VietNam Society: 12/19/10

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Garment factory owner accused of molesting child workers

Garment factory owner accused of molesting child workers Four girls 13 to 17 years of age were forced to work 16 hours a day at a garment factory in Ho Chi Minh City and were sexually abused by the boss, Tuoi Tre newspaper has reported.

The report, made following a reader’s tipoff, identifies the boss as D.P.Th, a 43-year-old man who Monday admitted to indulging in offensive behavior with his female employees at the factory in Tan Binh District when he was drunk.

Police have said they are considering the possibility of child molestation and gathering further evidence. The legal working age in Vietnam is 18.

“The house was small, the boss and his wife sleep near the door and we sleep next to them,” said one of the girls named L.T.T., 13.

She said she and others were molested by the boss at night. One of them B.T.T., 14, told his wife, but he beat her and slapped her on the face.

This second girl, from the northern province of Bac Giang, said she reported the problem after suffering molestation for many months, beginning a couple weeks after her arrival in May last year. She could bear it no longer, the girl said.

Investigation into the factory began after Chu Thi Thi, a Tuoi Tre reader from neighboing Binh Duong province reported the situation.

L.T.T. escaped from the factory on Sunday and her family approached Thi, a volunteer who used to be T.’s teacher at their hometown in Bac Giang.

The girl said she and others, including three boys around her age, had to work from 6 a.m. to midnight and had no days off.

She started working for Th. in February this year after he promised to her parents a payment of VND15 million (US$770) after two years.

In recent weeks, the children were allowed to stop working at 9 p.m. on Sunday but there was no change to the poor meals and regular beatings if they did the work wrongly or slowly, she said.

The children had earlier made phone calls to their families. When the families came to fetch their children on Saturday, the boss said they had to pay VND10 million ($513) for each child they wanted to take back.

V., the boss’ wife, told Tuoi Tre the children “only” worked 14 hours a day and her husband did beat them when they talked back to him because he could not contain his anger.

The woman also admitted that her husband had molestated the girls, but said it only happened once when he was drunk and mistook the girls for her.

Fresh round of flooding kills 27 in central Vietnam

Fresh round of flooding kills 27 in central Vietnam Another round of flooding triggered by heavy rains over the weekend has killed at least 27 people and left another two missing in the beleagured central region as of Tuesday.

Floods have also injured seven people, damaged nearly 28,000 houses as well as nearly 20,000 hectares of rice, the Central Committee for Floods and Storms Control said in an online report.

They have also brought landslides to main streets like the National Way No.1A in Phu Yen Province and the North-South railway in Khanh Hoa Province, blocking the main transport arteries, local officials told the press.

The Xom Cat Hamlet in Phu Yen Province with more than 200 houses was attacked by a “sand flood” on Monday night.

As of Tuesday morning, the whole hamlet was flooded with sand with some places up to one meter under, said Nguyen Kim Tam, chief of the hamlet, adding that some houses and streets were damaged as well.

According to Tam, the sand came from surrounding casuarina hills and was brought to the hamlet by heavy rains.

This was the first time such an incident took place in the locality, local officials said, urging scientists to pay close attention to it.

Since last month, the central coast has been hit by four rounds of flooding, leaving hundreds of people dead or missing.

Drill against terror attacks draws attention

Hanoi held a national-scale exercise to fight terror attacks, free hostages, clear mines and rescue victims on waterways along the Red River on November 10.

It was attended by Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh, Minister of National Defence Phung Quang Thanh and Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Huynh Ngoc Son as well as representatives of security forces and anti-terrorism squads from China , Laos , Cambodia , Singapore and Malaysia .

Over 1,000 officers and police of the flying squads participated in the event alongside police from the other forces such as guards, waterway traffic police and fire fighters as well as air-defence force, and sappers.

The joint exercise put the spotlight on two suspicious motor boats, which fled after receiving stop signals from waterway traffic police. They even “opened fire” on police pursuers, forcing traffic police to shoot into the air.

Spotting more police ahead several men on the motor boats jumped on a cruise ship and took crew and tourists aboard hostage. They claimed themselves to be members of a terrorist group named VT and demanded police release detained members of the VT group, hand over 1 million USD and supply a helicopter for them to fly to a foreign country.

They threatened to “kill” all the hostages and “explode” the ship if their demand was not met.

Divers equipped with special kits approached the ship from the side and behind, and helicopters were mobilised to jam information waves in order to isolate the “terrorists”, and launch a surprise attack, seizing the kidnappers and successfully freeing all hostages.

The exercise, jointly held by the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defence and Hanoi authorities, aimed to help anti-terror squads to discover limitations and problems possibly emerging from the fight against terror attacks./.

Charity run targets sick children

The “Run for Children” campaign is scheduled to be held on November 21, marking 10 years of running for a good cause in Hanoi.

All proceeds collected from individuals, organisations and donors of the event will go toward helping children living in difficult circumstances, said Canadian Ambassador Deborah Chatsis at a press briefing in Hanoi on November 11.

This year marks 10 years of the Terry Fox Run and the Run for Children, jointly held by Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC), the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations Hanoi chapter, the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association and other donors, according to Alexandre Legandere, CCC’s Vice Chairman.

Over the past ten years, close to 43,000 people have supported the initiative and helped to raise more than 3 billion VND.

In 2009 alone, the event attracted 5,000 participants and raised nearly 900 million VND. The funds had been used to support more than 50 children from poor families who have cancer or heart diseases at the National Hospital of Paediatrics, Hanoi Heart Hospital and Heart Beat Vietnam programmes./.

Drought likely to hit rice crop

Insufficient rainfall is likely to affect the winter-spring rice crops across the country, the National Hydro and Meteorological Forecasting Centre said on Nov. 10.

Water levels in rivers in the north-central provinces would be less than last year's average levels by about 30 percent. Those in the country's south-central and Central Highland provinces would be about 60 percent less than last year's averages, said centre head Bui Minh Tang.

"Drought and water shortages will spread extensively," said Tang. "Southern provinces will probably have to deal with salt water intrusions."

The Red River's water level stabilised at 2.85m last month, said irrigation expert Dang Duy Hien.

The river's average was usually about 2.91m.

If the drought continued, about 650,000ha of winter-spring rice crops in the northern delta might be ruined, he added.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had asked northern provinces to reorganise their crops according to climate forecasts and recommended farmers plant dry crops such as corn or cashews, among others, that need little irrigation, said Deputy Minister Bui Ba Bong.

"We should sow up to 60 percent of land as soon as possible to avoid drought and salt intrusion early next year," Bong said.

Vu Van Thang, head of the Irrigation Department, said provinces should develop drought mitigation plans as soon as possible and dredge canals and culverts to ensure irrigation of every field.

"Additional pumps should be available when river levels drop too low," he said.

The Department of Cultivation head Pham Dong Quang said provinces had been asked to save irrigation water for next year./.

Iron-ore mine starts clean-up after mudslide

The Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) has taken responsibility for repairing damage caused by a mudslide last week in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang.

A sea of mud and water surged from a dam built to hold earth from an iron ore mine operated by Cao Bang Minerals and Metallurgy Company, a subsidiary of Vinacomin, which inundated houses and fields in Duyet Trung Commune and submerged roads.

Deputy General Director of the group Phung Manh Dac said the company was building a pipeline to pump the mud back into its dams and that cranes would be used to clear the mud from roads. Pumps would be erected to remove mud from homes.

The company had planned to resettle Ma Thi Bach's household, which was most affected by the spill in Na Keo Hamlet, but she did not want to relocate. Instead, the company provided her with 7 million VND (333 USD) and removed the mud from her house.

Four other households received 1 million VND (47.6 USD) each for being forced to move from the mud covered area.

Company deputy director Dam Trung Ky said it had used four excavators, eight trucks and over 200 workers to dredge the mud and prevent local residents and cattle from falling into streams.

The provincial People's Committee has asked the company to complete dredging no later than December. However, company leaders said it would not be able to meet the deadline because of the huge amount of mud covering agricultural lands and stream banks.

It has also been unable to come up with a plan to prevent the mud from entering Bang River.

In response to health concerns, Vinacomin announced the mud was made up of water, not chemicals, so it was non-toxic. However, deputy head of the provincial Environment Protection Department Doan Ngoc Bau said submerged trees could die from a lack of oxygen.

Chairman of the People's Committee, Nguyen Hoang Anh has asked authorities to evaluate the mud to determine its potential to harm human health.

Four dams were built to hold earth extracted from the company's iron-ore mine. Two of the dams have not been used while the third became overloaded.

Vinacomin also approved a plan to build a 14ha dam with a total investment of 30 billion VND (1.5 million USD) but it was rejected because no environmental report was completed.

As of Nov. 10, mud continued to flow into the river./.

Vietnam needs more skilled workers

The science and technology sector had made great achievements in the last five years, but it needed to continue developing the country's professional workforce to meet the nation's socio-economic development demands, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan on Nov. 10.

Nhan made the comment at a national conference in Hanoi to review the development of science and technology from 2001 to 2010 and the sector's 2010-20 development plan.

He also said that the integration of science and technology in enterprises had been limited and researchers' salaries were still low.

"National research and technology application centres should focus more on developing science and technology that can be realistically applied," said Nhan.

In the last five years, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has researched and selected 14 projects that would receive funding and support. The ministry has also implemented projects to address urgent socio-economic issues, including programmes to develop genetically engineered crops, research avian influenza A (H5N1) vaccines, shipbuilding projects, and energy projects.

MoST deputy minister Le Huu Quoc said during the last five years, several projects dealing with digital telecommunications, optical fibre communication, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and third-generation (3G) technology had been successfully implemented in the country.

"Vietnam has made good use of the VINASAT-1 satellite and is preparing to launch VINASAT-2 in 2012," Quoc added.

In the agricultural sector, scientists had created 142 new plant breeds, 100 of which were productive rice breeds.

Quoc also reported that the highly educated workforce in the science and technology sector had grown in the last five years. There were more than 1,500 science and technology organisations in the country, and about 6,000 employees working in the science and technology sector.

He admitted that there was a lack of qualified engineers in the country. Many national science and technology plans had been carried out slowly because of bureaucratic red tape. The Government's investment in technology was still limited, Quoc said.

In the next five years, the Ministry of Science and Technology aims to improve the quality of national research projects in the natural sciences sector and will concentrate on developing applied technology./.

France finances hydropower project in northwest

The French Development Agency (AFD) will finance 100 million USD for the 520MW Huoi Quang hydropower project in the northwestern region.

A financing agreement to this effect was signed between representative from the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and the French Development Agency (AFD) in Hanoi on Nov. 9, according to the French Embassy in Vietnam.

The project concurs with France’s cooperation orientations with Vietnam.

The Huoi Quang hydropower project is located on Nam Mu River, a tributary of Da river in the northwestern province of Lai Chau.

It is one of the priority projects listed in the 6th Master Plan for Power Development in Vietnam for the period 2006-2015, with a vision toward 2025.

The project is expected to improve the reliability and the availability of power resources and contribute to both the reduction of energy production costs and the economic development of the northern region.

Moreover, the project will diversify energy production sources by replacing fossil sources of energy, such as coal, oil, by renewable ones, thus helping to reduce the production of greenhouse gases and other resulting pollutants.

Proper electricity supply will benefit local industry and commerce, and will support job creation and poverty reduction for local people.

The first turbine is expected to be put into operation by December 2014 and the second one by April 2015./.

10,000 rural communes undergo rejuvenation

A road is being expanded in Tan Thong Hoi Commune of HCM City's suburban district of Cu Chi. As many as 10,000 rural communes of the country are covered in a rejuvenation project. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hai

HA NOI — Viet Nam's programme to rejuvenate agriculture had been introduced in 10,000 communes since it was launched in 2009, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Cao Duc Phat told its international supporters in Ha Noi yesterday.

The estimated cost had been between VND1.2-1.5 trillion (US$60-75 million), he said.

But more financial and technical help would be needed from both domestic and international community to continue the programme and extend it, as planned, to 2020.

A target of the programme was to increase farmer income by 150 to 250 per cent and reduce the poverty stricken from the prevailing 10 per cent to below 8 per cent by 2015 and 3 per cent by 2020.

It has also set socio-economic infrastructure, social security, education and training targets.

Deputy Minister Ho Xuan Hung listed the need for vast capital, especially for infrastructure in the northwest and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta as a hindrance to agricultural development.

"The law of development requires that agricultural labour, which accounts for 51.5 per cent, must be reduced but the development of industry and services was so slow that even skilled workers found it difficult to secure jobs," he said.

Therefore, it would not be easy to lower the number to 30 per cent by 2020 unless active and practical measures were defined and implemented.

Understanding rural development

Rural development is described as:

The construction of a modern socio-economic infrastructure;

The application of a proper economic structure and production modalities;

The quick development of agriculture, industry and services are linked;

Rural development is linked to planned urban development;

Rural society is both democratic and rich in ethic cultural identity;

The environment is protected; security is maintained; and material and cultura life is improved. — VNS

The deputy minister said investment in production, farmer training and the application of new technology was needed to overcome the requirement for commodities from fragmented land holdings.

The supporters

Representative of Food and Agriculture Organisation and One-UN Viet Nam Yuriko Shoji said the organisation would continue to support Viet Nam in the building and developing of new urban areas.

One-UN was assessing the results, achievements and experiences of other donors to Viet Nam so as to build concrete actions plans and programmes of rural development, she said.

This would include technical and financial assistance and help to build laws for the use of agricultural land and sustainable agricultural development.

Many FAO-supported trial projects had been undertaken as part of the national agriculture programme.

These included land and forest management, the response to climate change and food security.

Asian Development Bank Viet Nam director Ayumi Konishi told the yearly meeting that any new rural development should focus on capacity building, crop diversification, technology to add value, sector reform and rural infrastructure and maintenance.

Swedish embassy Ha Noi Development Co-operation director Marie Ottosson said it was essential to decentralise so completely that villagers could decide development plans and control the budget.

"Empowerment of local communities requires that the poor gets to influence decision making and control public resources," she said.

This meant significant capacity building among villagers and local officials.

"Sweden will continue to support development activities in Viet Nam," the senior diplomat emph-asised. — VNS

Friday, December 24, 2010

Train driver receives medal for bravery

HA NOI — Train driver Truong Xuan Thuc, who saved 300 passengers during a crash two months ago, will receive a medal for bravery next Tuesday. The award was approved by President Nguyen Minh Triet.

Thuc endured several injuries after applying the train's emergency brakes to avoid colliding with a truck two months ago.

His right leg was broken and his left arm crushed. He is recovering from his operations.

10,000 old vehicles to cease operation

HA NOI — About 10,377 out-of-date vehicles that are used to transport goods and people nationwide would cease operations on January 1, 2011, reported the Viet Nam Register.

Under a Government decree, the out-of-date vehicles include automobiles that were made in 1985, 1990 and 1993.

Man admits having fake MSG

HA NOI — The Investigative Police Deparment has arrested Bui Dac Chien, 31, producing fake monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Police seized 344 packages of fake MSG. Chien admitted to police that the fake MSG packages were bought at Tan Thanh Border Gate in Lang Son Province.

17 people poisoned by fish toxins

QUANG NGAI — The Nha Trang Pasteur Institute reported that 17 people poisoned on October 31 after eating barracuda had ingested a toxin called Ciguatera.

According to medical professionals, the toxin causes fatigue, nausea and diarrhoea. — VNS

US spraying AO on VN defines “day of infamy”

Len Aldis, Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society, has described the day the US began spraying Agent Orange/dioxin on Vietnam as “A day of infamy”.

In his recent open letter to all employees of Monsato, one of companies to produce herbicide Agent Orange (AO), Len said August 10 , 1961, when the first use of the noxious chemicals began, is a day of infamy.

“So too friends, will August 10, 1961 [be remembered], for on that day began the spraying of 80 million litres of Agent Orange – manufactured by your company along with others. The spraying was to continue for ten years,” he wrote, calling on the employees to consider the loss of life over the decade and the millions born years after the war ended in 1975, many crippled in mind and body due to Agent Orange.

“Today in Vietnam there are over three million victims suffering from the effects of Agent Orange, and the company you work for, Monsanto, is one of those responsible,” he continued.

Shamefully, Monsanto’s public relations office to this very day continues to deny any responsibility for the illnesses and deformities that Agent Orange has caused to the people of Vietnam , he said.

In the letter, he wrote, “Friends, next year, 2011, will see the 50th anniversary of the spraying of Agent Orange on Vietnam . Remember the date August 10. It will be a day when millions in Vietnam and its friends in many countries around the world will commemorate as a day of infamy.”

Len Aldis, 80, is a close friend of the Vietnamese people and a special friend for AO/dioxin victims.

He visited Vietnam in 1989 for the first time and then returned to the Southeast Asian nation every year to meet and help AO/dioxin victims.

He donated 50,000 GBP (about 75,000 USD) via Vietnam Red Cross and raised funds for humanitarian activities.

Last year, he launched a website to collect signatures of those who support justice for Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims in order to send to US President Barack Obama and parliamentarians. The petition has to date collected more than 3,380 signatures.

He is usually invited to talk to students about the issue at universities in the UK . He also raised the issues at meetings with the public in Sweden , Denmark , Germany and France./.

Vietnam attends East Asia forum on families

The 4 th East Asian Ministerial Forum on Families (EAMFF) took place in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia from Nov. 8-10 with the participation of over 100 delegates from 14 regional countries.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Huynh Vinh Ai led a Vietnamese delegation to the forum.

In opening remarks, Malaysian Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Shahrizat Abdul affirmed that EAMFF represented active contributions to strengthening the family institution in the region in particular and the world in general, laying foundations for addressing several global challenges such as eliminating poverty and improving public health.

The main goal of the forum was to help regional countries share experiences in solving family issues and assisting families that are facing a high risk of breakdown, the minister said.

During its three days of discussions, the forum assessed the real situation and threats of family breakdown and the collapse of traditional family values. The participants agreed that governments should take measures to cope with the fact that connections between family members are becoming looser.

Family is a natural and basic unit of the society which plays an important role in building a strong, harmonious and adaptable society, they said, adding that happy families are the goal of all nations.

In its joint statement, the EAMFF pledged to share experiences in implementing intervention programmes that meet demands of families facing difficulties and high risk of breakdown, as well as strengthening networks and coordination among member countries to raise the capacity of addressing family-related issues.

The EAMFF is an important channel for East Asian countries to share experiences on family issues and put forth ideas for closer cooperation in the region./.

Vietnam helps build school, medical clinic

The Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) held a ground-breaking ceremony on Nov. 9 to build a primary school and a medical clinic in Kadia commune, Khoun Touk district of Cambodia’s Kompong Thom province.

Covering five hectares of land, the school and the clinic are being built at a cost of 96,000 USD and are funded by the VRG’s Tan Bien, Ba Ria, Phuoc Hoa and Chu Xe companies. Of the funding, 26,000 USD will be used to build a 4km road section connecting the school with another province and construction is expected to be completed in five months.

Addressing the ceremony, VRG General Director Tran Ngoc Thuan said the project is also a symbol of friendship and solidarity between the Vietnamese and Cambodian people, he said.

VRG will build more schools with the assistance of Vietnamese rubber businesses in Kompong Thom province, he added.

Mayor of Kompong Thom province Chhon Chuol thanked the VRG for its valuable practical gift for Kadia commune and Khoun Touk district.

He also highlighted the work of VRG affiliates which have generated more jobs for locals and contributed to local social activities./.

Germany assists German language teaching in Vietnam

The German Embassy in Hanoi on Nov. 10 recognised the Lomonosov primary school in Hanoi as a member of the “Schools: Partners for the Future” (PASCH) network.

The recognition is one of the activities to mark the 35 th anniversary of the Vietnam-Germany diplomatic ties.

The school has become an official partner of the German Government to receive direct assistance in teaching facilities and funding for teaching the German language.

The PASCH network will create more opportunities for Vietnamese students to get access to Europe in general and Germany in particular, said the German embassy’s representative.

Through the network, students studying German will be allowed to sit for international exams at the Goethe Institute in Hanoi at various levels based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (GER).

PASCH is an initiative of former German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Not only will there be a cooperative relationship between the two schools of two different nations but also a worldwide network of schools where German is taught as a foreign language and relationships are maintained with a German school.

The initiative has been carried out at more than 1,500 schools across the world and in Vietnam , seven schools in Hanoi and two in HCM City are members of the network./.

FAO continues aiding VN’s rural development

The UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) representative in Vietnam Yuriko Shoji has affirmed that the FAO will continue to assist Vietnam in building and developing rural areas.

At the International Support Group (ISG) meeting in Hanoi on Nov. 10, the official said FAO will regulate international assistance to help Vietnam implement its new goals for agricultural and rural development.

She referred to FAO’s support for Vietnam ’s implementation of many pilot projects in land management, forestry, environmental initiatives, adaptation to climate change, food security and nutrition as “valuable experiences for the country to realise its new rural development goals”.

Providing the fact that up to 70 percent of Vietnam ’s population lives in rural areas, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said the national rural development target programme for the 2011-2020 period aims to promote multifaceted development in rural areas.

The programme also aims to help rural people raise their income by 1.5 times higher than the current rate by 2015 and 2.5 times by 2020, and will engage various ministries and sectors, the Minister said.

It looks to reduce the number of poverty-stricken households to below 8 percent in 2015 and 3 percent in 2020.

In addition, the programme sets an annual growth rate of 3.5-4 percent for the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector in the 2015-2020 period.

The workforce in agriculture will account for 30 percent of the country’s total workforce and the number of trained labourers in rural areas will reach 50 percent, according to the programme.

To reach these goals, the Vietnamese Government is focusing on planning in rural areas, restructuring communal economies, developing rural infrastructure, training human resources and investing in areas with extreme disadvantages.

According to Dr. Dang Kim Son, Head of the Institute on Agriculture and Rural Policy and Strategy, giving more power to villages and hamlets and increasing contributions by the people, businesses and organisations inside and outside the country are important solutions to aid the implementation of the new rural development programme.

The annual ISG meeting is a policy dialogue forum for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other ministries and sectors, the donor community, international and non-governmental organisations, researchers and local and foreign investors.

At this meeting, the participants discussed proposals for a cooperative framework and international assistance for the national rural development target programme as well as coordination and cooperation mechanisms for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and One-UN in implementing the programme./.

Conference debates sexual attitudes

Sexuality, a sensitive topic in Vietnamese society, was for the first time the theme of a national conference which ended in Hanoi on Nov. 9.

The two-day national symposium titled "Negotiating sexualities in moving spaces" marked crucial progress in the research of sexuality in Vietnam, said Dr Le Bach Duong, director of the Institute for Social Development Studies.

"The conference recognised recent research conducted by scientists and social activists in Vietnam affirming the importance of sexuality, a sensitive and controversial topic in our society," he said.

Although sexuality is increasingly discussed in seminars and conferences across the country, it remains a secondary topic that doesn't receive the attention it warrants.

However, this was put right at the conference with discussions focusing on the diversity of sexuality, sexuality of minority groups, sexual violence, sex on the internet, and the right to choose one's sexuality.

The conference, coorganised by the Institute for Social Development Studies and the Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population, aimed to create a forum for researchers, teachers and campaigners to share their concerns and network with each other.

The event, which drew more than 120 participants from across the country, was also expected to encourage open and straightforward narrative throughout society about sexuality and sexual health, promote gender equality and improve the lives of Vietnamese people.

Dr Khuat Thu Hong, deputy director of the Institute for Social Development Studies, said changes have been noticed over the last two decades, starting in 1990 when sexuality first became an academic topic in Viet Nam.

"Sexuality used to be discussed only in terms of health or family planning but is now considered from a perspective of happiness," she said.

Research on sexuality in Vietnam, which used to be seen as legal only if conducted to tackle so-called "social evils", provides an indispensable insight into basic human rights, said Hong.

Heterosexuality used to be regarded as the only form of sexuality, but now research in the area is concentrated on proving that homosexuality and other types of sexuality are paralleling spaces and have a right to exist, she said./.

Dak Lak approves 3 million USD elephant project

The Dak Lak People's Committee has approved a 60 billion VND (3 million USD) project to protect elephants in Vietnam's central highlands.

Some forest will be set aside for wild elephants and habitats created for domesticated elephants, explained senior park ranger Y Rit Bya.

A veterinary clinic will be established to provide medical care and help with breeding, he said.

Elephants are mostly distributed in the Buon Don, Ea Sup and Ea H'Leo districts on about 160,000 ha which would be needed as a sanctuary for the species, a survey by Tay Nguyen University shows.

But human encroachment is diminishing the effectiveness of the sanctuary.

Park rangers have identified a wild elephant which killed a teenager in Dong Nai province's Dinh Quan district on Nov. 7.

The rangers said the elephant had heavily damaged crops when it rampaged through the fields of the Vinh Cuu district's Phu Ly Commune last year.

But the animal, which has now re-appeared many kilometres away, has not been homicidal.

Phu Ly commune Do Xuan Tinh resident said that he had encountered the animal once while returning from the forest in the late evening.

"I stiffened with fear," he said.

"But the beast approached me gradually and tickled me with his trunk. He then gave way to me."

The ranger's say the teenager's death was the first to an elephant in 10 years./.

Hanoi theatres fail to attract sponsors

Theatres in Hanoi have been finding it difficult to get sponsorship or support themselves through ticket sales without funding from the State – unlike their southern counterparts.

The Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry has said theatres in the north would no longer be part-subsidised by the State from the end of this year, but few have succeeded in finding alternative funding.

Theatres have been criticised for failing to attract large audiences because of poor-quality scripts and inadequate facilities.

According to Le Tien Tho, deputy minister of culture, sports and tourism, theatre owners are inexperienced at attracting audiences or promoting themselves – which is another reason for their failure to find private funding.

Theatres have found it harder than cinemas to cooperate with private or other sectors to do business," he said.

Tho added that even successful private theatres in HCM City, such as IDECAF and Phu Nhuan Drama Theatre, have only succeeded in finding short-term investment – from the artistes themselves.

"They will need long-term investment to stay open," he said.

Tho also said that even though the majority of Vietnam's most popular theatrical artists live in Hanoi, their shows still struggle to attract local audiences.

Some theatres in the capital have succeeded to some extent in going private, such as the Kim Ma Cheo Theatre, Hanoi Cheo Theatre and Thang Long Puppetry Theatre.

The Hanoi Cheo Theatre, on Nguyen Dinh Chieu street, one of the first small stages to open in Hanoi, is popular with both local residents and foreign tourists.

Tuoi Tre Theatre, which stages performances at Thanh Nien Cinema, almost always succeeds in attracting an audience of 150 for each show.

The Thang Long Puppetry Theatre and the Central Puppetry Theatre also manage to attract decent-sized audiences.

Meanwhile, the Hanoi Cai Luong (Reformed Opera) Theatre has attracted enough sponsorship to stage free performances. Before each show, company representatives are urged to sponsor the theatre.

The Central Pop Music Theatre used a 3,800sq.m plot close to Hoan Kiem Lake to set up a so called "Space for Vietnamese Culture". It hosts musical events and exhibitions. It is also home to the Luc Thuy Restaurant and a souvenir shop.

Artistes can rent out space to put on shows, said Tran Binh, director of the theatre.

The ministry has hailed the work of the Youth and the Central Pop Music theatre as models in finding alternative fundings.

Meanwhile, in HCM City, successful venues include the Small Stage 5B, on Vo Van Tan street, which is run by the local artists' association; Sai Gon Drama, which is run by Phuoc Sang Entertainment; IDECAF, run by Anh Duong Company; and Phu Nhuan Drama Stage, owned by Van Tuan Company./.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Lawmakers applaud administrative reform

Project 30, introduced in 2007 to simplify administrative procedures, has been a breakthrough, Deputy Tran Du Lich of HCM City told the National Assembly Nov. 9.

It has been a major step toward the target of publicising administrative procedures and has given the public the tools to supervise State administrative agencies, he said.

The deputy was among a majority of parliamentarians who agreed that it has been correct to assign the National Assembly the task of overseeing the reform of administrative procedures for land, housing, tax and customs.

Their opinions were part of an appraisal of Government's achievements in administrative reform as it has affected ordinary people and enterprises during the past ten years, especially since the launch of Project 30.

Their debate, which assessed a Standing Committee report, was televised nationally.

The report says that for the first time Vietnam has a National Database for Administrative Procedures in State Management for the centre; provinces, districts and communes.

The Government has continuously asked the assembly to revise and promulgate numerous laws and decrees and to implement specific solutions to accelerate administrative reform, it says.

It also shows that most ministries, sectors and localities have met their requirement to simplify 30 percent of administrative procedures.

Among 5,421 procedures reviewed, 480 were reduced to 192 with 4,416 revised and amended.

In addition, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has required that the simplification process reduce administrative costs for individuals and enterprises by a yearly 30 percent.

Deputy Huynh Nghia, Da Nang, said the database and the introduction of online services was the most noticeable success.

More than 5,700 administrative procedures are now available to the public online.

"It's calculated that administrative procedure simplification saves us about 7,900 billion VND (395 million USD) each year," the deputy said.

"The figure is very impressive and is the result of the State's attempts to simplify administrative procedures."

Deputy Nguyen Van Quynh, northern Quang Ninh province, and Pham Manh Hung, northern Thai Nguyen province, together with Deputy Huynh Van Tiep, Can Tho, the Mekong Delta, said the achievements in administrative-procedure reform were reflected in socio-economic development and the improved investment environment.

Some deputies hailed the World Bank and International Finance Corporation's report Doing Business 2011 as a vivid example of how administrative reform has progressed.

The report, published on Nov. 4, lists Vietnam among the world's 10 most improved economies.

Despite the success, many deputies complained that numerous administrative procedures are overtapped, take too long and lack transparency. .

Deputy Nguyen Ngoc Minh, central Ninh Thuan province and Deputy Cao Si Kiem, northern Thai Binh province, said the bureaucratic practices of administrative staff remain a barrier to business.

Deputies Tran Thi Loc, northern Bac Kan province, and Huynh Nghia, Da Nang, said people are the most important to the success of the administrative reform and should be given more attention.

Both complained the administrative staff can not live from their salaries and this is among the reasons for their seeking ways to make money illegally.

Deputy Mai Thi Anh Tuyet, southern An Giang province, said salaries and training for administrative staff should be included in administrative reform.

The application of information technology was the key to successful State management, advised deputy Le Doan Hop, northern Hung Yen province.

"It's the fastest way to implement administrative procedures and most effective way to minimise negatives," he said./.

Miss Earth beauties share environmental ideas

Twenty candidates of the beauty pageant Miss Earth 2010 on Nov. 8 made a visit to the Da Phuoc Solid Waste Treatment Complex in Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City and met with local women to share environmental protection ideas.

The visit is the kick-start of the beauty competition -- hosted by Vietnam for the first time -- affirming the contest’s target of raising the public’s awareness of environmental protection.

At the meeting with women from Binh Chanh districts, the beauties shared their wishes that women and all people would pay more attention to the environment, waste, air pollution and water resources, and join hands in environmental protection for a better life.

Miss Earth 2009, Larrissa Ramos of Brazil said her country and many other countries, especially developing ones she has visited, are facing major environmental issues. She said waste in urban areas was an important issue and Vietnam and other countries needed to formulate effective management measures to protect the living environment and scenic urban areas.

Other beauties also stressed people’s responsibility in environmental protection. The host representative, Miss Vietnam World 2010 Luu Thi Diem Huong said attention should be paid to educating children and women on the importance of environmental protection.

The Miss Earth pageant, initiated by the Caruosel Production Group of the Philippines in 2001, is one of the five biggest beauty contests in the world.
This year’s contest gathers 90 delegates from countries and territories around the world, with various activities taking place in many localities nationwide from Nov. 4-Dec. 4. The final will be held in Vinpearl Land, Nha Trang coastal city, in the central province of Khanh Hoa./.

MSG bootleggers busted in Hanoi

MSG bootleggers busted in Hanoi Hanoi police say they busted up a ring of fake monosodium glutamate producers on Saturday.

Bui Dac Chien, 31, was arrested and charged with purchasing MSG of dubious origins and selling it in small packets featuring the logos of trusted brands like Ajinomoto and Miwon.

Chien began the operation in September, buying thousands of empty packs at the Chinese border, VnExpress reported.

Police allege that Chien sold around 125 kilograms of the powder every month.

Many retailers knew that the packs were fake but still bought them due to Chien's low prices.

Police say their investigation began when they stopped a car transporting the questionable packets. They say the driver claimed to be coming from the home of Nguyen Thi Huong, Chien’s mother-in-law, and was transporting the cargo for sale in nearby Hoa Binh Province, before it is sold to people of minority groups in the area.

A search at Huong’s house revealed hundreds of Ajinomoto and Miwon packs.

Police allege that a large truck arrived at Huong’s house every week to distribute the MSG packs. They also claim a team of motorbike drivers helped Chien distribute the powder.

MSG bootleggers busted in Hanoi

MSG bootleggers busted in Hanoi

MSG bootleggers busted in Hanoi Hanoi police say they busted up a ring of fake monosodium glutamate producers on Saturday.

Bui Dac Chien, 31, was arrested and charged with purchasing MSG of dubious origins and selling it in small packets featuring the logos of trusted brands like Ajinomoto and Miwon.

Chien began the operation in September, buying thousands of empty packs at the Chinese border, VnExpress reported.

Police allege that Chien sold around 125 kilograms of the powder every month.

Many retailers knew that the packs were fake but still bought them due to Chien's low prices.

A search at Huong’s house revealed hundreds of Ajinomoto and Miwon packs.

Police allege that a large truck arrived at Huong’s house every week to distribute the MSG packs. They also claim a team of motorbike drivers helped Chien distribute the powder.

MSG bootleggers busted in Hanoi

Freeze bank accounts of sinkhole contractors: official

Freeze bank accounts of sinkhole contractors: official The bank accounts of contractors who do a shoddy job of covering or repaving streets after construction work, causing sinkholes that put residents at risk, should be frozen, a Ho Chi Minh City official says.

She said mere fines will not be a strong enough deterrent.

“Punishing [careless contractors] with stricter measures is absolutely possible. The point is whether authorities are determined enough to do that,” Ngo Minh Hong, director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Justice told the monthly television program “Talk and do” on Sunday.

There have been 33 street collapses since July this year, the city’s Department of Transport said at the meeting, organized by the city’s People’s Council and Ho Chi Minh City Television.

One of the most serious cases that particularly angered the public happened in September.

On September 14, a 7-seater Vinasun taxi fell into a three-meter-deep, four-meter-wide hole after a section of Le Van Sy Street in District 3 collapsed due to previous underground excavation.

Luckily, there were no injures as the cab’s driver jumped out before his vehicle sank into a watery sludge.

In the latest case on November 7, one wheel of a 4-seat Toyota car slipped into a hole at District 11’s Lac Long Quan – Ong Ich Khiem junction as the street collapsed suddenly under the weight of the vehicle.

Last month, two people were killed in separate accidents related to poor covering of sewers in the city.

One man fell into an open sewer and drowned as he waded with his bike through a flooded sidewalk on Thu Duc District’s To Ngoc Van Street.

The other was killed in a traffic accident in Thu Duc District’s Kha Van Can Street when she fell off her motorbike after running into a shoddily-constructed sewer cover. She was crushed to death by a passing truck.

Truong Trong Nghia, deputy chief of the Economic and Budget Agency under the city’s People’s Council, suggested the city authorities allot a sum of money to organize a group of experts to survey infrastructure constructions independently so that it becomes easier to identify agencies responsible for accidents and their consequences.

Delta job seekers enslaved in southern hub

Delta job seekers enslaved in southern hub Xe om drivers around Ho Chi Minh City major bus stations have abducted youth from the Mekong Delta and sold them to people who forced them to work without wages, according to a Tuoi Tre investigation undertaken following readers' tipoffs.

The drivers operate at the Mien Tay Bus Station, where vehicles take people to and from Mekong Delta destinations, and people frequently arrive looking for jobs in the city.

N.C.K., a recent 18-year-old victim, said his family in An Giang Province was in financial trouble, so he he took a bus to HCMC on October 30 to look for his brother and ask him for help finding a job.

At the bus station, a group of xe om drivers snatched his bag with all his personal papers, money and a note of his contacts, said K. who managed to escape later.

The youth said he had begged the drivers to take him to a Vai village in the city to look for his brother.

One of the drivers “drove me for around 20 minutes and took me to a house where everyone wore tattoos. I was very scared.

“Then a woman gave him some money. Then I was brought by another person to a big house in the middle of a field. The house owner gave the driver VND300,000 ($15.40) and pulled me inside, locking the doors,” the boy said.

He said there were five other boys, similarly kidnapped in the house, working hard sorting metal scrap.

The owner was supervising the work, threatening to starve them to death whenever they paused in the work.

“One ran away yesterday and I’m looking for him. I will kill him when I get him,” K. recalled the man as saying.

But the boy still tried to escape the next night and was helped to do so by a local resident.

In September, N.V.T., 26, also from An Giang, was abducted and sold to a rice factory in District 6.

T. said: “They took my ID card and forced me to carry rice for no money day and night until I was exhausted. When I asked for the the card back to go home, they threatened to assault me.”

He managed to contact a friend on the phone who paid the factory owners money to free him.

Also in September, three young men from Kien Giang Province ended up at a leather shoe factory near Mien Tay Bus Station while in May, two others from Soc Trang Province were forced to be garbage pickers for a man in Binh Duong province, neighboring HCMC.

For each ID card of the victims they gave the boss, the xe om drivers received VND500,000 ($26).

The victims worked from dawn until late at night with stinky garbage, ate poorly and didn’t get paid, they said. They escaped after several weeks.

Many rings are operating at the station, abducting people who look naïve and confused, and taking them to metal scrap dealers, slaughterhouses or other establishments.

Some of the victims are lured with promises of well-paid jobs at shops or restaurants.

If the victims don’t agree to work, they are beaten and forced to even harder work.

The Tuoi Tre investigation found out a similar situation at the Mien Dong Bus Station, where passengers travel between the city and the central and northern regions.

It found that the ring leaders, who finally employ the victims, also have to pay commission to some officials of the bus stations.