295 prisoners granted amnesty on national holidays; Khanh Hoa receives gifts of sovereignty from Truong Sa archipelago; Campaign against wildlife trafficking launched; ADB helps Vietnam reinforce irrigation system
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Khanh Hoa receives gifts of sovereignty from Truong Sa archipelago
The central province of Khanh Hoa held a ceremony on April 29 to receive trees and stones as gifts from the Naval Force and people in Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago.
The gifts included 21 tropical almond trees and 21 coral stones, which symbolise the nation’s sovereignty over its seas and islands.
Speaking at the ceremony, Admiral Pham Ngoc Chan, Political Director of the Naval Force, said this was a practical activity to educate Vietnamese people and their descendants on protecting the nation’s territorial integrity. The gifts represented naval soldiers’ warm sentiments towards the Khanh Hoa authorities and people, he added.
“The presence of the souvenirs of Truong Sa, which is one of the province’s nine administrative units, will remind us to look towards and act in the interests of Truong Sa, a sacred territorial part of the nation,” said Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Xuan Than.
The participants at the ceremony laid the coral stones and planted the tropical almond trees at Bach Dang Park, Vinh Nguyen ward, Nha Trang city.
On the same day, a similar ceremony was held in the central city of Da Nang to receive 21 stones of sovereignty and plant 21 almond trees given by naval soldiers and people on the Truong Sa islands.
295 prisoners granted amnesty on national holidays
As many as 295 prisoners in Hanoi have been granted amnesty on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Liberation of South Vietnam (April 30) and May Day.
Colonel Tran Thuy, Deputy Director of Hanoi Police Department, announced the decision at Prison No.2 in Thuong Tin district on April 28.
Of the total, 232 received reduction of their serving terms and 64 were released ahead of time, the official said at the ceremony.
Colonel Thuy praised efforts of both prisoners and warders and told the releasers to strive harder to re-integrate into the community and go straight to live honesty lives.
The central province of Quang Ngai also reduced terms for 34 prisoners on this occasion.
Children’s month promotes greater equality for children
Vietnam will launch a Month for Children from May 15 to June 30 to encourage better care and protection for children, announced the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs at a press briefing in Hanoi on April 29.
Vietnam has made enormous improvements in ensuring its children’s welfare, but there remains a big gap between children from rich and poor families as well as from different regions, according to the ministry. The 2010 Month for Children is oriented toward providing greater opportunities for all children, especially those from poor families, remote areas, or other disadvantaged circumstances.
The month will focus on preventing violence against or maltreatment of children, and implementing a community-based model for child protection, said Nguyen Hai Huu, head of the Department for Protecting and Caring for Children. It will also try to prevent adolescents from breaking the law and help them integrate into the community. In addition, the campaign will make an effort to eliminate bad working conditions for children, and curb the spread of HIV/AIDS and accidents among children.
The campaign has an estimated budget of VND3 billion.
VSA to launch environmental protection campaign
The Vietnam Students Association (VSA) and the social network loveme.vn held a press conference on April 29 to introduce a campaign called “a million signatures, a million actions for the environment”.
Addressing the conference, VSA Vice Chairman Vu Thanh Mai, said the campaign is aimed raising environmental awareness among Youth Union members, students and pupils.
“It will give young people a way to show their commitment to protecting the environment,” Mai added.
The programme will be expanded to all Youth Union member-associations nationwide, in an effort to collect a million signatures on its website, setting a national record for the number of people taking part in an environmental protection campaign.
The programme will include a variety of activities such as signing a commitment, completing a multiple choice test, and engaging in a dialogue on environmental protection.
Individuals can participate in the programme by going to http://vitraidat.loveme.vn/ .
Hanoi’s young people celebrate National Reunification Day
A large number of young people participated in a programme in Hanoi on April 28 in celebration of the country’s 35th National Reunification Day (April 30).
The programme included a wide range of activities, such as the screening of a documentary on the anti-US war of resistance and a concert featuring Hanoi’s young people.
The Hanoi Youth Union (HYU) presented 10 gifts worth VND1 million each and 10 wheelchairs to Agent Orange victims and other disabled children.
On the occasion the HYU also screened the film “Don’t burn”, and held a camping festival in Quang Tri province.
102 HYU members also put on several concerts which attracted thousands of young people.
Campaign against wildlife trafficking launched
An outdoor media campaign to raise awareness of wildlife trafficking was launched on April 28 by the Vietnamese government and the regional ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN).
Under the campaign, a large Vietnamese and English-language billboard on the road to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport was put up to remind residents and visitors that “Wildlife Trafficking is Punishable by Law.”
The billboard also provides telephone hotlines for reporting wildlife crime. The sign features a photograph of a Tiger, an endangered species often illegally traded throughout the region despite its population in the wild dwindling to around 3,200 animals worldwide.
The campaign was a joint initiative of the ASEAN-WEN, Vietnam’s Forest Protection Department, TRAFFIC, Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV) and FREELAND, and is supported by the US Government through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Similar events were also being held in Vientiane, Laos, and Bangkok, Thailand.
VN makes contributions to Mekong Commission programmes
The Vietnam National Mekong Committee (VNMC) has intensively participated in the Mekong River Commission (MRC)’s cooperation programmes and initiatives, said an official.
Vietnam’s participation has been in such areas as water resource management, environmental protection, irrigation, hydro electricity, agro-forestry, fisheries and climate change, said the VNMC President and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen said at the committee’s meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on April 28.
Despite these advantages and positive changes, cooperation between MRC countries still face serious challenges, such as the over-use of water resources (due to the development of hydro-power plants), rising sea-levels, and severe floods and droughts due to climate change, Minister Nguyen said, adding that this will also challenge Vietnam when taking over the MRC Presidency in the 2010-2011 term.
He suggested increased information sharing on MRC cooperative programmes and strengthened cooperation between the ministries and branches of MRC member countries in joint activities.
Representatives of some Cuu Long river delta provinces proposed that VNMC formulate a general plan for sustainable protection of the Mekong river in the whole region.
VNMC is participating in preparing the MRC’s strategic plan for the 2011-2015 period, implementing the commission’s cooperative programmes, consolidating its legal system as well as managing and protecting the use of water resources.
VUSTA 6th national congress held in Hanoi
The Vietnamese intellectuals have made great contribution to the country’s industrialization and modernization since the renewal process started 25 years ago.
Mr. Truong Tan Sang, member of the Politburo, emphasised this at the 6th National Congress of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) held in Hanoi on April 28 in the presence of the Party’s former General Secretary Le Kha Phieu, Mr. To Huy Rua and Mr. Ho Duc Viet, Politburo members, Mr. Huynh Dam, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan and other high-ranking leaders of the State and Party.
Mr. Sang also highlighted the important role of the Vietnamese intellectuals in the development of the country and the VUSTA.
On summarizing the operation of the Union in the last office term, Secretary General Pham Van Tan said VUSTA has made great development and raised its prestige in the society.
It has provided consultancy, judgement and social expertise activities to contribute a scientific perspective in making directions, policy, law, and plans of Party and State on socio-economic development, science and technology, education and training, environment protection and sustainable evelopment.
As a VFF member, VUSTA has always taken the initiative in responding to VFF campaigns. The Union has made great effort in order to mobilize, gather and unite Vietnamese intellectuals in science and technology with a variety of activities and coordinate and collaborate the operation of its member associations.
The VUSTA now has 125 member associations, 55 local unions of associations and 70 science associations nationwide with 1.8 million people, one third of the country’s intellectuals.
However, Mr. Tan was also aware of the union’s shortcomings in management and professionalism.In addition, the VUSTA has not been able to make good use of oveseas intellectual resources.
“In order to overcome all the difficulties, the VUSTA need to strengthen its staff and the operation of its member associations from central to local levels, and also encourage more overseas people to contribute to the country’s construction and development cause,” he said.
Also at the congress, a new presidium was elected with 23 members. Professor Dang Vu Minh, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee was chosen as the new president while Dr. Pham Van Tan was elected the Secretary General. A new Inspection Committee with 9 members was also elected with Dr. Tran Viet Hung chosen as head of the committee.
Vietnam Airlines promotes grand celebration of Thang Long-Hanoi
Vietnam Airlines has worked with travel agents in Australia to carry out a programme advertising Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary.
Currently, these agencies are actively coordinating with hotels, resorts and travel agents in Vietnam to better implement the programme.
This is part of Vietnam Airlines programmes to promote and attract the Australian people’s attention to Hanoi and Vietnam.
ADB helps Vietnam reinforce irrigation system
The Asian Development Bank has approved a US$1 million concessional loan to reinforce one of Vietnam’s oldest and largest irrigation and drainage system, located in the heart of the Red-Thai Binh River basin.
The loan will go to the construction of a campus for a Water Resources University (WRU), the only university in Vietnam to have a full programme of subjects to educate water engineers.
The Red River Delta is one of Vietnam’s key economic hubs. Around 560,000 people living in the surrounding area of the 50-year old Bac Hung Hai irrigation and drainage system are expected to benefit from improved irrigation.
A total of 1.9 million people in the area will benefit from improved drainage and reduced risk of flooding.
The loan will fund education facilities to train engineers in water-related fields that are needed to meet the heightened demand of a rapidly growing economy.
The loan will have a maturity of 32 years with a grace period of eight years and an annual interest rate of 1 percent during the grace period and 1.5 percent thereafter.
Agence Française de Developpement will co-finance the project with a loan of EUR20 million. The government of Viet Nam will provide US$51 million for the project.
Workshop on Buddhist approach to HIV/AIDS
A training workshop began in Hai Phong on April 27 for Buddhist monks, nuns and followers in northern provinces involved in providing advisory services to people infected with HIV/AIDS.
Participants will learn how to improve social responsibility and living skills for people living with HIV/AIDS in relation with emotion stress, effective communication, inter-personal relations, decision-making and problem-solving.
The course’s main lecturer is Prof. Lawrence Maund, UNICEF Managing Director for the Southeast Asian region.
The workshop is jointly organised by the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Central Committee and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It is part of the “Regional Buddhist Leadership Initiative” in the combat against HIV/AIDS that has been conducted in Vietnam over the last eight years.
PV
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