Salt intrusion threatens livelihoods in Ca Mau

Severe salt intrusion has resulted in significant damage to the agricultural production of residents living along the coastal dyke system in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau.

Locals complained the salty grounds are prevents shrimp farming and causing rice paddies to return low yields.

A degraded 100-kilometre dyke, which has needed proper repairs for many years, lies at the root of the issue. In rainy seasons, the dyke is no long able to block waves breaking into cultivation areas.

Tran Van Dau, a local resident, said beside a new concrete dyke, a protection forest ought to be planted to secure cultivation areas.

According to Du Be Ba, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee in Tran Van Thoi district, to handle the issue and prevent people from abandoning salty land, local authorities are mapping out farming areas in the locality. For instance, high-salinity areas and the salt water itself can be utilised to raise brackish plants and animals.

Land improvement is also a priority, shared Ba.

In the long-term, a State-funded project worth 1.3 trillion VND (59.9 million USD) has been carried out to upgrade the dyke system towards completion in 2020.

A workshop was held on August 13 in central Quang Ngai province focusing on improving the performance of the provincial disaster response team (PDRT).

During the event, co-organised by the Vietnam Red Cross and the provincial People’s Committee, participants were briefed on new disaster prevention and response approaches and the combined approaches devised by the Government and social organisations.

They also discussed ways to build capacity of the PDRT, ensure team sustainability and strengthen cooperation among stakeholders.

Many participants suggested local authorities closely cooperate with on-site resources to improve PDRT performance. They also called for incentives for the team and involved staff’s operations and during natural disasters and incidents .

The PDRT is the result of a project to enhance the disaster management capacity of the Vietnam Red Cross, government stakeholders and the community, funded by the Red Cross of Spain and the Netherlands.

The project has been carried out in the central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Quang Ngai, all of which are prone to natural disasters.

Can Tho: 13,000 households lack electricity

Nearly 13,000 households in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho do not have access to national power grid, according to an official from the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.

The households are in rural areas of Thoi Lai, Co Do, Vinh Thanh and Phong Dien districts, said Duong Nghia Hiep, the department’s Deputy Director, at a working session with the municipal People’s Committee on August 13.

The city is implementing a seven-year electricity project worth over 286 billion VND (roughly 13 million USD). Of the figure, 85 percent comes from the State budget and official development assistance (ODA) sources.

Once completed in 2020, the project is expected to bring power connection to the nearly 13,000 households.

The department said the city needs to build and upgrade three-phase power lines that provide electricity for water supply stations.

Given this, another project valued at nearly 217 billion VND (9.7 million USD) is also being implemented in the four districts, targeting small- and medium-sized stations.

The project, scheduled to be finished in 2020, will meet irrigation and drainage demands for over 59,000 hectares in the localities.

International employment law conference held in Hanoi

An international conference themed Free Trade Agreements and Transnational Employment – Legal Issues and Implications was held in Hanoi on August 14, bringing together a line-up of about 50 jurists from Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific region.

The conference was organised by the Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA) with assistance from the Vietnam Bar Federation (VBF) to strengthen ties between LAWASIA and its members.

It focused its discussion on a number of key issues, including FTA impacts on regional employment, immigration issues in transnational employment, employment obligations in host countries, liability for workplace injuries to transnational employees and cross-border taxation.

This is the 9 th LAWASIA Employment Law Conference, held in Vietnam for the first time since the country’s VBF officially became a LAWASIA member in July 2010.

Seven Vietnamese jurists co-chaired the event’s working session.

Course helps rangers combat wildlife crime

A four-day training course is taking place in Da Lat city in central Lam Dong province through August 14 to boost law enforcement activities of forest rangers while fighting wildlife crime.

The course was co-organised by the Forest Ranger Department Region 4 and the Wildlife Conversation Society (WCS).

According to the Forest Ranger Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, an average of 1,095 wildlife protection regulation violations have occurred annually over the last five years.

During the period, nearly 60,000 endangered species were seized.

A 2007 research study on the impacts of anti-wildlife-trafficking policies in Vietnam revealed that illegal wildlife trade generated an annual revenue of 66 million USD and the seized volume only accounted for less than 20 percent of the total trafficked animals.

Vietnamese-funded radio station inaugurated in Cambodia

A 20-kilowatt FM radio station funded by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) under a cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments was inaugurated in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on August 13.

Addressing the ceremony, VOV General Director Nguyen Dang Tien highlighted the friendship between the two countries and between the VOV and the National Radio of Cambodia in particular.

He noted that under the agreement, the VOV has helped construct 12 radio stations with capacities from two to 20 kilowatts across Cambodia, and that the Vietnamese station is set to hand over three other radio stations in the near future.

Tien also expressed his hope that the Vietnamese-funded radio stations would contribute to developing a prosperous and wealthy Cambodia.

Cambodian Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for funding the construction of radio stations across his country, helping Cambodia expand its radio coverage to all corners of the country, especially in rural areas.

The minister also hoped the VOV would continue to support the Cambodian Ministry of Information and the National Station of Cambodia in infrastructure construction and information technology transfer.

On the occasion, the minister presented the Saha Metrey order to some VOV officials for their contributions to developing Cambodia.

During the working visit from August 12 to 16, the VOV General Director is scheduled to pay a courtesy visit to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and have working sessions with the National Television of Cambodia and the National Radio of Cambodia.

Quang Ngai seeks to improve provincial disaster response team

A workshop was held on August 13 in central Quang Ngai province focusing on improving the performance of the provincial disaster response team (PDRT).

During the event, co-organised by the Vietnam Red Cross and the provincial People’s Committee, participants were briefed on new disaster prevention and response approaches and the combined approaches devised by the Government and social organisations.

They also discussed ways to build capacity of the PDRT, ensure team sustainability and strengthen cooperation among stakeholders.

Many participants suggested local authorities closely cooperate with on-site resources to improve PDRT performance. They also called for incentives for the team and involved staff’s operations and during natural disasters and incidents .

The PDRT is the result of a project to enhance the disaster management capacity of the Vietnam Red Cross, government stakeholders and the community, funded by the Red Cross of Spain and the Netherlands.

The project has been carried out in the central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Quang Ngai, all of which are prone to natural disasters.

Hanoi works to ensure power supply for national events

The Electricity of Vietnam (EVN)’s Hanoi Power Corporation said it is working to ensure a stable electricity supply during celebrations of the 70 th August Revolution (August 19) and Independence Day (September 2).

Accordingly, there will be no power cuts on August 19 and from August 30 to September 3.

Major places in the city – such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Ba Dinh square and five firework venues – will be powered by two grid sources and have backup electricity generators.

Wires have been carefully checked and working shifts around-the-clock are set to tackle any problems arising during the national events.-

Hanoi police celebrate 70th anniversary of traditional day

Minister of Public Security General Tran Dai Quang has urged the Hanoi police force to build on their past achievements and ensure political security and social safety and order while focusing especially on absolute safety at the all-level Party Congresses this year.

Speaking at a ceremony to celebrate the 70 th anniversary of Vietnam People’s Police Force’s Traditional Day and the 10 th anniversary of the “All people protect national security” festival in Hanoi on August 13, Quang hailed the capital’s police force for their meritorious service to national defence and development during wars against France and America and the reform ( doi moi ) period.

Over the past 10 years, the movement calling on the entire country to safeguard national security has also brought fruitful results with various models raising public awareness of the importance of the cause.

Major General Nguyen Duc Chung, Director of the Hanoi Police, said generations of police forces and the Hanoi police in particular have continually dedicated their efforts to the nation with a full sense of responsibility, adding that their successes have glorified the heroic tradition of the Vietnam People’s Police.

The Hanoi police are continuing to accelerate administrative reforms and overhaul working styles to minimise red tape and be friendlier to members of the public.

Every action of the force must put the people’s interest at the fore, he reminded.-

First Vietnamese course for Lao police officers concludes

The Lao Ministry of Public Security wrapped up the first Vietnamese language course for its officers on August 13.

Twenty-eight Lao officers were enrolled in the six-month course, which aimed to enhance the efficiency of professional information sharing between the two countries. They were assessed as fairly fluent in Vietnamese communication skills after its conclusion.

Colonel Bouavan Vongsavanthong, Deputy General Director of the Lao ministry’s General Department of Security, thanked the Vietnamese Embassy and the Laos-based representative office of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security for helping organise the course.

The training was intended to improve the knowledge and language skills of Lao officers towards strengthening information exchange coordination between the two sides, contributing to amity, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the nations, he noted.

Also at the closing ceremony in Vientiane, Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Manh Hung promised to continue working with the Vietnamese representative office to open more Vietnamese courses, thus fostering relations between the two neighbours.

Garment, footwear look to develop trade unions

A three-day workshop opened in Ho Chi Minh City on August 13, highlighting the building of trade unions in garment and footwear sectors.

Participating experts focuses on reviewing the union’s structure, strategies to boost membership and the outlook for the two sectors, among other focal points.

According to Tran Van Ly, Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), there are 5,000 garment-textile and 800 leather and footwear companies nationwide, employing about 3.5 million labourers.

Vietnam’s recent signing of several trade agreements regionally and globally is expected to help the two sectors thrive and expand their workforce.

As such, it is necessary for trade unions to effectively protect workers’ rights and benefits, Ly noted.

Erwin Schweisshelm, a representative from the German non-profit organisation FES in Hanoi, said improved organisation can help trade unions increase their power and boost the quality of collective agreements.

Monika Kemperle, Assistant General Secretary of the IndustriALL Global Union, stated that enhancing union operations supports the sectors’ stable growth and fosters a positive image of the VGCL.

Vietnamese, Lao national radio boost cooperation

Radio The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and Lao National Radio have signed a document on cooperation in the 2016-2018 period.

The signing was made during a working visit of VOV General Director Nguyen Dang Tien to Laos from August 10-12.

Accordingly, the two sides agreed to broadcast more news, documentaries and programmes to introduce their audiences to the other country.

The VOV will also help the LNR in training reporters, editors and technicians.

At a working session with the Vietnamese delegation, Sipha Nonglath, General Director of LNR expressed his gratitude to the assistance of the Vietnamese Party, State and people in general and the VOV in particular to the Lao side.

Vietnamese youths join exchange in US

More than 500 overseas Vietnamese youths living and studying throughout the US have recently gathered at an annual sports and culture exchange in Texas State of the US.

As the third event of its kind, the August 7-9 programme featured a meeting with successful young Vietnamese individuals in the US, namely Dr. Pham Minh Liem – the first Vietnamese national honoured by the MD Anderson Cancer Centre for four times, Nguyen Hoang Anh – the first and youngest Asian person in Wellington Management Company who has been entrusted to manage the firm’s venture capital fund, and Hoang Dinh Soai, who founded Vietnamese bread brand name - Dot Saigon - in the US.

Especially, auctions were held to raise funds for an English book project for children in Vietnam and for people in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, who suffered severe consequences from recent flooding.

In addition to sports competitions and art performances, participants also joined together in classifying and packing books to be sent to Vietnam under the project Vietnam Book Drive.

Russian experts to help preserve Cham towers in Vietnam

A group of experts have suggested several high-tech solutions to help preserve and restore some ancient Cham towers in the UNESCO-recognized My Son Sanctuary, in the central province of Quang Nam, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said on August 13.

These solutions are the results of research by a number of universities and research institutes from Moscow and Saint Petersburg, where numerous samples of Cham tower bricks were sent in 2014.

There, experts used X-rays to study the structure and composition of My Son bricks, analyze the minerals and their proportion in the tiles’ composition, and then proposed technological solutions for restoring and preserving Cham towers.

In the future, Russian experts will continue to experiment with more high-tech solutions based on the previous results of research by experts from Vietnam, Japan and Italy on the towers.

Foreign tourists visit the towers at the UNESCO-recognized My Son Sanctuary in central Vietnam.

The My Son Sanctuary dates from the 4th to 13th centuries, according to the UNESCO World Heritage Center.

It is located in Duy Phu Commune, Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province.

Its tower clusters were constructed over ten consecutive centuries.

The towers of the My Son Sanctuary are the most significant structures of the My Son civilization.

They boast a wide variety of architectural designs, and were built of fired brick and decorated with sandstone bas-reliefs which depict Hindu mythology.

Several groups of experts from other countries, such as Poland and Japan, have visited the site to conduct research and look for solutions for preserving the towers and the site as a whole.

My Son was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1999.

Help extended to disadvantaged people

One hundred wheelchairs were presented to children with disabilities in the northern province of Thai Nguyen on August 12 as part of the Samsung Electronic Vietnam (SEV)’s charitable programmes.

The provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in conjunction with the Samsung Electronic Vietnam Thai Nguyen (SEVT) granted the gifts worth nearly 150 million VND (6,750 USD).

Thai Nguyen is now home to 25,000 people with disabilities, including 2,500 children, of whom 14,000 receive monthly welfare benefits.

The same day, the Dak Lak provincial Children’s Fund granted scholarships to 364 needy students, each worth 700,000 VND (31.5 USD) – 1.2 million VND (54 USD), including cash and books.

So far, the fund has raised over 2 billion VND (90,000 USD) to support disabled children in the forms of free health check-ups and surgery as well as build kindergartens and orphanages in remote areas.

Two companies, Vifon and Bao Viet Life Insurance, also donated 48 bicycles to children from impoverished families.

Meanwhile, the People’s Committee of central Quang Binh province will set aside over 1.7 billion VND (76,500 USD) from local budget to build storm and flood-proof houses for 136 poor households in Bo Trach, Tuyen Hoa, and Quang Ninh districts.

Electricity lights up communes in Lai Chau

The national grid is now connected to all communes in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau, helping locals escape poverty.

Ta Ba commune – a particularly disadvantaged area in Muong Te district – is one of the last communes to access the national power system.

Most families in Ta Ba commune are from the La Hu ethnic minority group and over 90 percent are living under the poverty line.

However, since locals gained access to electricity in June 2015, their life has improved, said Chairman of the communal People’s Committee Ly Nhu Chu, adding that many households have purchased electric equipment to serve their daily activities while children have appropriate study conditions.

Developing rural electricity networks is one of the important targets of the Party and State to promote the economy, society, national defence and security.

As such, the sector has actively coordinated with local authorities to expand the power network to rural and border areas.

So far, the province has built 1,378 kilometres of medium-voltage lines, 1,120 kilometres of low-voltage lines and 682 transformer stations.

The power sector has provided 37,430 households with investments worth over 1.4 trillion VND (64.2 million USD) to modernise rural areas and enable locals in mountainous areas to access science-technology and information services to improve their material and spiritual life.

The province expects to raise its rate of households using electricity to 92.4 percent by the end of next year from the current 84 percent.

The province also hopes to have 92.6 percent of its hamlets electrified by 2016.-

Drastic measures needed to contain dengue

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has asked the city’s departments and localities to intensify efforts to prevent dengue, which is developing complicatedly in the city and the southern region.

The health sector was requested to increase the efficiency of operations of the municipal steering board for disease prevention, while hospitals and medical clinics were urged to prepare enough medicine and treatment equipment, and closely monitor cases to swiftly deal with small outbreaks within 48 hours.

At the localities where the disease is risky to spread out, the health sector and local authorities need spray chemicals to kill mosquitoes and mosquito larvae, while speeding up communications to raise public awareness of dengue fever and its impact.

According to the People’s Committee, as of mid-July, the southern region recorded 14,514 dengue cases, up 33 percent against the same period last year, of which 5,311 cases were reported in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meanwhile, as of August 13, a dengue outbreak in Dak Glei district in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum was controlled, with 38 out of the 39 patients discharged from hospital.

Head of the district’s medical centre Dinh Thi Ai Nhung said that the most important thing to do to prevent dengue fever is to raise public awareness of complying with hygienic regulations and going for check-ups when seeing abnormal symptoms.-

Quang Nam helps build flood-proof houses for needy households

The central province of Quang Nam has decided to allocate 6.9 trillion VND (331 million USD) to support impoverished households to build houses that prevent floods and inundations.

Accordingly, 534 needy households in 17 districts, communes and cities in the province will be supported with 12-16 million VND (571-762 USD) each to build houses.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dinh Van Thu requested authorities monitor and supervise the construction in accordance with regulations.

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