Rescued seamen reach home
The Viet Nam Maritime Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre of Region III, along with the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Border Guard, helped seven seamen reach home today.
The seamen had been aboard a sinking fishing vessel on March 25, the province’s Tuy Phong District authorities, said.
The fishing vessel, owned by Pham Minh Chien, 58, from Tuy Phong District, sank on March 25 at a distance of about 260 nautical miles off the Vung Tau sea. The vessel, along with the seven seamen, was rescued by a Singaporean ship.
The Singaporean Ship PU2008 had landed at the IRPC Port in Thailand in March 29. The seven seamen were taken to Viet Nam via an airplane and landed at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City.
They were then transported home to the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province by the Viet Nam Maritime Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre of Region III.
Fire destroys Tan Phu mattress workshop
A huge fire broke out at 6.20pm yesterday in a workshop manufacturing mattresses in Tan Phu District, HCM City.
Initial reports said the fire flared up in the workshop’s store and then spread fast to the neighbouring areas, producing thick smoke.
Terrified workers and residents staying near the workshop were quickly evacuated from the area.
About 112 firefighters were able to extinguish the fire after two hours.
The fire destroyed 700sqm of area, comprising stores and a section of the neighbouring houses. No damage to human life was reported.
The local authority is investigating the cause of the fire.
Boy drowns in Ngan Mo River
A three-year-old boy drowned in a river in the central province of Ha Tinh yesterday, the local police said.
Head of the Cam Due Commune’s Police Phan Thanh Giap said three-year-old Nguyen Trong L, son of Nguyen Trong Vinh in Cam Due Commune in Cam Xuyen District, drowned after falling into the river.
According to the policeman, the boy was sleeping when his grandmother went to the neighbouring house for some work at about 5pm on Tuesday. The boy woke up and could not find his grandmother. He then went up to River Ngan Mo in the vicinity and fell into the water.
A local resident saw the boy fall and cried for help. Unfortunately, the child could not be saved.
The boy’s grandfather had been taking care of him because his parents were working in the southern province of Binh Duong.
Workshop on gender equality in justice system held
Viet Nam’s judicial system fails to clearly define or set aside punishment for gender violence, due to which, gender violence victims – mostly women – encounter difficulty in accessing legal services.
This was stated by experts during a two-day workshop that began in Ha Noi today. The workshop discussed gender stereotyping in the justice system and women’s access to justice in cases involving gender-based violence. It also reviewed penal procedural codes, discussions on which attracted representatives from the Ministry of Justice, United Nations (UN) Women, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Centre for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender, Family, Women and Adolescents (CSAGA).
Nguyen Van Anh, director of CSAGA, said the latest national research on domestic violence, which was conducted in 2010, showed that 87 per cent of the women taking part in the research had not sought support from authorities or any other public services. As many as 66 per cent of domestic violence victims did not feel satisfied with the mediation carried out in the community, and more than 70 per cent of the mediation cases did not achieve expected results.
Anh said the process for accessing legal support was so complicated.
“Moreover, present norms regulated that if domestic violence victims wanted to receive legal support, they must be poor women, old women, disabled women or women from ethnic minorities, thus the number of women receiving legal support was limited,” she said.
The law directs that couples in disagreement must be supervised after the mediation, but in fact, no inspectors were assigned to do the job, she added.
“Communes’ people’s committees could only offer encouragement to the victims, they were not trained about legal procedures or to give consultancy to the victims,” she said.
For instance, a woman had chosen to remain anonymous in Ha Noi’s Ung Hoa District after recently being bitten by her husband. Even though the Chairman of the Commune’s People’s Committee and Head of the Commune’s police had come to her rescue, she was advised to keep calm and resolve the case herself. Returning home, she was bitten once more by her husband for dishonouring him before the local authorities, Anh said.
Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa, director of the Department of Criminal and Administrative Law under the Ministry of Justice, said the Laws on Labour, Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, Human Trafficking Prevention and Control and the Penal Code should be revised and harmonised and the necessary amended regulations should be added.
Information about shelters for domestic violence victims should be announced in public. Workers at the shelters should be imparted knowledge about the relevant laws so that they can give proper guidance to the victims.
Anh added that legal support teams, with participation of students and teachers from law universities and schools, should also be set up.
“Compulsory alcohol detoxification for people indulging in domestic violence should be included in legal regulations as reality has proved that alcohol makes domestic violence more serious,” she said.
Overseas Vietnamese to attend Hung King’s death commemoration ceremonies
As an annual tradition, a delegation of overseas Vietnamese will attend ceremonies on the occasion of the death anniversary of Hung Kings from April 22 to 29 at the invitation of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs.
About 70 outstanding Vietnamese nationals worldwide, who have contributed greatly to Vietnamese communities abroad, will offer incense in tribute to national ancestors, heroes and cultural celebrities across the country.
They will visit several historic sites, including the Temples of Great Mother Au Co, Great Father Lac Long Quan and Hung Kings in Phu Tho province; the grave of General Vo Nguyen Giap in Quang Binh province; and the memorial house of Great Poet Nguyen Du in Ha Tinh province.
Registration for participation is available at Vietnamese representative agencies abroad and Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs.-
Tap water to run to more households in Cu Chi by year-end
The government of HCMC has told Saigon Water Corporation (Sawaco) to quickly build a pipeline to provide clean water for 50,560 households in Cu Chi District by the end of this year.
Sawaco will have to connect the pipeline to Kenh Dong water plant for clean water supply to residents in the outlying district before December 31 as required by a document issued by the local government last week.
Sawaco will upgrade seven water pumping stations in Cu Chi District in the next three months, build three more stations before September, and install 210 general water meters and 707 water containers for dozens of thousands of local households that have yet to have access to running water.
Data of Sawaco showed that as of the end of last year, tap water had not run to 317,200 households in the city, mostly those in the outlying districts of Binh Chanh (78,046 households), Hoc Mon (69,039 households) and Cu Chi (93,200 households).
At present, many households on the outskirts of HCMC have to rely on well water, and at some places, underground water is contaminated.
Early this year, Sawaco suggested raising average water prices by 10.5% each year in the next five years so that it will have more capital to expand the city’s water supply system as the investment makes up around 72% of the clean water production cost.
HCMC will increase its total water supply capacity to 3.7 million cubic meters per day by 2025, 2.2 times higher than the current level.
To realize this target, a number of water plants will be expanded, including Thu Duc 2 and Tan Hiep 2 with each having a daily capacity of 300,000 cubic meters. More than 1,600 water supply pipes will be built in the years to come.
The local government asked the departments of transport and health as well as district authorities to identify those outlying areas where households have no access to running water and to map out plans to supply clean water for them at the same quality and prices with those in inner-city areas.
Programme launched to help areas at risk
A programme to support communities in the disaster-affected areas of Dien Bien Province, Hai Phong City and Tien Giang Province was launched today.
The three-year programme aims to increase the disaster preparedness and resilience of 6,000 vulnerable children and 30,000 community members.
The Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Viet Nam project aims to improve the safety of 12 schools and to reduce the risk and impacts of disasters through providing training for teachers and children on disaster preparedness and methods to reduce the consequences of disasters.
The project will also support communities in organising disaster-prevention drills and developing plans for better resilience, as well as advocating for the use of risk-reduction education in communities and schools.
The project will be funded by the Prudence Foundation and implemented by Save the Children in coordination with the Ministry of Education and provincial centers for flood and storm control from 2015 to 2017.
Every year, two million people are estimated to be affected by the frequent storms and typhoons that hit Viet Nam. The majority of them are children who are living in high-risk areas.
Focus on infant healthcare
Participants at the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s 132nd General Assembly (IPU-132) yesterday highlighted the role of parliaments in addressing key challenges to securing better healthcare services for mothers and children.
They also stressed on the importance of mobilising financial sources and issuing detailed regulations on healthcare for mother and children.
Reviewing the progress of the IPU’s 2012 resolution for action on healthcare as a basic right, the delegates shared their experiences and successes as well as initiatives to fulfill all commitments on healthcare access for women and children. The resolution calls for actions from IPU members to issue policies and implement necessary solutions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of under-five mortality rates by two thirds and maternal deaths by three quarters, while providing universal access to reproductive healthcare.
They agreed that since the resolution was adopted at the IPU General Assembly in Uganda in 2012, members with high rates of maternal and child deaths had actively implemented the resolution’s commitments to protect the health of women and children.
Representatives from Bangladesh, Chile, Rwanda and Uganda also shared their experiences of improving healthcare for mothers and children.
Razee Mohammad Fakhrul, a member of the Bangladeshi Parliament, said that the success in his country came from campaigns to raise awareness of both parliamentarians and people.
The parliament had also set up bodies to be in charge of healthcare services, he said, adding that the media and private organizations were also involved in protecting women and children’s health.
Reports from Bangladesh showed that the rate of infant mortality decreased from 144 out of 1,000 cases in 1990 to only 41 out of 1,000 cases in 2012, which was already 48 less than the target for the year. The rate of maternal deaths also decreased by two thirds.
Betty Amongi-Ongom, a member of Uganda’s Parliament, said that the ministries of finance and health in her country had paid special attention to healthcare for mothers and children in recent years, especially those in vulnerable groups and those with HIV/AIDS.
Regulations on early testing and treatment for those with HIV/AIDS had been added to laws, she said, adding that all mothers were eligible for HIV tests, and new-borns with HIV/AIDS were treated and cared for.
Participants also noted the challenges to healthcare services for women and children, including the high death rate of mothers due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. A report showed that on average, around 1,500 women died each day from these complications. Despite efforts to improve healthcare for mothers and children, up to 287,000 women died in 2010, and 6.9 million children died in 2011.
Truong Thi Mai, Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly’s Committee for Social Affairs, said that although Viet Nam had fulfilled all the MDGs aimed to stop mother and child mortalities, the problem remained a concern in many localities throughout the country.
To meet the post-2015 sustainable development goals in healthcare services for mothers and children, Viet Nam needed to make more efforts, especially for those in remote and mountainous areas, she said.
Other delegates agreed that to overcome the challenges to ensure healthcare for mothers and children, countries should stick to their political commitment, and enhance support and co-operation among IPU members and global partners.
In a related event, the IPU, in co-ordination with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, held a session yesterday to outline how the global strategy will be updated to cover the post-2015 period in line with the new sustainable development goals.
Entitled Improving the Health of Women, Children and Adolescents: Consultation on the updated Global Strategy, the session discussed a number of topics including global efforts on women and children’s health and the engagement of parliaments on the issue; the position of a global framework in national policymaking; and experiences in the development of financing and accountability mechanisms for these processes.
On the same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung held a state-level reception for participants of the IPU 132.
National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, IPU President Saber Chowdhury and IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong attended the party.
PM Dung said the success of the event cemented the role of the IPU in the international arena.
It’s not only the world’s largest multilateral parlimentary co-operative forum, but also contributes greatly to the United Nations in building the agenda for global sustainable development after 2015.
He also said in the current context, the threat of terrorism, land and sea conflicts and non-traditional security issues such as climate change, epidemics and food safety, countries needed to co-operate closely.
He said in order to maintain peace, stability and sustainable development, countries needed to respect the integrity and legal rights of other partners, while contributing to address common concerns.
The value of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) field missions, a cooperative effort of UN country teams and participating country parliaments, was the main topic of the Office of the Standing Committee for UN Affairs’ session yesterday in Ha Noi.
At the session, held as part of the IPU-132, representatives from a dozen countries spoke about the outcomes, experience and lessons drawn from tripartite collaborations between the IPU, UN and their parliaments.
There was a clear consensus, assistance from IPU and UN agencies helped encourage female participation in parliamentary activities and helped parliaments design agendas that better served their people.
Ha Minh Hue, member of the Viet Nam National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations, represented Viet Nam at the session. He chose to speak about two IPU-organised field trips in particular, a 2009 and a 2014 trip that focused on HIV/AIDS prevention.
He said the information and experiences gained proved to be useful not only for Vietnamese, but also for the international community in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The session also made the time to discuss and review various countries’ parliamentary capacity to mainstream new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their work.
Sustainable development has been set as the UN’s global top priority. With macroeconomic instability in many big economies, increasing inequity, serious environmental degradation, ongoing conflicts and epidemics, sustainable development is considered key in solving these issues.
The UN will set the next wave of SDGs this year, on the basis of a country’s success in implementing Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) over the last 15 years.
Delegates said parliaments must create the necessary legal corridors for the implementation of SDGs and push public relations campaigns to reach their goals.
“Finding the structure of a parliamentary secretariat with maximum efficiency” was put on table as the key point for debate at the second session of the the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP) at the ongoing Inter-Parliamentary Union conference in Ha Noi.
Representatives spoke of fruitful experiences in the work to boost the role of secretariat in assisting the parliaments.
On Sunday, the ASGP held its first session with a focus on public and media relations.
The ASGP is an IPU consultative body that brings together senior parliamentary officials to study parliamentary law and promote cooperation between the services of different parliaments.
The ASGP seeks to facilitate contacts between holders of the office of Secretary General in any parliamentary assembly, whether such assembly is a member of the IPU or not. ASGP membership is thus independent of the IPU.
The task of the association is to study the law, procedure, practice and working methods of different Parliaments and to propose measures for improving those methods and for securing co-operation between the services of different Parliaments.
Ministry to install supervision system on highways
The Transport Minister directed in the second quarter of the year, the Ministry will install supervision system in highways, the national avenue 1A and Ho Chi Minh Road through the highlands provinces (or the national avenue 14).
The Minister said at meeting on March 30 about the project to build supervision system and guarantee traffic order as per the model of calling for social contribution. The investment will be carried out through contracts with investors as per Build-Operate-Transfer Contract.
It is hoped that the system will help traffic police handle violations in the roads especially careless driving and crossing and overloading by vehicles which has long been considered to cause traffic accidents and damage traffic infrastructure. Therefore, police can have measures to prevent.
The Ministry will finalize a draft to send to the Prime Minister proposing administrative penalties on road traffic violations after the Ministry collected the feedback of the Ministry of Public Security and related ministries and agencies.
Transport Minister Dinh La Thang said that current traffic violations are very complicated threatening lives of drivers and destroy infrastructure. As the state budget is limited, the government should promote social contribution to invest in traffic supervision.
In the amendment, the Ministry will petition the PM to raise penalties on traffic violations such as drunk while driving and overload vehicles.
Vietnamese consulate helps flood victims in Madagascar
In response to the Madagascan Government’s appeal, a programme providing relief to areas affected by recent floods in Madagascar has been arranged by Vietnamese Honorary Consul in the country Eric Andry Ramiandrasoa.
As many as 750 families impacted by flooding in the Alarobia, Anosivavaka and Morarano districts of the capital city of Antanavario received essential commodities such as rice, cooking oil, milk and canned food.
The activity was valued by the Madagascan authorities, promoting Vietnam’s image in the African island nation.
Tropical Storm Chedza crossed Madagascar on January 19, causing flash floods and damage in Antananarivo and surrounding areas. United Nations statistics report the storm killed dozens of people and forced evacuations for 44,000 people from their homes. An estimated 101,000 people were impacted by the disaster.
Vietnam and Madagascar established diplomatic ties in 1972 and Vietnam opened its Embassy and Consulate in the country in 2004. About 400 Vietnamese-Madagascan people are living in the African county.-
Preparations made for metro construction in HCM City
The Prime Minister has approved a technical assistance project preparing for the construction of the metro line No.5 in Ho Chi Minh City.
The technical assistance project is set to conduct a feasibility study on the metro line which will serve as the basis for negotiations with the Asian Development Bank about loans.
It will also make a report assessing HCM City’s traffic management and planning and suggest policies on effective traffic planning.
The newly approved project will be carried out from now to November 2017 with an investment of 840,000 USD, including 600,000 USD funded through Official Development Assistance.
The 17-km-long metro line No.5 will start at Sai Gon bridge and end at the Can Giuoc bus station. The construction project will also build a metro maintenance station covering 25 hectares.
About 8.8km of the line from the Bay Hien intersection in Tan Binh district to Sai Gon bridge in Binh Thanh district will be built in phase I, costing more than 857 million USD.
Once operational, the line No.5 will transport around 526,000 passengers a day, according to the HCM City Management Authority for Urban Railways.
Campaign to lift intellectual property rights
The Ministry of Science and Technology on March 31 launched a month-long campaign to commemorate the World Intellectual Property Day (April 26) with the support of the Software Alliance (BSA).
The campaign is aimed at improving public understanding of intellectual property laws to enhance the recognition, application, development and protection of intellectual property rights; promote research and innovation, apply science and technology for greater productivity and socioeconomic development in Vietnam, and help the society be well-prepared for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) accession.
From March 31 to April 30, the ministry will organise a series of activities to enhance public awareness about intellectual property, such as contests for university students and conferences for businesses.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Deputy Minister Tran Viet Thanh, said educational and training activities will be held during the next one month, and an inspection of the implementation on legal regulations will also continue to be carried out in May and the ensuing months.
Attending the ceremony, Roland Chan, Senior Director of BSA’s Compliance Programme in Asia Pacific, said the Alliance appreciated the strong efforts and remarkable initial progress made by Vietnamese governmental agencies in intellectual property right protection over the recent years, especially in relation to computer software.
“There is no doubt that software has changed the world. Vietnam is one of the greatest beneficiaries and a global symbol for what an economy can achieve through technology. I am confident that the one-month campaign will advance further awareness of intellectual property. This is a time for Vietnamese businesses to pay for what they use and manage what they have,” Chan said.
During the 2013 to 2014 period, inspectors and monitors at ministries, and for local authorities imposed fines in more than 32,000 cases, worth 139 billion VND (6.61 million USD) for counterfeit, sub-standard goods, and intellectual property infringements.
Last year, inspectors from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted checks at 82 enterprises for compliance with current computer software ownership laws and fined violating companies a total of 1.57 billion VND (more than 74,000 USD).
Quang Ngai responds to overfishing
1,200,000 tiger prawns were cast into the sea at Sa Can estuary in the central province of Quang Ngai on March 31 in a bid to encourage breeding and boost local aquaculture.
The initiative was co-hosted by the Quang Ngai Centre of Aquatic Varieties and the provincial Aquatic Production Resources Protection and Exploitation sub-department to honour Vietnam Fisheries Day April 1.
The centre’s Deputy Director, Dao Tu Hien, said local aquatic resources are threatened with excessive exploitation.
He claimed that the release of the tiger prawns will help the recovery of the natural environment, preserving this precious variety.
The centre will provide an additional of 100,000 carps, 50,000 tilapias and 130,000 crabs for the districts of Tay Tra, Son Tay, Ly Son and beyond.
RoK province seeks medical engagement with Binh Duong
The Republic of Korea (RoK) province of Deagu is working to expand its medical collaboration with the southern Vietnamese province of Binh Duong, said Kim Yon-Chang, Deputy Mayor of Deagu during a meeting with Vice Chairman of the Binh Duong People’s Committee Tran Thanh Liem on March 31.
Kim Yon-Chang pledged to promote investment in Vietnam among the Korean business community.
Liem said Binh Duong welcomed Korean enterprises to engage in the local economy and spoke highly of the healthcare services available to residents as provided by a medical delegation from Deagu.
From March 30 to April 1, My Phuoc General Hospital and the Deagu delegation of 52 medical personnel and 30 volunteers have offered free medical checkups and medicines for an estimated 2,500 disadvantaged people.
With a recent annual growth of 14.5 percent, Binh Duong is among the top four localities with highest amount of foreign capital in Vietnam, and a total of 9 billion USD from the Republic of Korea makes it the third largest foreign investor in the southern province.
Deagu has a reputation for its strong development in the medical, electricity and electronic product sectors.
Green, energy-saving solutions on display in Hanoi
The International Exhibition Fair for Environment and Energy Technology (ENTECH HANOI 2015) will convene from May 20 to 22 at the Hanoi International Exhibition Centre in Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi.
The 6,000 square metre fair features between 160 and 200 booths run by 150 domestic and foreign organisations and enterprises in the field.
Energy saving equipment and solutions are on display at the event as will green energy products in the industrial production, transportation and construction industry.
A series of seminars will be organised on improving the efficiency of energy use in industrial production and commercial offices alongside presenting energy saving solutions for small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Other side events include a trade forum between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea and a public contest on energy-saving and environmental protection.
The fair also provides a platform for business partnership development and technological transfer.
Hosted by the Hanoi Industry and Trade Department, ENTECH HANOI 2015 has been held annually since 2009. It is intended to help businesses seek and employ advanced, energy-saving and green technologies towards cost reduction and improved competiveness.
VNG launches mobile coupon app
VNG Corporation on April 1 launched YAP, a free mobile app that allows users to receive promotions and offers from places such as restaurants and shops.
A store in HCM City with a symbol of Yap, a free mobile app that allows users to receive promotions and offers from places such as restaurants and shops. Photos courtesy of VNG
The app is available on iOS and Android operating systems, while the version for Windows Phones will be available soon.
After downloading the app, users can sign in with their Facebook or Zalo accounts to receive coupons and stamps of shops that have registered to use YAP. The users can store the coupons or manage stamps on their YAP accounts.
The app also gives recommendations on good deals available at stores close to the user’s location, with the help of smartphone location tracking.
At the moment, 20 SHOP&GO stores in HCM City are using the app. The app network is expected to develop and build a system of stores located all over the country.
Police find criminal signs in scaffold collapse that killed 13 in Vietnam
Vietnamese police have initiated criminal proceedings for an accident in which a scaffold collapsed at a construction site of a Taiwanese-owned company in Vietnam a week ago, leaving 13 workers dead and 29 injured.
Police officers in the north-central province of Ha Tinh on Tuesday announced a decision to commence criminal proceedings for the collapse that they said has signs of criminal offenses.
“The case is no longer a mere accident. Police have determined that there are criminal signs in it and have therefore kicked off criminal proceedings,” said Colonel Bui Dinh Quang, deputy director of the Ha Tinh Police Department.
The collapse occurred at 8:00 pm on March 25 at the construction site of the Son Duong Port, where Samsung C&T Corp, a unit of South Korea’s Samsung Group, is the main contractor, in the Taiwanese-invested Formosa Industrial Park, which is located in the Vung Ang economic zone.
Also on Tuesday police officers held a meeting with relevant agencies to discuss an investigation plan to find out the cause of the accident and clarify the responsibilities of those concerned.
At the meeting, police concluded that there are signs of criminal offences in the collapse after analyzing the results of their initial investigation, the information and evidence collected from the scene, and the testimonies of the victims and witnesses.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung demanded on Monday that the chairperson of the Ha Tinh People’s Committee order bodies involved to look into the cause of the collapse and strictly handle it in accordance with current regulations.
On the same day, the deputy director of the Ha Tinh police department, Nguyen Van An, said that employees of the South Korean contractor are banned from leaving Vietnam.
According to the provincial Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs, the collapse was likely brought about by a fault in the friction band of the hydraulic system that lifted materials at the scaffolding area.
An Ninh Thu Do (Capital Security) newspaper cited surviving workers as saying that when dozens of them were working on the scaffold, the rail of the hydraulic system that was lifting materials up suddenly fell from a height of 30 meters, taking along with it the entire scaffolding, which was 25 meters tall, 40 meters long, and 35 meters wide.
Worker Nguyen Van Hanh, 24, who was injured in the incident, toldTuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that he was working at the site on the evening of March 25 when he felt the scaffold under his feet sink down twice and shake.
Someone was shouting to warn that the scaffold could collapse and all workers fled the scene, Hanh said.
After ten minutes, a South Korean manager asked the workers to return to work and assured them that it was safe, he said, adding that several minutes later the entire scaffold, weighing hundreds of metric tons, fell down with a crash.
VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT