Vice President calls for HIV/AIDS investment

Investment in HIV/AIDS prevention and control was investment for development, said Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan.

Addressing a conference to review 20 years of HIV/AIDS prevention and control in Vietnam held in Hanoi on Dec. 1, Vice President Doan emphasised the necessity of promoting information dissemination on HIV/AIDS through various channels, along with scientific research and international cooperation in HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

To achieve the Millennium Development Goal to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015, the Vice President said all ministries, branches, localities and all forces involved in the fight should raise awareness of the pandemic and show no discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS.

She took the occasion to highlight the achievements of the fight over the past 20 years.

The Ministry of Public Health built an HIV/AIDS prevention and control plan in 1987 and officially announced its fight against the pandemic since the country’s first HIV/AIDS case was announced in Ho Chi Minh City in December 1990, said Doan.

However, she said, the fight still faces difficulties in legal policy, discrimination in the community and a lack of qualified people working in the field.

For his part, Health Minister Nguyen Quoc Trieu said the conference aimed to draw lessons and work out plans for future activities.

The conference was also an opportunity to commend organisations and individuals on their outstanding contributions to the fight, said the minister.

For the purpose, Vice President Doan presented the first class Labour Order to the Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) and the third class Labour Order to eight units and nine individuals.

She also handed the Friendship Order to Earmon Murphy, Country Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS in Vietnam , and Mitchell Wolfe, former Country Director of the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Vietnam .

The country now has 228,680 people infected with HIV/AIDS, including 48,368 people who have died of the disease.

To prevent the spread of the fatal disease, in 2010, 43 cities and provinces distributed safe syringes and needles and 60 cities and provinces distributed free condoms./.

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President gives advice on visit to flooded provinces

President Nguyen Minh Triet hands out a relief package in Ninh Phuoc District, Ninh Thuan Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Duc Anh

NINH THUAN — President Nguyen Minh Triet yesterday flew to the central region to visit Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Phu Yen provinces to inspect flooded areas and give direct instructions for recovery efforts.

He began the tour by visiting Thuan Loi Hamlet, Ninh Phuoc District in Ninh Thuan Province, which was devastated by flood waters, where he extended his sympathies to residents over their property losses.

He urged local authorities to care for people's lives and to help them return to normal life and resume production soon.

The President handed over relief aids to flood-hit families and donated VND200 million (US$10,300) to the hamlet.

Triet also took a tour along 10km of the Dinh River bank which was breached by floodwaters.

At a working session with Ninh Thuan provincial officials, the President said central agencies should help the province overcome the aftermath of floods, and said the Government would provide it with 2,000 tonnes of rice and VND50 billion to cover recovery costs.

By Tuesday afternoon, floods in the province had claimed three lives and left one missing. The calamity inundated 5,150 houses, damaged 454 others, flooded 13,000ha of cultivated land, washed away cattle and poultry, and sank 14 ships.

Triet next visited Khanh Hoa Province where he asked local authorities to continue with preventive measures against heavy rains in the coming days while it continued to care for local residents in order to resume normal life as soon as possible.

The province was an economic hub in the central region, particularly in tourism, he said as he urged the province to rebuild damaged infrastructure and help businesses return to normal activities.

The President said the central authority would provide Khanh Hoa with 500 tonnes of rice along with rice and vegetable seeds and water purification tablets, and VND30 billion to help with quick repairs of essential infrastructure.

Triet paid a visit and handed over relief aid to people affected by the flooding in Cam Thinh Dong Commune of Cam Ranh Town and Vinh Trung Commune of Nha Trang City.

The natural calamity claimed five lives, left one missing and injured two others in the province. Flood waters submerged 9,190 houses and demolished 161 others, inundated almost 7,400ha of cultivated rice and crop land, washed away 23,000 poultry and cattle, sank nine ships, and damaged transport routes. Total losses are estimated at nearly VND300 billion.

The President also made a tour of Phu Yen Province, where he gave recovery instructions and advice on coping with floods and heavy rains as an offshore tropical low pressure system moves toward the continent.

He pledged the Government and ministries would provide food and essentials to people in flooded areas. The Ministry of Public Security is on standby to help local forces with rescue efforts.

Heavy rains from October 29 claimed four lives and left one person missing in the province. The calamity also inundated 2,100 houses, 2,200ha of crops and destroyed roads. Initial losses are estimated at over VND95 billion.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai and senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Public Security and the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control accompanied President Triet. — VNS

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40,000 pay their respects at Uncle Ho's mausoleum

Fireworks displays light up Ha Noi's night sky for National Day. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Ha

HA NOI — Almost 40,000 people, including about 100 non-Vietnamese, visited President Ho Chi Minh at his Mausoleum for National Day on Thursday.

They included Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh; President Nguyen Minh Triet; Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung; National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong; Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee President Huynh Dam and senior ministry officials.

Lines of visitors, young and old, from throughout Viet Nam filled the major streets surrounding the mausoleum - Le Hong Phong, Doi Can, Ngoc Ha and Chu Van An - from early morning to await their turn to pay homage to Uncle Ho.

Waiting since a child

"I'm glad that I was able travel all the way here to see beloved Uncle Ho for the first time on this significant day," explained Nguyen Thi Du, 35, from central Quang Tri Province.

"It's been on my to-do list since I was young."

The mausoleum's managers, who provided the figures, say 10,000 people were also at the Mausoleum on Wednesday. But the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum has now closed for maintenance and will not re-open until November 2.

Thousands of people flocked to brilliant fireworks displays in Ha Noi and HCM City Thursday night.

Entertainment centres in major cities were reported to be overloaded.

About 60,000 people visited HCM City's Dam Sen Park on Thursday morning alone, a 20 per cent increase against the same day last year, reported the park's managers.

Traffic jams were reported for hours outside the Ha Noi Zoo and the capital's cinemas ran out of tickets.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon extended his warmest greetings to President Nguyen Minh Triet for Viet Nam's 65th National Day.

The secretary general also wrote he hoped that Viet Nam, with all other UN members, would mobilise their collective power to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Boupphavanh and Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad attended celebrations of National Day in Vientiane on Thursday.

The Lao Prime Minister said Laos and Viet Nam had stood side by side during the struggle for national independence and during the present campaign for national construction and defence.

He congratulated Viet Nam on its great achievements and wished the Vietnamese people even greater success in national development.

The Prime Minister said the Lao Party, government and people would work shoulder to shoulder with the Vietnamese people to maintain their traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive co-operation that had been fostered by both President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane.

Several Lao newspapers, including Paxaxon and Phathanna, published articles highlighting the Vietnamese people's glorious victories of the past 65 years.

The day was also celebrated at a gathering in Havana on Wednesday and the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the People held a seminar to discuss President Ho Chi Minh and Jose Marti the same day.

Viet Nam's National Day was celebrated in numerous other countries, including India, Switzerland, Russia, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Australia and Britain. — VNS

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State President grants amnesty to 17,520 prisoners

State President Nguyen Minh Triet has agreed to grant amnesty to 17,520 prisoners on the occasion of the National Day (Sept. 2).

The President’s decision was made public on Aug. 28 at a press briefing which brought together reporters from many local and foreign newspapers and news agencies and representatives of foreign diplomatic corps in Vietnam .

The amnesty recipients include 17,210 prisoners who are serving their jail terms and 310 offenders with prison terms being cancelled or temporarily suspended who are eligible for the amnesty, said the State President Office.

Among those, there are 20 offenders who had been convicted on the charge of “infringing upon national security” and 37 inmates who hold foreign nationalities, including China , Laos , Cambodia and others.

Giang Son, Deputy Director of the State Office, noted that the President’s amnesty decision once again constitutes and affirms the Party and State’s policy of clemency for those offenders who have shown repentance, encouraging them to redeem themselves to become useful citizens.

He stressed that every punishment that the State has given out in line with its penal code aims to not only reprimand law-breakers but also re-educate them to become useful citizens with a sense of abiding by the law and code of conducts in society as well as prevent them from committing crimes again.

Son cited the fact that almost all those granted with amnesty over the past years have quickly re-integrated back into the community. Many of them have become successful and enthusiastically participated in the fight against crimes and charitable activities.

Regarding the post-amnesty work, Deputy Minister of Public Security Sen. Lieut. Gen. Le The Tiem said the Prime Minister has already instructed local authorities to assist the former prisoners to reintegrate into the community.

As many as 114,913 prisoners have been released ahead of time as the result of the previous ten times of amnesty with many of them becoming businesspeople and setting up funds to assist those who are in similar situation with them, said Tiem.

He said all prisons and detention camps nationwide will begin enforcing the amnesty decision in the morning of August 29./.

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President hosts reception for 100 outstanding students

HA NOI — One hundred outstanding students had the chance to meet State President Nguyen Minh Triet in Ha Noi yesterday.

The President held a special reception for the students, who were all winners of the Hoa Trang Nguyen prize, which honours students with outstanding study records.

The students included winners of international Olympiads and national contests as well as those who topped entrance exams to universities and colleges across the nation.

President Triet said he was delighted with the excellent records the students had obtained and praised them for overcoming difficulties they met in life to bring fame to their families and the nation as well.

On the occasion, the President expressed his thanks to teachers and educators for making valuable contributions to training the nation's youth.

Dinh Minh Anh, who won a gold medal at the International Physics Olympiad, Nguyen Thi Linh Chi, who bagged the top prize at the national literature competition and Tang Van Binh, who topped the entrance exam to the Ha Noi Foreign Trade University, vowed, on behalf of all the students there, to become useful citizens.

The students received their prizes earlier on the same day at a ceremony co-organised by the Party Central Committee's Education and Information Commission and the Tan Tao Group. — VNS

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