the run-up to T?t, the Lunar New Year, to unearth fake health products and cosmetics. At a meeting on Wednesday with the city’s Department of Health and other agencies to discuss action against spurious products, Deputy Minister of Health Ph?m Lê Tu?n instructed them to check the process of licensing food supplements, medicinal herbs and cosmetics. They should carry out more surprise inspections, especially in outlying and neighbouring areas, and be pro-active in obtaining samples for testing, he said. The department will be assisted in its efforts by the Ministry of Public Security and market management agencies. Tr?n Hùng, deputy chief of the secretariat of the National Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Counterfeit Goods, said HCM City is a hub for the production of food supplements, cosmetics, and herbs, and typically fakes abound during T?t. Lê Van Giang, deputy head of the Vi?t Nam Food Administration, said because of the high profits involved, many producers of fake goods have evolved sophisticated methods, making it very hard for authorities to spot them. His agency is working with the Ministry of Information and Communication to screen media advertising about food supplement for veracity, he said. Many of these advertisements have been slammed for making exaggerated claims by the National Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Counterfeit Goods. Besides, relevant agencies have slackened oversight of these products, it added. This year alone more than 50 tonnes of low-quality herbs have been found by authorities. Community tourism in northern countryside Community tourism in Giao Thuy district, coastal province of Nam Dinh, is a fantastic experience. Tourists will homestay in wood houses to experience life in rural areas. Biking around the village to enjoy the fresh air and bird songs will make your vacation unforgettable. The dinner of Nguyen Van Van’s family was more fund because they have some guests. The local villagers grow vegetable, raise chicken, and go fishing to have fresh food. Mr. Van said people in Giao Xuan commune are trained on community tourism to serve tourists’ demand. “We started community tourism in 2006. In recent years we have welcomed more tourists. We are trained on reception, room service, and cooking. Foreigners are quiet. They also have different appetite. They prefer lean meat and fried food while Vietnamese tourists like seafood.” After dinner, the hosts and guests drink tea and have idle talks. The following day tourists ride bicycles around the village to enjoy ocean breezes or to the port to watch fishing boats returning to shore. A fish market opens near the port when it’s still dark and closes at the break of dawn. The fish sauce factory of Trinh Van Phung in Giao Hai commune is another interesting place to visit. He said previously he made fish sauce to sell to neighboring villages. Community tourism has promoted his products to people near and far. “Since we engaged in community tourism, we have sold more fish sauce. We have to ensure   food quality and safety. My family’s fish sauce can be preserved in many years.” Trinh Van Hau, manager of the community tourism development center, said people here produce many kinds of fishing sauces and pastes. “Foreign tourists don’t buy fish sauce but they are curious about Vietnam’s traditional way to make fish sauce. Even Vietnamese tourists are interested in the production of fish sauce.” People in Giao Thuy have earned a stable income from tourism. They also learn many things from tourism and foreigners. Mr. Van said, “Tourists are very interesting. We learn a lot of things from them such as behaviors.” Having a vacation in the countryside to experience the rural life will help us refresh ourselves after hard working days. Criteria issued on hospital quality The Ministry of Health has issued a set of criteria to assess hospital quality towards improving services and increasing patient satisfaction. The 83 criteria were tested over a three-year basis. Nineteen of the criteria are related to patient care, 14 to work force development, 38 to professional quality, eight to quality improvement and four to professional knowledge, according to the MoH. Implementation of the criteria will be graded according to five levels: bad, average, moderately good, good and very good. The head of the ministry’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment, Lương Ngọc Khuê, said the criteria was aimed at encouraging hospitals to improve their operation and quality and provide safe and qualified services. They would also serve as a tool for management agencies to guide hospitals on quality and to implement quality assessment activities, he added. He noted that effective quality management reduced costs and errors, which in turn attracted more patients. Hospitals would themselves assess their service quality first, in November and December, and would then be  examined by management agencies, according to the official. The ministry reported last week it had planned to issue more criteria next year to help assess hospital quality more comprehensively. Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến said at the third national hospital quality forum in September that improving health check-ups and treatment quality to satisfy patients was a priority for the healthcare sector. Despite some remaining weaknesses, she said that the service quality had seen major improvements in recent years, earning public appreciation. A number of hospitals have taken measures to shorten the time patients wait to be treated, while applying information technology and bettering hygienic conditions, she noted. Gov’t okeys construction project of coastal roads Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has approved a plan of building coastal roads stretching through six coastal provinces from the north to the central region. As planned, the coastal road project would stretch through the northern provinces of Ninh Bình, Nam Định, Thái Bình, Hải Phòng, Quảng Ninh to central Thanh Hóa Province. Part of the coastal road in Nam Định Province would be built first. The prime minister has assigned the Ministry of Transport to invest in the first part of the project. He asked the ministry to complete investment procedures and work with the ministries of planning and investment and finance to evaluate capital investment and ability of deploying capital balance. He also asked local authorities of the six cities and provinces to work with the Ministry of Transport to conduct research and set up investment methods for the coastal road running through their localities. Local authorities will be in charge of cooperating with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to allocate the budget and report the implementation of the project to the government. Phú Thọ doctors successfully conduct living-unrelated kidney transplant Doctors of northern Phú Thọ Province’s General Hospital successfully conducted a living-unrelated kidney transplant, said Hoàng Công Lâm, the hospital deputy director. The recipient is Trần Thị Yến, 41, and the donor is her husband, Phạm Quỳnh Tri, 41. Yến was diagnosed with last-stage kidney failure four months ago. She and her family were willing to undergo the transplant to help save her life. After medical testing, doctors decided Yến’s husband met enough conditions to donate his kidney. Preparation for the transplant was undertaken in a careful manner for several months. According to doctors, more than 10 days after the transplant, the patient’s blood chemical and biological indicators remained normal. She has been discharged from hospital. After several instances of receiving instruction from leading experts from the central-level hospital of Việt Nam-Germany, doctors of Phú Thọ Province’s General Hospital say they can now independently conduct the operation. Associate Professor Nguyễn Tiến Quyết, former director of Việt Nam-Germany Hospital, said the successful transplant by Phú Thọ Province’s General Hospital is a new achievement in health examination and treatment, contributing to the improvement of public healthcare of a province-level hospital. The purpose of the provincial General Hospital is to reduce overcrowding at central-level hospitals and offer state-of-the-art medical services and techniques to locals, especially those in remote and disadvantaged mountainous areas in the north. Capital city trails behind in agromechanisation The lacklustre agricultural mechanisation was attributed to the unsatisfactorily slow progress in land aggregation, leading to the persistence of small-scale and scattered production, said Ngô Đại Ngọc, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The statement was made during the conference titled “Review Development of agricultural mechanisation Project in Hà Nội in 2016 with a vision toward 2020” held yesterday in Hà Nội City. Back in 2013, the city’s authorities approved the project, which has brought limited albeit welcome transformation in agriculture, partly doing away with farmers’ traditionally scattered production, reducing production costs and increasing productivity. There is still, however, more room for improvement. According to the set target, in 2016, the city will raise mechanisation rate in cultivation to 20 per cent. However, there are now only 272 cultivator machines in the city area and the mechanisation rate currently stands at 2.55 per cent -- merely 12.7 per cent of the set target. This rate fell short of the national average and its bordering provinces’ figures, the conference heard. Specifically, in cultivation, technology adoption remains low and farmers lack the skills to operate the machines. Small holdings also make it difficult to use high power machines or to cooperate in production and selling. Local officials lack in capacity and training in machinery operations. Related services such as repairing or maintenance of agromachines haven’t been paid due attention. Vũ Đình Hải, vice chairman of the Hương Ngải Commune People’s Committee, Thạch Thất District, lauded the positive effects of mechanisation. Farmers benefit from a cutback of 28 per cent in services costs, saving VNĐ180,000 per acre compared with traditional services. Mechanisation and technology adoption in every phase from land preparing, planting to harvesting also help to reduce costs and improve efficiency. According to Hà Nội’s Agriculture Promotion Association, on average, a single cultivator machine can accomplish the manual labour of 30 farmers. In addition, using cultivator, the distance between seedlings remain even and suitable, which promotes rice plants’ growth, resulting in 10-15 per cent higher yield with production costs being cut back about VNĐ 1.2-1.5 million (US$53-66) per acre. According to Ngọc, during the year, progress in mechanisation slowed down to a halt. In the near future, besides mechanisation in planting, the authorities need to also focus on large-scale concentrated animal farming, value chain production and developing support services for machineries. He also added that acceleration of land aggregation must be sped up -- when relations of production change, mechanisation in agriculture will naturally follow. Asian Parliamentary Assembly’s ninth plenary closes The ninth plenary of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA-9) adopted the Siem Reap Declaration and 19 resolutions on political, socio-economic, and cultural issues and sustainable development at the closing session in the Cambodian city of Siem Reap on December 1. Themed “Promoting peace and sustainable development in Asia”, the three-day APA-9 brought together 207 delegates from 23 member parliaments, observers and APA’s international partners. The declaration expressed deep concern over serious issues such as terrorism and violence extremism which have hurt security and peace, which form the foundation for sustainable development in the region and the world. It called for countries’ active cooperation in response to climate change and delivery of commitments in the Paris Agreement adopted by the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Underscoring the importance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the event urged for implementing the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, particularly socio-economic and environment goals. On the occasion, the Turkish parliament was chosen to be new APA Chair and host the APA-10 and APA-11 in 2018 and 2019. The Vietnamese delegation, led by Standing National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong, attended the plenary session and delivered speeches to APA’s standing committees. On the sidelines of the closing session, Chairman of the NA Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Phan Xuan Dung met head of the Iranian parliament delegation Syydehfatemeh Zolghadr. Both sides vowed to further deepen bilateral ties between the two legislatures and tap each side’s potential. Earlier, Vice Chairwoman Phong met bilaterally with Lao NA Chairwoman Pany Yathotou and President of Cambodian NA Samdech Heng Samrin. Vietnam Mennonite Church convenes third general conference The Vietnam Mennonite Church commenced the third general conference in Ho Chi Minh City on December 1 with the participation of nearly 300 delegates from 24 provinces and cities. Congratulating the Church on the third conference, deputy head of the Government’s Committee for Religious Affairs Tran Tan Hung highly valued efforts by the Church’s dignitaries and followers to join people nationwide in socio-economic development and humanitarian drives, thereby contributing to the national growth. He expressed his belief that they will build on the achievements while adhering to the Church’s goals and operation orientations, bringing into play patriotism, and devoting more to the national development and defence. The two-day general conference is set to review the Church’s activities in the 2012-2016 tenure, elect a new executive board and approve a working plan for the 2016-2020 tenure. The Protestant denomination has existed in Vietnam since 1954. It convened the first general conference in 2008, passing its Charter and orientations. The Vietnam Mennonite Church was officially recognised by the Vietnamese State in 2009. Seminar on Asian women’s civil rights opens in Hanoi The fourth international scientific seminar, themed “Gender and civil rights of Asian women”, opened in Hanoi on December 1, with domestic and foreign agencies taking part. Speaking at the event, Chairwoman of the Asian Association of Women’s Studies (AAWS) Grace Javier Alfonso called for providing all possible support for women to contribute to society and removing backward custom burdens on women towards achieving gender equality. A highlight at the event is putting forward projects devised by researchers from the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the 10 ASEAN member states via the Korea - ASEAN Cooperation Project (KACP) on Education and Exchange Programme for Young Scholars in Women’s Studies, which will be one of the priorities to narrow development gap between men and women towards building the ASEAN Community of justice. The three-day seminar, co-hosted by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations and the Thang Long University, will focus its discussions on Asian women’s civil rights, immigration, reproductive health, abortion, women trafficking, gender-based violence, activities for women’s rights, among others. Ceremony marks Int’l Day of Persons with Disabilities The National Committee on Persons with Disabilities and the Vietnam Blind Association (VBA) hosted a ceremony in Hanoi on December 1 to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3). Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam affirmed that the Party and State give priority to policies and laws to ensure the rights of the disabled and promote their involvement in socio-economic development. Of 2.7 million recipients of monthly subsidy, nearly 900,000 suffer severe or extremely severe disabilities and hundreds of thousands of others undergo rehabilitation and are equipped with wheelchairs and pushchairs. All centrally-run cities and provinces have built networks of rehabilitation centres. Disabled children have been given access to schooling while more people living with disabilities have landed jobs. The committee will continue working with relevant ministries and agencies to refine policies on the disabled, amend and supplement regulations on the handicapped, especially in vocational training, employment, education and health care. United Nations Resident Coordinator Youssouf Abdel-Jelil hailed the Vietnamese government for improving the lives of the disabled, with the establishment of the committee which regulates its role and function to help the disabled fully join the socio-cultural and economic lives. The UN stands ready to assist Vietnam in several fields and will continue playing its role as an important partner to really empower the Vietnamese disabled, he said. On the occasion, a music show, the fifth of its kind hosted by the VBA, opened, giving a chance for the blind nationwide to stay optimistic and integrate into the community. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE