Nha Trang Fair shows Hoang Sa, Truong Sa history

An exhibition showcasing the historical and legal basis for Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos has opened at the Nha Trang Sea Festival.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan emphasized the exhibition will help visitors gain a better understanding and insight into the rational for Vietnam’s sacred claim to dominion over the archipelagos.

On show are numerous documents and publications along with nearly 100 maps, which are part of the historical record and legal foundation proving Vietnam’s control over the two archipelagos.

The exhibition shows conclusively that the Vietnam State from the feudal regimes to current has exercised and defended its jurisdiction over the two archipelagos in addition to other waters and islands surrounding them.

These facts were recorded throughout history and meticulously documented in a plethora of publications in Vietnam and many other countries as far back as the 16th century.

The displayed materials include four world atlas and 30 maps that the Chinese state published, which clearly document that China did not assert any claim of control or sovereignty to the Paracel and Spratly islands.

Organizers of the exhibition have announced that thousands visited the exhibition on opening day.

Saigon phone shop assistant steals Apple account, blackmails customer

Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested an employee of a local phone shop for stealing a customer's Apple iCloud account and demanded her to pay to have it unlocked.

Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested an employee of a local phone shop for stealing a customer's Apple iCloud account and demanded her to pay to have it unlocked.

Do Nguyen Nhat Minh helped set up the woman’s new iPad and Apple account last month at the shop, where he worked as a technician.

Soon later, she could no longer log in to the account and she received an email from Minh with instructions to solve the problem, police said.

She then replied the email and was told to transfer VND3 million (US$138) into a bank account.

She reported the case to local police, who then arrested Minh and his accomplice Do Thi Thanh Phuong.

The duo said that they had made a man pay them VND5.5 million using the same trick.

Over 56,000 labourers sent oversea in six months

As many as 56,173 Vietnamese labourers, including 16,942 women, worked overseas in the first six months of this year, a 1.7 percent increase compared with the same period last year, the Department of Overseas Labour (DOLAB) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) has reported.

In June alone, 11,777 labourers went abroad for work.

Taiwan (China) is the top market for Vietnamese workers with 7,505 labourers, followed by Japan (with 2,324 workers), the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, besides Qatar.

The MOLISA has signed and implemented a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Korea on sending Vietnamese workers to that country under the Employment Permit System (EPS). The preparation for the signing of MoUs between Vietnam and Thailand, and Vietnam and Malaysia on labour cooperation is under way.

The DOLAB supported enterprises to carry out contracts on sending labourers to Saudi Arabia and Qatar and in dispatching apprentices to Japan in the construction and shipbuilding sectors since April.

The department has also implemented training programmes on vocational skills, foreign languages and other necessary knowledge required by people who want to work as domestic workers in Taiwan.

Vietnam and Germany have signed a letter of intent regarding Vietnamese citizens working in Germany as caregivers. This is a good opportunity to increase the number of Vietnamese labourers going to that country to between 500 and 700 per year.

Scaffold collapse kills 3, injures 4 in Ho Chi Minh City

A scaffold suddenly gave way at a construction site of a 17-story building in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday, leaving three Vietnamese workers dead and four others injured, local construction authorities reported.

The accident occurred at 6:30 am when a lot of workers were working on the scaffolding for the construction of Saigon South Office 1 building on Nguyen Van Linh Street in Tan Phong Ward in District 7, according to the Management Authority for Southern Area Development of Ho Chi Minh City.

Rescuers found six victims under the debris, of whom three were already dead while the other four were injured, said Ha Phuoc Thang, head of the agency.

The deceased victims were Nguyen Cao Ky, 23, Duong Van Nghia, 39, and Dang Van Hai, 59, Thang said.

All the four injured workers were taken to the FV Hospital and District 7 Hospital for emergency treatment.

One of these victims suffered slight injuries and were discharged later the same day, while the three others remained under treatment.

One of the three, 53-year-old Le Ngoc Mai, underwent an immediate surgery as his abdomen was pierced through by a metal bar.

District 7 authorities have given VND10 million (US$458) each to families of the dead victims, whereas each of the injured received VND5 million, said Huynh Van Hung, chairman of the district People’s Committee.

Police are investigating the cause of the collapse.

Construction work on the high-rise, developed by Saigon South Office 1 Building Co., Ltd., began on May 27, according to local authorities.

Deputy Minister of Construction Le Quang Hung on Friday asked the Department of State Assessment of Construction Work Quality to coordinate with concerned agencies to look into the deadly collapse as well as similar incidents that have occurred recently.

On March 25, a scaffold collapsed at a construction site of a Taiwanese-invested steel-mill complex – for which Samsung C&T Vietnam is the contractor – in the Formosa Industrial Park, which is located in Vung Ang Economic Zone in the north central province of Ha Tinh.

The accident killed 13 Vietnamese workers and injured 29 others.

After an investigation, police on May 19 detained two South Koreans who hold managerial positions at a firm under Samsung Group over the collapse.

The two, Lee Jae Myeong, 62, and Kim Jong Wook, 43, have been charged with “ breaching regulations on labor safety, ” said Ha Tinh police.

Businesses engage with breastfeeding support programme

As many as 11 organisations and enterprises, which participated in the implementation of a campaign to support breastfeeding in the workplace, were honoured at a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on July 10.

Hosted by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) , the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Alive & Thrive project (A&T), the conference was part of Vietnam’s Breastfeeding Week 2015.

Businesses participating in the conference pledged to engage with the programme in the future.

Initiated in 2012 and funded by the VGCL and A&T, the programme to support breastfeeding in the workplace was carried out in 70 organisations, including 10 State agencies and 60 enterprises, where 70 breastfeeding rooms were set up to support mothers at work.

VGCL Vice President Nguyen Thi Thu Hong said her agency had worked closely and effectively with A&T to implement the programme, together with VCCI.

The programme’s success, along with the State’s new policy on increasing maternity leave from 4 to 6 months, created favourable conditions for VGCL to expand the programme, Hong stressed.

A&T representative Nemat Hajeebhoy underscored the need to set up breastfeeding rooms in the workplace, benefitting female employees and their children.

She expressed her hope that more than 200 breastfeeding rooms would be established in enterprises across the country during this year’s Breastfeeding Week.

The General Statistics Office announced in 2014 that women accounted for 48 percent of the total workforce in Vietnam.

According to the National Institute of Nutrition, only 19.6 percent of Vietnamese children were breastfed for the first six months of their lives in 2010. Meanwhile, in recent years there has been a increase in the number of children bottle-fed during the first six months of their lives.

Conference seeks to strengthen guest worker protection

It is crucial to enhance the role of trade unions in protecting guest workers to minimise their risks, said a conference jointly held by the Vietnam General Labour Confederation (VGLC) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Hanoi on July 10.

According to the VGLC, the number of Vietnamese guest workers is likely to rise. About 70 percent of the workers are from rural areas with low vocational skills and experience leading to high risks in their jobs.

Many Vietnamese workers who paid substantial sums to receive jobs abroad without protection had to return home before expected and fell into debt.

Besides a number of workers with expired contracts refused to return to Vietnam and stayed in the host country to seek new forms of employment, affecting Vietnam’s labour export activities and the workers themselves.

The VGLC attributed the situation to a lack of effective policies to protect guest workers coupled with inefficient laws and poor collaboration among relevant parties.

Ineffective law enforcement and limited worker access to the judicial system are also behind the situation, according to the confederation.

Ahn Pong-sul, an expert from the ILO, said experiences from other countries show that the role of trade unions in observing labourer rights is significant due to the union’s capacity to supervise the migration process and working conditions as well as giving legal support to labourers.

Participants at the event agreed that it is necessary to add a regulation on labourer rights to receiving support in negotiating recruitment deals. Trade unions should also strengthen supervision over the implementation of contracts to make timely adjustments for the better protection of workers’ rights.

Vietnam engages in dialogue on gender equality

Vietnam participated in a dialogue held at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland on the elimination of discrimination against women and the promotion of gender equality on July 10.

The Committee for the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the delegation of the Government of Vietnam jointly evaluated the implementation of the CEDAW in Vietnam.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep, head of the Vietnamese delegation, said Vietnam had made significant achievements in this field.

The country has improved its policies and legal framework; allocated financial resources to the implementation of relevant programmes and action plans; increased international cooperation; and called for the participation of non-governmental and social/political organisations in promoting gender equality and preventing discrimination against women, he said.

Concrete measures are enacted to stop gender prejudice, human trafficking and violence against women and girls, while upholding women’s rights in various fields, such as in education and training, the labour market, healthcare and civil rights, he noted.

The CEDAW Committee approved Vietnam’s combined 7th and 8th periodic report on the national implementation of the convention.

Diep confirmed that Vietnam would consider the committee’s recommendations thoroughly and take appropriate action.

CEDAW is one of the major human rights conventions under the United Nations, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 1979.

Vietnam signed CEDAW in 1980 and ratified it one year later. Since then, the country has been actively implementing the stipulations of the convention as well as completing periodic reports and participating in dialogues with the CEDAW committee.

Thua Thien –Hue to build 16 commercial centres

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue targets to build 16 commercial centres with total investment capital of 2.3 trillion VND (109.5 million USD) by 2020.

The initiative is under a master plan to develop the province’s trade sector through 2015 with a vision 2030.

The province also strives to attract 16 supermarket projects with total investment capital of about 570 billion VND (27 million USD).

An additional 13 commercial centres and supermarket projects will be constructed by 2030.

Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan Ngoc Tho said the province aims to improve the sector’s competitiveness to develop an “open” urban system.

The plan is expected to bolster local socio-economic development by increasing consumption of domestic agricultural products and goods.

The facilities will include Vingroup, Pham Van Dong, An Hoa, Thuy Xuan and Kim Long commercial centres.

Central Highlands bolsters socio-economic development, security

Provinces in the Central Highlands region should focus on socio-economic development while ensuring regional security, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang stressed at a conference in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak province on July 10.

The minister requested the Central Highlands Steering Committee work with authorized bodies to implement Party and Government socio-economic development plans by the end of 2015.

The Politburo member praised provincial successes in socio-economic development with economic growth reaching 7.34 percent in the first half of the year.

The region has offered vocational training to over 44,000 individuals and created jobs for nearly 50,000 workers, he added.

According to a committee report, the Central Highlands’ total GDP in the first six months is estimated to reach over 58 trillion VND (2.8 billion USD).

Policies for ethnic groups and social welfare activities have been effectively enacted and impoverished ethnic households were supported with land for housing and loans for manufacturing development in a bid to reduce hunger and poverty.

Moreover, medical exam quality for local people has improved considerably, especially for the poor, children and social welfare families.-

2 Vietnamese arrested for hitting policemen with crash helmets

Police in the central province of Phu Yen arrested two men for hitting two traffic police officers with crash helmets and injuring them after being stopped for a check.

Nguyen Kim Truc, 25, and Nguyen Van Vu, 33, are being detained pending investigation. They face charges of “battery” and “resisting officers on public duty.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Truc drove a motorbike with Vu riding pillion on a road in Phu Hoa District.

A group of traffic police officers signaled him to stop as the motorbike did not have rear view mirrors and the duo looked drunk.

The officer then asked to measure their blood-alcohol content. The duo refused and hit the officers with their helmets and punched them.

Nguyen Khac Tai and Pham Trieu Long were hit in the face.

Other officers then arrested Truc and Vu.

Tai and Long were rushed to hospital. Tai had his nose broken.

The same day, a man in Hanoi was arrested after he punched a traffic police officer in the face.

Dang Minh Kien, 34, was driving a motorbike with a foreigner riding pillion at the intersection of Nguyen Chi Thanh and Huynh Thuc Khang on Wednesday evening.

Kien was not wearing a helmet and speeding, according to police.

A group of police officers stopped him.

Kien was asked to pull the bike over but he resisted and punched Lieutenant Duong Quang Tuan.

He also yelled at the officers and knocked his head right into Tuan’s face, although the foreigner accompanying him tried to stop him.

He was then arrested and taken to a police station.

Kien told police he worked for an embassy in Hanoi.

Police said Kien had blood-alcohol content higher than allowed at the time of the incident.

Activities to mark Day for AO/Dioxin Victims

Various activities are being held nationwide to mark the 54th anniversary of the Day for Agent Orange (AO)/Dioxin Victims in Vietnam (August 10) and the 68th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27).

Accordingly, the Vietnam Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims Association (VAVA) has collaborated with a number of agencies to offer medical check-ups, medicines and gifts for the victims.

Besides, a parade scheduled for August 2 in Ho Chi Minh City is expected to attract 100,000 people, said Deputy Chairman of the association Lieutenant General Hoang Chau Son.

An one-month charitable programme to raise fund for the victims by sending messages will be launched from early August by the VAVA and the Ministry of Information and Communication, he added.

Over 120 billion VND (5.7 million USD) has been raised by organisations, businesses and individuals to support victims since the early this year, according to Son.

Legacy of Agent Orange

As August 10th approaches, marking the 54th anniversary of the first time the US military used Agent Orange (AO) in the Vietnam War, millions across the nations still suffer from the lingering effects of the poisonous herbicide.

The Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) reports that more than 4.8 million people in Vietnam have been exposed to the defoliant and over 3 million of them continue to suffer from deadly diseases as a result.

The government has set aside August 10th as ‘Agent Orange Day’ an official commemoration in support of the victims of Agent Orange/dioxin and in the lead up to that special day citizens across the nation are sponsoring a wide variety of events.

On July 10th, VAVA in collaboration with a large number of medical clinics provided free medical examinations, medicine and gifts for an estimated 100 AO/dioxin victims in the Thanh Tri district of Hanoi.

“We hope these services will help ease the pain and suffering of victims and their families who have sacrificed so much for the country,” said Lieutenant-General Hoang Chau Son, vice president of VAVA at the event.

Lieutenant-General Hoang Chau Son also revealed that a parade expected to attract tens of thousands in support of AO/dioxin victims will be held August 2 in Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition, VAVA will coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications to launch a SMS text messaging charity drive this August-September to raise funds to support AO/dioxin victims and their families.

Since the beginning of the year, VAVA has collected contributions totalling VND120 billion from businesses, organizations, individuals to support AO/dioxin victims, Lieutenant General Son announced.

Move out or shut down, city tells polluters

Ho Chi Minh City has demanded two highly polluting factories to relocate out of the city as the authorities strived to fix its environmental problems.

The city government has ordered Ha Tien Cement Company to close its factory in Thu Duc District this year. Photo credit: Nguoi Lao Dong The city government has ordered Ha Tien Cement Company to close its factory in Thu Duc District this year. Photo credit: Nguoi Lao Dong

Ha Tien Cement Company will have to start relocating its factory in Thu Duc District by July 25 and close down the facility by year-end, local media reported Friday.

The cement factory, which occupied a 104-hectare area, has been asked to relocate from residential area since 2003.

Tat Thanh Cang, Vice Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee, was quoted as saying that the factory's pollution has become worse, and it will be shut down if it fails to relocate.

He also asked the environment authorities to force the Bio-Chemical Fertilizer and Materials Company to relocate from its current location in Cu Chi District.

According to the city’s environment department, 698 businesses in the city will have to relocate because either they cause pollution or their operation does not suit the city’s urban development.

Distressed pet monkey bites owner's hands in Vietnam

A pet monkey bit its owner's hands after it was taunted by strangers in southern Vietnam.

Nguyen Tan Duc, 43, is being treated at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Doctors said his hands were badly bitten, and Duc also suffered several wounds in his stomach.

Duc, who lives in the Mekong Delta province of Long An, said he bought the monkey, a male weighing about 9kg, in 2005. He described it as "mild tempered" and "obedient."

He said a group of construction workers who were repairing his house taunted the monkey and hit it with tree branches on Wednesday noon.

The distressed monkey somehow got loose and ran around Duc's garden. Duc said he chased it and when he could finally grab it, the monkey suddenly bit his hands repeatedly.

It also bit his stomach before running away.

He was taken to Cho Ray Hospital by his family members, who also reported the incident to the police.

The monkey is still on the loose.

Protecting women, girls during conflicts and humanitarian disasters

On the World Population Day, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam has called on the international community and the Vietnamese government to enhance efforts to protect the health and rights of women and girls.

Aging population in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam appeals to UNFPA for help on population policy UNFPA to help Vietnam make population policies

According to a press release by the Vietnam Ministry of Health on July 10, a recent United Nations report warned that the number of forcibly displaced people has risen to a record number – almost 60 million at the end of 2014. Among these, most women and adolescent girls face particular threats as a result of the absence of health and other essential services that they need.

“Even under normal conditions, reproductive health complications are a leading cause of death and illness among women of childbearing age” said Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA. “In humanitarian situations, an estimated one in five women and adolescent girls are likely to be pregnant. As skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care often become unavailable, pregnant women’s and girls’ vulnerability to death and injury is further exacerbated.

Women and adolescent girls also face much greater risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, violence and forced marriage during conflicts and natural disasters. In addition, many women who survive a crisis become heads of household, with the sole responsibility of caring for their children.

They often have to overcome immense obstacles to provide health and care for children, the sick, the injured and the elderly, and bear the heaviest burden of relief and reconstruction. As a result, they may neglect their own needs as they care for others.

Vietnam is one of the most hazard-prone countries in the Asia and Pacific region. With the long coast line and approximately 70% of population living in the coastal areas and low-lying deltas, it is one of the five countries in the world that is most affected by climate change.

The country needs to prepare well for responding natural disasters effectively while ensuring that the critical needs of women and girls are not overlooked at the onset of emergencies.

"Given Vietnam’s vulnerability to natural disasters, Vietnam needs to effectively carry out communication and behavior change activities on reproductive health and family planning, particularly for vulnerable populations in the remote, hard-to-reach areas affected by natural disaster," said Mr Nguyen Viet Tien, Vice Minister of Health.

UNFPA Acting Representative in Vietnam, Ritsu Nacken, stressed UNFPA’s strong commitment to assist.

“UNFPA works with the Government and other development partners to help secure the health, development and human rights of Vietnamese people, particularly women and girls. When a crisis strikes, UNFPA is on the ground to make sure that the rights and needs of women and girls are at the forefront of humanitarian response. Securing their safety, dignity and health ensures the well-being of families and communities,” said Ms Nacken.

UNFPA deploys hygiene kits, obstetric and contraceptive supplies, trained personnel and other support to vulnerable populations. It also works to ensure the needs of women, adolescent girls and young people are served through both an emergency and the reconstruction phase. UNFPA’s aim is to ensure that women’s and adolescent girls’ right to sexual and reproductive health is protected and their safety is ensured.

Vietnam, Laos investigating mysterious light followed by explosion

Vietnamese officials are cooperating with colleagues in Laos to identify what created a streak of light in the sky and a big explosion sound after that around the border area on July 8 night.

As of July 9 afternoon, border guard forces still have not identified the cause of the phenomenon.

An army representative has ruled out the possibility of an air crash.

Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief commander of Vietnam’s army, said there has been no report of any issue with a civil or military flight in the area at the time.

Tuan said a piece of space debris could have burned up, causing the light and the explosion.

Locals spotted the strange light flashing at around 9 p.m., then something fell and exploded.

Curiosity caused heavy traffic jams stretching two kilometers along a national highway in Ha Tinh province.

Dang Vu Tuan Son, head of the Vietnam Astronomy and Cosmology Association, told Nguoi Lao Dong (Laborer) newspaper that the item was more likely a meteor than space junk.

Son said space junk is usually small and would not cause such a big explosion.

“But we have to find the debris to know exactly what it was.”

Binh Phuoc fosters economic ties with Cambodian provinces

A meeting was held between senior officials of the southern province of Binh Phuoc and the Cambodian provinces of Kratie, Mondulkiri and Tabong Khmum on July 10 to review their cooperation in the past year.

Chairman of Binh Phuoc’s provincial People’s Committee stated the meeting would serve as a catalyst for boosting friendship and trade relations between the two sides.

Localities needed to address the challenges faced by border communities in order to maintain social order and security, as well as promoting friendship.

Speaking at the meeting, Kratie province’s Deputy Governor Hoeu Sidem spoke highly of the contributions made by Vietnamese enterprises, including Binh Phuoc businesses, to economic development in the Cambodian province in recent years.

He expressed his hope that Binh Phuoc province would create favourable conditions for Cambodian businesses to visit and learn from the experience of Binh Phuoc businesses.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Mondulkiri province, Chanso Chantha, appreciated the sound cooperation with the Vietnamese province on constructing the border gate and roads, as well as preventing child trafficking and trade infringements.

On his part, Tabong Khmum’s Deputy Governor Ly Leng stated that he expected trade between the two provinces to increase.

Since 2014, Binh Phuoc province has signed Memoranda of Understanding with Cambodia’s neighbouring provinces on the economy, trade and agricultural development. The province is currently implementing three investment projects in Cambodia.

Last year, Binh Phuoc province transferred 20,000 cashew seeds and 40,000 transplanted cashew seedlings to Kratie province’s agricultural sector. In addition, the Vietnamese province also provided technical assistance to agricultural officials and farmers in Kratie.

Furthermore, Binh Phuoc province invested 12 billion VND (558,000 USD in the construction of Song Mang bridge, which links the province’s Hoang Dieu border gate and La Pa Khe border gate in Mondulkiri province.

Nursing students sent to Germany to train

Sixteen Vietnamese students at Quang Trung Vocational School have been selected to study in a one-year nursing programme and work as nurses for three years in Germany.

Nguyen Dinh Ba, deputy head of the Board of the Project to Supply Nurses for Germany, said it was the first batch of students under the programme to be sent to Germany.

The 16 students had met the German language requirements set by Germany and nursing qualifications, he said.

Last week, Viet Nam and Germany signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on Vietnamese citizens working in Germany as caregivers.

Nghe An police probe fake medical certificate scam

The central Nghe Province An on Thursday began investigating a case in which a man has been accused of taking bribes from war invalids in return for fake medical documents.

The fake documents were meant to help the invalids receive larger state allowances.

Nguyen Xuan Thiem, director of Nghe An Police's department of crimes related to economic affairs and position-holders, told the online Vietnamplus that the high-profile case was the largest-ever of its kind to be uncovered in the province.

The accused, Dang Hong Tu, born in 1952, is a resident of the province's Vinh City.

Tu was charged with "falsifying and abusing certificates and documents of agencies and organisations," a decision (coded 11/PC46) signed by the Nghe An Police said.

On July 2, the police searched his house and found 70kg of documents, including logbooks recording the money he had taken from war invalids (war veterans returning home with disabilities or poor health), who had asked him to make fake medical certificates, allowing them to enjoy state allowances.

After scrutinising the papers, the police determined that the stamp seals and signatures on them were fake.

It is alleged that the accused managed to claim VND800 million (US$37,000) in state allowances for war invalids.

The police said about 70 people asked the accused to prepare fake certificates, including some of his own relatives, and that Tu allegedly received about VND600 million ($27,500) from them.

Deputy PM urges completion of highway by 2018

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has asked ministries and localities to work to complete the Da Nang – Quang Ngai Highway construction by 2018.

With a total investment of US$1.472 billion, the 140 kilometre highway will be 26 metres-wide and include four lanes for vehicles operating at a speed limit of 120km per hour. The highway includes 9 intersections, 126 bridges and a 540 metre road tunnel.

As a part of the North-South Highway, the highway has played an important role in promoting socio-economic development for the central provinces and the entire country.

Starting in May 2013, provinces and cities have completed 87 per cent of the land clearance needed for the road construction. However, the project still faces delays in land clearance and the receipt of construction materials.

The deputy PM agreed to allocate financial resources for the final land clearance.

Provinces and cities have been urged to finish clearing land and decide upon bids, especially those submitted by foreign contractors. They are also asked to speed the building of areas needed to resettle displaced residents and to complete land clearance no later than the end of September 2015.

Further, chairmen of provinces and cities are being asked to direct their areas' natural resources and environment departments to licence lands for the mining of rock and materials needed for the building of the highway.

The Deputy PM also requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Electricity of Viet Nam to work closely with the Viet Nam Expressway Corporation to make plans to move high voltage lines.

Further, the transport ministry has been asked to ensure the quality of construction materials, as well as the construction process and supervision of the highway construction project.

Traffic violators who attacked police arrested

Two traffic violators who attacked traffic policemen in Phu Hoa District of Phu Yen Province have been arrested, Colonel Chau Van That, head of the district police team, has said.

At around 3pm on Wednesday, two traffic policemen in the central coastal district saw two young men riding a motorbike without the mandatory rear-view mirror. In addition, the policemen suspected the driver of drink-driving.

They asked the two men to stop and let them check the level of alcohol in the driver's blood. However, the two ignored the order and instead attacked the policemen with their helmets. The policemen could only free themselves after local people came to their rescue, but they suffered serious injuries. They are receiving medical treatment at the Phu Yen General Hospital.

Colonel That named the two men who attacked the police as Nguyen Kim Truc, 25, and Nguyen Van Vu, 33, both from Mo Lam Nam Village in Hoa Quang Nam Commune of Phu Hoa District.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri