Nearly 40,000 people sign up to donate corneas

Nearly 40,000 people have registered to donate their corneas to the Eye Bank, which has already received 461 corneas from 235 people in the past five years, according to the Viet Nam National Institute of Ophthalmology (VNIO).

Viet Nam currently has around 30,000 people suffering from cornea-related blindness in need of cornea transplants, according to VNIO estimates.

The institute honoured 37 families and individuals yesterday for their outstanding contributions to the development of the Eye Bank and cornea donation mobilisation.

Court sentences four for forging passports

The Ha Noi People's Court on Thursday sentenced four persons to several years in prison for forging authorised signatures and immigration documents to help two people flee abroad.

According to the indictment, the four persons are Phan Van Lap, 46, from Quang Binh Province; Phi Manh Thang, 32, from Thach That District in Ha Noi; and Hoang Anh Tuan, 40, from Dong Da District in Ha Noi; as well as Bui Phu Binh, 23, from Phuc Tho District, Ha Noi.

Tuan had earlier worked as an immigration police officer at Noi Bai International Airport.

The four convicts forged authorised signatures, immigration documents and passports to help two other persons flee to Europe in 2013.

The two persons who used these fake documents were caught in Noi Bai in 2013.

While Lap was sentenced to 45 months in prison, Thang received a 33–month sentence, Tuan got 24 months in probation and Binh was jailed for 12 months.

Land erosion hits Ha Noi farmers

Rising tides in the Bui River have damaged the homes of hundreds of residents and inundated their land in Quang Bi Commune in Ha Noi's Chuong My District.

In recent years, more has been reported to be flowing through the small river, eroding 4km of banks in the commune.

Bui Tuan Cu, chairman of the Quang Bi Commune People's Committee, said unusual weather has caused the erosion. Commune authorities have told residents to drive bamboo stakes into the ground to keep the land stable.

Do Viet Thang, head of Village 5 in the commune, said 300 of the village's 700 households had been damaged by rising water.

Dao Duc Khang, a resident in the village, said his family once had more than 360 square metres of land, but this had been reduced by a third.

When it rains heavily, the 200 families facing the brunt of the flooding temporarily move to a neighbouring commune, Tran Phu.

Many residents have provided their land to build a dyke to protect them from the river, said Do Viet Huu, another resident.

In May, they surveyed the possible route of the embankment. However, they have not started working on it yet, despite hoping to finish it by October.

City authorities stepped in and built a 700m-dyke along the river, but more than 3km has been left unprotected due to a lack of funds.

Ca Mau airport closes for runway repairs

The airport in the southernmost province of Ca Mau will be closed for two months for repairs to its runway, the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam has announced.

Codeshare flights (between Vietnam Airlines and VASCO) between HCM City and Ca Mau stand suspended from December 1 to February 1 next year.

The two carriers have contacted passengers booked on these flights and arranged alternative transport, the CAAV said.

One dead, four injured in Ha Noi market fire

One person died and four others were injured after a kiosk in Ha Noi's Thuong Thanh Market caught fire on Saturday.

Vu Thi Diu, mother of the kiosk owner, was found dead after fire fighters failed to reach her in time, while Tran Thi Nga, the kiosk owner, and three other family members were injured.

The injured victims were taken to hospital for treatment.

Rotten meat headed for food stalls seized

Police seized 250kg of rotten cow and buffalo parts being transported to Hue on a passenger bus yesterday in Quang Binh Province's Le Thuy District.

Police said that Nguyen Thi Ha from Hue admitted that she had bought the internal organs of cows and buffaloes from slaughterhouses in Hai Phong to sell as food.

Ha failed to provide hygiene certificates for the meat. Police stopped the cargo on the Hue - Hai Phong on National Highway No 1A will destroy the offal.

Internal organs like hearts, stomachs, kidney and livers of cattle and poultry are used as food materials in Viet Nam.

HCM City police seize smuggled cigarettes

HCM City police yesterday seized roughly 30,000 packs of cigarettes being transported by truck from the southern province of Long An to HCM City.

The truck was stopped for inspection in Binh Tan District. The truck driver, Nguyen Quoc Truong, failed to show proper invoices for the goods.

The case was handed to Binh Tan District police for further investigation.

Residents march to protect the dugong

At least 800 hundred locals in the southern province of Kien Giang took part in a parade yesterday around Phu Quoc Island to call for more efforts to protect the endangered dugong.

Local officials, residents, tourists and 300 secondary school students marched around the island's streets carrying banners highlighting the plight of the rare mammal.

The dugong is listed by International Union for Conservation of Nature as a vulnerable species.

According to WAR, dugong numbers have fallen into the hundreds as their they are hunted for food, traditional medicine and jewellery.

Dong Thap aims to boost rice, fish farming

The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap plans to boost rice and tra catfish production in a move to double the income of local farmers by 2020.

The Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development chose the heavily-based agricultural province as the first to pilot the national agricultural restructuring plan. Dong Thap produces the most tra catfish and ranks third for rice production. Agriculture accounts for 36 per cent of GDP.

The province aimed to achieve a growth rate of more than 5 per cent by 2020 and reduce the number of poor households by two percentage points annually, according to Provincial Party Committee Secretary Le Minh Hoan. In addition to rice and tra catfish, the province would focus on mangoes, bonsai trees and poultry.

Under the project, rice-growing land would be divided in two. One 10,000ha area with the annual yield of 1.5 million tonnes would provide rice for export to key markets such as East Asia, China and the EU, while another 70,000ha area with the annual yield of 1 million tonnes would provide rice for African and Southeast Asian markets. A third 1,500ha area would be set aside for fish farming, yielding 300,000 tonnes of fish per year.

Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Duong said the province had made several requests to the Government, including subsidies for farmers, piloting public private partnerships in developing agricultural and rural infrastructure, building industrial-services zones in the intensive cultivation areas and developing key agricultural commodity value chains.

He also said that the province would create favourable conditions for enterprises investing in agricultural development when it came to obtaining capital, premises and human resources.

South Korea's Rural Community Corporation (KRC), the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) and provincial leaders signed a co-operation agreement in the fields of rice cultivation and aquaculture breeding at a conference on agricultural restructuring for Dong Thap Province held in Ha Noi last Tuesday. Under the agreement, the KRC will provide capital to build a 2,000ha rice cultivation area and the IDH will supply technical support for aquaculture farming.

Delegates suggested that the province clarify how it would boost the value of the five key products, citing tra catfish fat as an example. China and Japan currently buy this product from Viet Nam, process it as supplemental food and export it to Viet Nam at a higher cost.

Unions review rights of workers abroad

A conference to discuss how trade unions should protect migrant and guest workers' rights and interests was held in Ha Noi yesterday.

Representatives from local trade unions, labour export agencies and organisations reviewed Viet Nam's labour exports.

They said more co-ordination between trade unions and relevant organisations in and outside the country was needed to assist and protect contracted Vietnamese workers abroad.

A pilot programme with Malaysia would pave the way after a memorandum of understanding on protecting migrant workers was signed with the Malaysian Trade Union Congress, they said.

During the event, jointly held by the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and the Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI), participants also pointed out that trade unions should share information on legal regulations relating to guest labourers.

The unions should collaborate closely with State agencies and the Viet Nam Association of Manpower Supply to monitor and inspect the implementation of laws among labour export enterprises, they said.

Labour exports are an important part of a long-term strategy that will serve national construction and international co-operation.

The VGCL always said Vietnamese guest workers were an indispensable part of the country's workforce and needed protection.

According to the Overseas Workers Management Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in October 2014, 7,774 Vietnamese were sent to work abroad. Taiwan remained the largest labour market, receiving 3,878 Vietnamese workers, followed by Japan with 1,784 workers.

In the first 10 months of this year, 91,143 Vietnamese workers went to work in other countries, exceeding the 2014 plan by 4.76 per cent.

Better medical research vital need in Viet Nam

Viet Nam has been urged to boost the quality of medical research at Vietnamese universities to improve public healthcare and catch up with advances in the region.

At present, a few medical students are sent abroad to study and conduct research, head of the Ministry of Health's Science, Technology and Training Department Nguyen Cong Khan, said at an annual meeting held yesterday by the Viet Nam Public Health Association.

He said that improving the quality of education for medical students in local medical universities was imperative.

The Ministry of Education and Training is piloting medical research at universities in Ha Noi and HCM City.

The Public Health Association has been asked to consider setting up an independent centre to verify the quality of the research, he said.

Doctor Nguyen Duy Phong, from HCM City Medicine and Pharmacy University, said that the university planned to become a research university where students could also create knowledge instead of applying it.

However, he admitted that the university was confused about how to turn the university into a research establishment in lined with global trends.

Viet Nam now has 15 medical and pharmacy universities.

The annual meeting drew more than 100 medical officials and experts from throughout Viet Nam.

Closer co-operation between universities and industries is needed to further promote human resource training and innovative research in Viet Nam, participants at a recent conference here said.

Pham Hoang Luong, vice president of the Ha Noi University of Science and Technology, explained that apart from carrying out their traditional teaching and research activities as generators of public knowledge, many universities in Viet Nam have started undertaking a more direct interaction with and contribution to the industry.

They could provide industries with well-trained graduates and basic and applied research results from which new products and processes may evolve.

In return, universities could obtain from industries significant benefits such as additional new investment resources through industrially sponsored research which will enable university researchers and students to work on and study problems in the real world, Luong said.

Professor Pasi Malinen of the University of Turku in Finland suggested that Vietnamese universities take advantage of collaboration with industries.

He revealed that in Finland, closer co-operation with industries, which included research funding and sponsorship of research centres and researchers, benefited universities there.

Petrus Ng, BASF Vietnam managing director, said that in a highly diversified and globalised international network, new ideas were generated and new impulses were given to research.

"This is why we involve external partners in our innovation processes and maintain numerous contacts with businesses and universities and their graduates," he told Viet Nam News.

Education and training are also important factors for the future success of BASF, he said, adding that his company's demand for skilled employees would continue to increase in the foreseeable future as a result of demographic changes, especially in the fields of technology and production.

"Together with our educational institute and university partners around the globe, we are working in many different disciplines that will support us to achieve our ambitious growth target based on innovations," the BASF managing director explained.

Earlier this year, BASF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ha Noi University of Science and Technology on co-operation to promote sustainable development that balanced scientific research and innovation with economic, environmental and social needs.

The company will also provide information about BASF scholarship and career opportunities to students while promoting research opportunities towards the faculty members.

Vietnam hosts ASEAN’s first consumer protection conference

ASEAN will hold its first Consumer Protection Conference (1st ACPC) from December 8-9 in Hanoi, according to the ASEAN Secretary Committee.

The event will see the participation of representatives of government bodies handling consumer protection schemes, researchers, non-governmental organisations, private sectors, business associations and relevant organisations involving in consumer protection enforcement.

The first ACPC will deliberate on a wide range of topics on current issues and challenges relating to financial transactions, consumer product safety, e-commerce and development of consumer redress mechanisms.

It is expected to generate fruitful discussions and exchange of views on the development of consumer protection in ASEAN and engender deliberations on the future direction of the regional consumer trends and challenges.

The conference, to be hosted by the Vietnam Competition Authority under the auspices of the ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection, is part of a wider scale project entitled “Supporting Research and Dialogue in Consumer Protection” funded by the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Programme Phase II (AADCP II).

Da Nang city responds to anti-domestic violence campaign

More than 300 volunteers in the central city of Da Nang joined a meeting on November 30 to support the campaign of preventing domestic violence against women and girls.

President of the municipal Women’s Union Do Thi Kim Linh called on not only every member of society but also authorities at all levels to engage in efforts to eliminate domestic violence and build happy families.

Shoko Ishikawa, a representative from the UN Women in Vietnam , said it is essential to stop violent behaviour at families, schools, working and public places before it happens.

Children, in particular, are prone to become either victims or inflictors of violence if they regularly witness violent acts, she noted, saying changing gender prejudice is needed to end the situation.

She suggested the city’s Women’s Union continue to popularise the Law on Gender Equality and Law on Domestic Violence Prevention, while increasing sharing self-protection skills for women and girls.

Statistics announced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed that up to 58 percent of Vietnamese married women reported that they experienced at least one type of domestic violence in their lifetime, namely physical, sexual and emotional violence.

Over the past few years, Vietnam has built a legal framework on gender equality and domestic violence prevention. The country signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), a universal international human rights treaty, in 1980 and endorsed it in 1982.

“Innovation Sweden” events draw crowds in Ho Chi Minh City

Nearly 7,000 students and youngsters joined the Innovation Sweden programme held in Ho Chi Minh City from November 10-30, according to Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Camilla Mellander.

The programme, part of activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Vietnam-Sweden diplomatic ties, comprised 15 events and activities under the theme of innovative technology, she said.

In particular, a series of workshops on climate change, urban traffic and communications during the programme offered a venue for state agencies and businesses of both sides to exchange ideas and seek technological solutions to meet the demand of the modern industrial economy, said Mellander.

At the same time, four delegations of top Swedish enterprises in technology also participated in the programme to introduce solutions to urban traffic, environmental pollution, climate change and natural disasters in Vietnam , she added.

Meanwhile, Doan Tuan Linh, Vice Director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of External Relations, spoke highly of the programme, including exhibitions, conferences, film festivals and music performances that introduce the culture, nation and people of Sweden .

The programme helps deepen the understanding of locals in Ho Chi Minh City on Sweden, he stated.

HCM City hosts international charity bazaar

The International Charity Bazaar, which aims to raise funds for disadvantaged people around the world, took place in Ho Chi Minh City on November 29.

Organised by the Consular Club of Ho Chi Minh City, the 21st event attracted more than 2,000 visitors.

All money collected from the fair will be used to help underprivileged people in the community, the organiser said.

In 2013, the fair raised over 2 billion VND (94,000 USD), which was used for the provision of scholarships, medical care and assistance for flood victims.

The Club comprises members from the 20 diplomatic and commercial agencies in the City. It works towards improving the quality of life of underprivileged people in the southern region.

The club by 2013 assisted 24 charitable projects, including building bridges, presenting scholarships, providing health care services, and installing water wells in schools.

Over 160 Vietnamese citizens receive Australian scholarships

A total of 161 Vietnamese citizens will start their post-graduate studies in Australia from early next year under the Australian government’s scholarship programme.

They include 117 recipients of Australia Awards Scholarships, of whom two are the disabled and seven are from ethnic minority groups; and 44 recipients of Australia Awards Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships.

A ceremony to present scholarship took place in Hanoi on November 28.

As many as 4,500 Vietnamese citizens have been trained in Australia under the programme since the two countries established their diplomatic ties in 1973.

Asia Pacific Disability Forum wraps up

The Asia Pacific Disability Forum 2014 (APDF) concluded in Hanoi on November 28 after the two days of sitting.

The forum heard the Hanoi Statement, which showed Vietnam and other Asian Pacific countries’ commitment to helping the people with disabilities to ensure their rights prescribed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Vietnamese National Assembly on the same day passed a resolution ratifying the Convention.

Ha Dinh Bon, Head of the Legislation Department under the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, stressed the adoption reflected Vietnam’s strong commitment to protecting the people with disabilities as well as promoting the development to bring more benefits to them.

It is also a legal foundation to affirm Vietnam’s view on issues relating to disabled people and human right in general, Bon said.

Speaking at the closing session, Joakim Parker, Chief Representative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Vietnam said his agency has supported the network of medical workers to better the quality of orthopedic services and expand the application of therapeutic methods to more disabled people in Vietnam, which aim to improve their ability.

USAID will continue to provide support for Vietnam to help build polices related to the people with disabilities, Parker added.

With two plenary sessions, the forum created a platform for the people with disabilities to share a wide range of topics from policy building, social welfare, and vocational training to social integration and climate change impact.

In the frame work of the event, a number of margin activities were organised such as a photo exhibition, a gala dinner and a walking tour of Hanoi in response to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3).

On the occasion, donors presented 25 scholarships to young people with disabilities nationwide.

According to the United Nations, around 15 percent of the world’s population or 1 billion people live with disabilities.

Vietnam has more than 6.7 million people with disabilities, accounting for 8.7 percent of the population.

Charity walk held to support persons with disabilities

Thousands of people on November 29 participated in a charity walk around Hoan Kiem Lake in the capital city of Hanoi to support persons with disabilities.

The programme aims to call for people from a variety of social strata to join hands and care for those with disabilities.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said the Party, State and people of Vietnam have paid attention to ensuring rights of disabled people and encourage them to become active members of the society.

She noted that laws and policies towards the disabled have been improved, citing the approval of the Law on Persons with Disabilities by the National Assembly in 2010 as an example.

During the process of international integration, Vietnam has committed to fully and actively participating in related regional and international programmes, the legislator said.

Vietnam signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007. The document was ratified by the Vietnamese National Assembly during its freshly-concluded eighth session this month, she said.

According to her, thanks to these efforts, persons with disabilities, especially women and children, have seen their spiritual and material life improved significantly.

She attributed the results to the support of the international friends who help Vietnamese disabled people integrate into the community.

Ngan voiced her hope that more charity programmes will be launched in the coming time in order to better care for the disabled people.

Joining the event, Chairman of the 2014 Asia-Pacific of Disability Forum Kieng Soe Park expressed his wish that the walk will help raise public awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities as well as difficulties facing them.

Vietnam is now home to around 6.7 million disabled people, including 3.6 million women and 1.2 million children. Five million are living in rural areas.

The prevalence of contraband and counterfeit goods remains the society’s pressing issue that needs to be wiped out without delay for the creation of a healthy market and protection of customers’ interests.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Head of the National Steering Committee on the Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities, was speaking at a ceremony held in Hanoi on November 28 to mark the Day for Fighting Fake Goods (November 29).

He asked the Market Surveillance Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade to increase sense of responsibility among officials and strengthen inspections to prevent negative phenomena.

Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh reported the agency has so far uncovered nearly 64,000 violations, up 12.3 percent against the previous year, and collected 187 billion VND (8.7 million USD) in fines.

Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Anti-Counterfeiting and Trademark Protection (VATAP) Le The Bao said production and business of contraband and fake commodities have become more sophisticated with impacts on health and domestic production.

He proposed perfecting the legal framework and enhancing the coordination between law enforcement agencies, businesses, and the press to raise public awareness of the issue.

Trade unions seek ways to better protect guest workers

Trade union’s stronger engagement in protecting migrant and guest workers’ rights and interests was sought during a conference held in Hanoi on November 28.

Representatives from local trade unions, labour export agencies and organisations together reviewed the outcomes and shortcomings of labour export activities of Vietnam over the past years.

They proposed enhancing the coordination between trade unions and relevant organisations in and outside the country in assisting and protecting contracted Vietnamese workers abroad.

A pilot programme should be conducted with Malaysia , they proposed, stressing the need to speed up the process to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in protecting migrant workers with the Malaysian Trade Union Congress.

During event, jointly held by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), the participants also pointed out that the trade unions should continue popularising legal regulations related to guest labourers.

The unions should collaborate closely with State agencies and the Vietnam Association of Manpower Supply in monitoring and inspecting the execution of laws among enterprises exporting workers, they said.

Labour export is defined by the Party and State as a long-term important strategy serving the country’s national construction and international cooperation.

The VGCL always sees Vietnamese guest workers an indispensable part of the country’s workforce and gives much attention to protecting them.

According to the Overseas Workers Management Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in October 2014, 7,774 Vietnamese were sent to work abroad. Taiwan ( China ) remained the largest labour market, receiving 3,878 Vietnamese workers, followed by Japan with 1,784 workers.

In the first 10 months of this year, 91,143 Vietnamese workers went to work in other countries, exceeding the 2014 plan by 4.76 percent.

VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND