SOCIAL IN BRIEF 1/5

23:16' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7)

Free eye treatment given to poor Cambodians A group of Vietnamese doctors from Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho conducted free eye surgeries and treatment to poor patients in some Cambodian provinces from April 27-29. During the working tour, the Vietnamese doctors gave free medical checks and medicines to more than 730 eye patients and performed operation on 196 patients in Kandal and Kompong Chnang provinces. The Vietnamese surgeons also shared their experience in new surgery method to treat cataract and prevention and treatment of common eye diseases with their Cambodian colleagues. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Em Sam Onn expressed his thanks to Vietnam for its humanitarian aid to Cambodian poor patients. He described the Vietnamese doctors’ contributions as a manifestation of friendship and good neighbourliness between the two countries. Old man witnesses change in Central Highlands As a lifelong resident of the Central Highlands Dak Lak province, Ale B Village P atriarch H’ri can recall many changes in the region over his lifetime. “The life is no longer as hard as it was when the country was newly reunified,” says the old man, who lived through the two resistance wars against the French and US aggressors and then the joy of the national reunification day. He says now all roads in his village have been asphalted, all local families have access to the national electricity grid and no children are illiterate. It is not only Dak Lak that is enjoying progress but all the five provinces in the Central Highlands, an area of more than 56,000 sq. kilometres, with a population of 4.2 million belonging to 47 ethnic groups. Last year, the whole region registered an economic growth of 15 percent and per capita income of 8 million VND, up 36 percent from the previous year. The region is the Vietnam ’s leading producer of lucrative crops such as coffee, cacao, pepper, rubber, tea and cashew. It is the main contributor to national agricultural exports, helping Vietnam bring in billions of US dollars every year. With its sloping terrain of various rivers and springs, the Central Highlands is also a successful region for the development power plants. It has seen the construction of big plants including Se San 2, Se San 3, Dong Nai 3, Play Krong and Buon Kop. The regional transport system has developed rapidly over recent years, with the completion of 14 highways of 2,100 km in total length and a trans-provincial road system that has catered for increased tourist numbers. The rate of poor households in the region has dropped to 19 percent in 2007 from nearly 23 percent in 2006. Around 98 percent of the communes and 82 percent of families in the region have had access to electricity. Almost all local people have benefited from the development of clinics, schools, broadcast stations and water supply systems. The ethnic communities of the region have been supported through priority recruitment policies by local enterprises, which have provided ethnic labourers with stable jobs and incomes. The provinces have allocated more than 1,600 ha of production land to ethnic households, built thousands of houses for ethnic families and provided them with loans to support agricultural production. Week on safe water and environmental sanitation in rural areas launched A Week on safe water and environmental sanitation in rural areas commenced at the Muong Than senior secondary school, Than Uyen district, Lai Chau province. The week, launched by the People's Committee of Lai Chau province and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is the 14th event of the kind in Vietnam. According to the Vietnam Centre for Safe Water and Environmental Sanitation, Vietnam has had around 70% of its households having sanitary water. However, according to the Ministry of Public Health's survey, only 18% of households, 12% of schools and 3% of markets in rural areas have had standard toilets, while only 15% of households have had safe water. These figures are too low compared to the targets in a national programme on safe water and environmental sanitation in rural areas throughout 2010. Therefore, in 2008, the centre will promote its dissemination and education activities, so as to make the public fully aware of the issues. In addition, investment will be promoted to improve sanitation conditions in rural areas. Australia to provide 170 scholarships Australia will provide 170 scholarships for Vietnamese to join post graduate study in Australia in 2009, reported the Vietnam News Agency. This was announced by the Australian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City said on April 28. The scholarships will be provided by the Australia Development Scholarship project of the Australian government for Vietnamese to study business, trade, public policy, law, development research, management, agricultural science and environmental research, public health, English teaching and educational management at Australian universities in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. Japanese ODA capital ‘used well’ Loans from Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) used for infrastructure projects in Ho Chi Minh City have been used effectively, according to Ho Chi Minh City authorities. Loans have been used to build new terminals at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the city’s East-West Highway, the Thu Thiem Tunnel under Saigon River, the city’s first metro route, and a waste water treatment system. Speaking at a meeting with Wada Sada on April 27, chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association, Le Hoang Quan, chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said Vietnam was the number one recipient of the Government’s ODA loans. Wada, who is also chairman of Kansdai’s Small-and Medium-sized Enterprises’ Association, was leading a 22-member business delegation on a tour of Vietnam last week. The tour offered Japanese businesspeople to see the rapid development in Vietnam, said Wada, adding that he would send a report to the Japanese Prime Minister to request further investment into Vietnam in the near future. Members of the delegation expressed interest in waste water treatment and urban development projects in Ho Chi Minh City, said Wada. He added that the association would help further economic and cultural relations between Kansai and Ho Chi Minh City. Acute diarrhoea in Hanoi contained Acute diarrhoea has basically been contained in Hanoi, said Dr Le Anh Tuan, director of the Hanoi Department of Public Health. Recently, only between five and ten people, who were suspected to have suffered from the disease, have been hospitalised each day. They are being treated properly. In addition, food safety and hygiene practice in the city has been promoted. So far, 30 street food vendors have been suspended by local authorities due to their failure to meet the food hygiene and safety requirements. However, there is still a high risk of the disease reoccurring. Thus, the local health service is still warning local people about promoting food hygiene and safety practices so as to prevent the disease. 134 outstanding workers in Hanoi honoured One hundred and thirty four outstanding workers in Hanoi were honoured at a ceremony in Hanoii on April 27. The workers are among 27,195 outstanding workers at the organisational level and 1,739 outstanding workers at the district levels in 2008. Pham Quang Nghi, secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, said that the capital city's workers and labourers should receive more support and training services from trade unions at all levels, to become a driving force in the industrialisation and modernisation process in the city in particular and the country in general. Most enterprises in the city have paid a due attention to implementing the outstanding workers' campaign, having been aware of the important role of workers and labourers, who directly create products and services. HCM City marks April 30 Victory The entire Party Committee, administration and people of Ho Chi Minh City have committed themselves to developing the city in line with the national goal “a rich people, a strong country, and an equitable, democratic and civilised society”. The message was delivered by HCM City People’s Committee Chairman Le Hoang Quan at a ceremony held on April 29 to mark the 33rd anniversary of the liberation of South Vietnam and the world’s 122nd May Day. Highlighting the historic significance of the April 30 Victory and the international labour spirit’s great impacts on Vietnam’s revolutionary cause, Chairman Quan spoke of the city’s achievements over the past 33 years of socialist construction, particularly over 22 years of renewal. The mayor affirmed HCM City’s resolve to overcome economic difficulties and challenges. Representatives of war veterans and youth voiced their strong determination to join efforts with the municipal authorities and people to fulfill tasks for 2008 and the following years. US-funded detoxification clinics put in use Two detoxification clinics using methadone were put into operation in the northern port city of Hai Phong on April 29 to help injecting heroin users beat the addiction and reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. The newly-established centres are the first of their kind in Vietnam which are funded by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The clinics are capable of accommodating around 500 drug users with the substitute drug, initially providing treatment for addicts selected from communes and wards of Hai Phong city - a heroin and AIDS hotspot in the country. Cultural week kicks off for Vietnamese students in Laos Vietnamese students in Laos launched a cultural week in Vientiane on April 28. The opening ceremony saw the participation of Lao Education Minister Somkot Mangnorket and Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Huy Quang. The event is held to celebrate major anniversaries of the two countries, including the establishment of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party on March 22, the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Party (March 26), Vietnam’s Southern Liberation anniversary (April 30) and President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday (May 19). A photo exhibition will be held during the week, showcasing images of the land and people of Vietnam and their special friendship and cooperation with Laos through different periods. A Vietnam-Laos music programme and international sport competitions will also be held as part of the event. 10 doctorate scholarships in Poland In the 2008-2009 school year, the Polish government will provide ten doctorate scholarships for Vietnamese to study social and natural sciences, economics and technology. Candidates are lecturers from universities and colleges nationwide. Profiles can be sent to the Postgraduate Department under the Ministry of Education and Training at 49 Dai Co Viet street, Hanoi before May 10th 2008. Solar energy project for Tra Vinh Southern Tra Vinh province will operate its first solar electrical energy project, worth 36,000 USD to be financed by the Czech Republic, in an islet five kilometers from the coast. The project will supply a total of 1,100 Kwh for 10 local households and a primary school. It will also provide electricity indirectly to nearly 110 households in Cau Ke district. Solar electrical energy is considered not only clean but also economical, safe and long lasting. Promoting high quality human resource training At a televised conference about high quality human resource training in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan said that the state will propose solutions to promote high quality human resource training in these two cities. The state will support links between universities and enterprises and use financial power to promote human resource training and attract foreign investment in this field. Participants discussed issues relating to high quality human resource training and prioritized objectives set forth by the two cities for four key industries, including information technology, tourism, ship building, finance and banking. According to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committees, these four training sectors lack human resources. Ho Chi Minh city alone will need 91,000 information technology workers from now until 2010. Each year, the city needs 30,000 labourers, while only about 11,000 information technology workers are trained in colleges and universities. The finance and banking, tourism and ship building fields also need tens of thousands of labourers each year. At the conference, participants also discussed demand for s of high quality human resource training, prioritized objectives of the two cities, the need to increase cooperation between the state and enterprises and universities, and planning for human resource development based on local demand. A centre for training support and human resource supply will be put into operation in Hanoi in June to create a link between educational establishments and enterprises. A similar center will be built in Ho Chi Minh City. British Embassy provides capacity-building support for of Vietnam On April 29, British Embassy in Vietnam officials handed over a variety IT equipment to the Immigration Department of Vietnam in the support of common efforts to tackle illegal migration and increase returns. In the past couple of years, the Embassy has provided capacity-building support for the Department. This included the provision of forgery detection equipment and English language training. Ms.Kara Owen, Deputy Head of Mission, said at the presentation ceremony, “We are delighted to know that the equipment has been using on a daily basis and is adding value to front line immigration officers’ work”. The new equipment includes four laptops with internet connection devices, two desktops, four printers and two digital cameras. Looking forward, migration remains a top priority for the UK in 2008. The British Government will continue to provide further support for the Ministry of Public Security’s Immigration Department under the new Returns and Reintegration Fund. Japanese Kansai region boosts co-operation with HCM City Japan-Vietnam Friendship Society President Wada Sadao of the Japanese Kansai region has pledged to increase cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City, especially investment in urban and liquid waste treatment projects. Wada Sadao, who is also President of the Medium-and Small Enterprises Association of the Kansai region, made the promise during his meeting with the HCM City People’s Committee’s Chairman Le Hoang Quan on April 27. As the head of a 22-strong Japanese business mission to Vietnam, Mr Sadao said he will report Vietnam’s drastic growth to his Prime Minister for stronger investment into the Southeast Asian country. Chairman Quan told his guest that Japanese ODA projects are making great contributions to Vietnam’s largest economic hub. He said Tan Son Nhat airport is now one of the 100 busiest in the world and the Thu Thiem tunnel is the most modern in Southeast Asia. Other projects such as the East- West avenue, the Metro 1 system and a liquid waste treatment factory are very important for the city’s economy. UN congratulates Vietnam on the commencement of the methadone substitution programme The United Nations on April 29 congratulates Vietnam on the introduction of methadone maintenance therapy in two clinics in Hai Phong City. These clinics will be treating 700 heroin-dependent people with methadone from now to December 2008. One of the most effective treatments for heroin dependence, methadone is on the WHO list of essential medicines. “The UN is pleased to be working with ministries, communities and other sectors in implementing effective harm reduction approaches ensuring a comprehensive response to HIV in Vietnam”, said Mr. Eamonn Murphy, Chief of the Joint UN Team on HIV and UNAIDS Country Director. Forty years of international experience shows that methadone reduces illegal drug use, crime, mortality and the spread of HIV and hepatitis C. The new clinics in Hai Phong are expected to produce marked improvement in the lives of those affected by heroin dependence. The Methadone Substitution Programme will be expanded through the opening of clinics in HCMC later in May. Substitution therapy is an important component of the 2006 Law on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control and is crucial to the success of Vietnam’s response to the HIV epidemic, which is largely driven by injecting drug use. The UN supports the Government’s efforts to include methadone and other evidence-informed treatment regimens in the Law on Drug Prevention and Control, now under revision. The organization also applauds Vietnam for taking this important step towards effective drug treatment and HIV prevention. Vietnamese students in Russia hold football tournament Vietnamese students in Russia are competing in a football tournament being held at the Spartac sport complex from April 19 to May 11. The annual event, jointly held by the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese overseas students’ association in Moscow, is part of a series of activities marking Southern Liberation Day (April 30), May Day and the later President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday (May 19). This year’s tournament attracted 22 football teams, including 16 qualifying for the final round on May 11. The event is aimed at promoting understanding and strengthening solidarity among overseas Vietnamese living in Russia. The tournament is sponsored by a number of Vietnamese businesses and trade centres in Russia and supported by many Vietnamese students in Moscow. Money launderers in the spotlight Financial analysts from Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam sharpened their skills at a regional workshop in the capital yesterday. The two day workshop, organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Bank (WB), focused on different analytical methods and access to information sources in the pursuit of suspected money launderers. Each of the analysts were from Financial Intelligence Units in their respective countries. In Viet Nam, the unit is also the State Bank of Viet Nam’s Anti Money Laundering Information Centre, which analyses financial reports and investigates suspected money laundering cases. The financial intelligence unit often works with suspicious transaction reports and large cash transaction reports from banks and other reporting institutes. The workshop is part of a long term technical assistance programme, provided by UNODC and the WB to tackle money laundering as an organised crime. Cathay Pacific’s green contest Budding environmentalists are getting their pens ready as Cathay Pacific launched its 11th annual essay writing competition last week. The contest, titled the Cathay Pacific International Wilderness Experience (IWE) is run in co-operation with the Ha Noi’s Student Association and is open to all high school students between the ages of 16 and 18 in Ha Noi. The two top entrants from Viet Nam will join 20 other high school students from around the world on a special educational course from July 21 to 27 in South Africa’s Simangaliso Wetlands Park. Each entrant must complete an application and submit an original 500-word essay - written in English - about the environment before May 23. Rare bear smuggler heads to court Legal proceedings have begun against a woman caught smuggling the corpses of two rare Tibetan bears, according to the Forestry Management authority in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province. Tran Thi Ngoc Lanh, a resident of Quang Trach District, Quang Binh Province, was caught transporting the bears through the Lao Bao border checkpoint to Dong Ha coastal town. The case is still under investigation. Quang Ninh border police find drugs A special task force under Quang Ninh Province’s Border Guards have uncovered a ring of drug smugglers operating between Viet Nam and China. Ngo Ngoc Phan, 23, from Mong Cai Town, was caught red-handed last Thursday carrying 7,200 tablets of Phenadoxone, a kind of synthetic drug, from China to Viet Nam by motorbike. Phan said he’d been employed by Pham Thi Mai Lien from Mong Cai Town to transport the drug. Following Lien’s subsequent arrest, along with her accomplice Chi Trung, she supplied information about a heroin trafficking ring operating between Viet Nam to China.