Ship goes missing with 18 sailors on board

The missing vessel.

A Vietnamese ship carrying 18 Vietnamese sailors has gone missing after leaving Singapore last Thursday en route to Quang Tri Province, where it was supposed to arrive on Sunday.

Reports say that it has disappeared from radar and radio contact.

The ship, Sunrise 689, belongs to a shipbuilding company in Hai Phong. According to company officials, it was carrying more than 5,226 tonnes of oil and 18 sailors.

Local media report that the last contact was in the sea area between Malaysia and Indonesia.

Rescuers from Viet Nam and relevant authorities are seeking help from authorities in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Electrical faults lead to costly fires

Careless use of electricity has been the major cause of fires in HCM City this year, accounting for over 77 per cent of them, Colonel Le Tan Buu, director of the city Department of Fire Prevention and Fighting, said last Friday.

Though in the first nine months there were only 221 blazes, down by more than half from the same period last year, they caused 15 deaths, an increase of nine.

They also caused losses worth estimated VND44 billion (US$2.08 million) though in 28 cases they were not estimated.

Tan Binh District accounted for the largest number of fires – 20.

Nearly 50 per cent of all fires in the city occurred in private homes.

Around 84 per cent of the fires were investigated, and authorities said 77 per cent were caused by electricity leaks.

The fire department received over 830 calls reporting fire, two times the number last year.

There were also five explosions — almost a third down year-on-year — that killed five people, eight less than last year.

The department also received 81 calls for rescuing people. It managed to save 29, eight of them from fires, and find the bodies of 32 others.

Buu pointed out that most of the victims died due to smoke.

He said every house should have an emergency exit in case of fire, and announced that the department would step up education and training in fire prevention and fighting in residential areas and traditional markets.

He warned against indiscriminate burning of vegetation and garbage, which has caused many major fires, especially in hot weather.

Fingerlings released to enrich joint fishing grounds

The Vietnamese Committee for Fisheries in the Gulf of Tonkin released approximately 90,000 fingerlings in Cat Ba town, the northern port city of Hai Phong, on October 6, with a view to enriching resources in the fishing grounds shared by Vietnam and China.

Deputy Director of the Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries Nguyen Ngoc Oai, who is also the head of the committee, said the endeavour was to call for the people’s joint effort in conserving fishery resources and protecting environment.

The released fingerlings included bass, black tiger shrimp and crab, along with many other species of high economic value, he added.

Vietnam’s fisheries contribute substantially to national economic development and the global market. In addition to fishing inshore, Vietnam is increasingly fishing offshore, boosting the country’s seafood exports, the official said.

Vietnam’s seafood exports rose from 4.7 billion USD in 2008 to more than 6.7 billion USD in 2013, accounting for 6.3 percent of the nation’s export revenue, he noted.

The release of fingerlings was among activities agreed by the Vietnam-China Joint Committee for Fisheries in the Gulf of Tonkin to mark the 10th anniversary of the Tonkin Gulf Demarcation Agreement and the bilateral Agreement on Fishery Cooperation in the gulf.

After a decade of implementation, the agreements have helped maintain security and order in the Gulf of Tonkin, the official said, adding that the ratification of the documents demonstrated Vietnam’s willingness to solve territorial issues via dialogues in line with international law.

Memorial house of Paris Peace Accords negotiator opened

Party Committee of Nam Dinh province yesterday held an inauguration ceremony of a memorial house of Le Duc Tho who was known as senior adviser of Democratic Republic of Vietnam’s mission in Paris Peace Talks in 1973 at his home town.

This memorial site will be officially completed on 10th October, 2014 to celebrate the 103th anniversary of his birthday.

The memorial house was built in Nam Dinh’s Nam Van commune includes a place of worship and a small museum which displays artifacts, photos related with comrade Le Duc Tho’s childhood and 65 years of his revolutionary career.

At the ceremony, Nam Dinh Provincial Party Committee Secretary Pham Hong Ha stressed that Le Duc Tho Memorial House was a meaningful construction, aiming to not only express the young generation’s deep gratitude but also contribute to historical education for young generation.

Comrade Le Duc Tho was a Standing Member of the Central Committee's Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam from 1960 to 1986 and Head of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam later became the Advisor of Party's Central Committee.

During Paris Peace Talks comrade Le Duc Tho and U.S. National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger since February 1970 engaged in secret talks that eventually led to a cease-fire in the Paris Peace Accords of January 23, 1973.

He was awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize together with Henry Kissinger for their roles in negotiating the Paris Peace Accords but he refused to receive, claiming that peace had not yet been established in Vietnam at the time, and that the United States and the South Vietnamese governments were in violation of the Paris Peace Accords.

VN mulls over tertiary education classification

Tertiary establishments may be devided into three categories: Research-oriented, application-based and practice-based, according to a draft Decree being developed by the Ministry of Education and Training.

The decree is expected to provide a basis for universities to identify medium- and long-term targets, investment and development plans, and for State agencies to better manage the tertiary education system.

Meanwhile, each category may also be ranked on five quality levels, the draft decree says.

Quality transparency will help boost healthy training and research competition among tertiary establishments.

Tertiary establishments classification and quality ranking may be conducted every ten years and two years, respectvely, the Ministry said.

Improving the quality of the workforce is one of the three strategic breakthroughs figured out since the 11th National Party Congress held in 2011.

Gov't issues monthly resolution

The Steering Committeee for Tourism Development has been asked to work with relevant ministries to put forward comprehensive measures to improve the quality of and diversify tourism products, according to the Government’s latest monthly resolution.

Inferior levels must also seek ways to renovate visa granting process to faciliate foreign arrivals inflows while designing proper policies to spur domestic tourism development, the resolution says.

According to the General Statistics Office, Viet Nam welcomed over 6 million foreign visitors in the first nine months of 2014, representing a year-on-year increase of 10.4%.

The figure, however, is still modest in comparison with that of the neighboring countries like Singapore,Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia,

At the Government’s recent monthly meeting, PM Nguyen Tan Dung asked inferior levels “Why we can’t level the differences between us and Thailand, not to mention Malaysia, Singapore, or Indonesia.” Is it because of infrastructure, workforce, policies, aviation, or visa granting or others?

Viet Nam, blessed with beautiful landscapes and a series of world heritages recognized by UNESCO, only lured over seven million tourists last year, official statistics showed./.

Phu Quoc to build large Scale Seaport Terminal

The Ministry of Transport has just had a meeting with Kien Giang province’s leaders to discuss the plan building a large-scale Seaport terminal in Phu Quoc Island, aiming to receive the world’s biggest cruise ships.

At meeting, Kien Giang’s leaders and the ministry has agreed to build a sea port terminal in Duong Dong town of Phu Quoc Island. Accordingly, it is expected to receive big cruise ships bringing from 5,000 to 6,000 passengers and crewmembers.

The total investment capital is estimated to reach VND 1,254billion (2 phases) with the first phase alone costing VND 1,089billion.

The Ministry of Transport has asked Vietnam Maritime Administration and Portcoast Consult Company, Vingroup to study the finance plan for submission to the Government for approval soon.

Ho Chi Minh City-Brunei direct route re-opens

The Brunei’s national flag carrier Royal Brunei Airlines has announced to reopen direct route from Ho Chi Minh City to Bandar Seri Begawan from October 17.

The new service will be operational with four weekly flights on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, using Airbus A320 and A319 aircrafts. It takes about two hours to fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Brunei.

The return of Brunei’s airlines to Ho Chi Minh City is expected to create more options for holiday-makers and enhance the efficiency of the bilateral partnership for the sake of both countries and their people.

The airline is offering a promotional program on the occasion of the re-opening of the Brunei – Ho Chi Minh air route.

Ministry asks local gov’t to watch out for Ebola

The Ministry of Health sent a document to chairpersons of people’s committees nationwide on October 4 asking to take preventive measures against the fatal Ebola virus disease (EVD), a viral hemorrhagic fever which has killed thousand people in West Africa.

As there is a high possibility of entering of the disease into Vietnam, the Ministry urged municipal and provincial people to enhance anti-disease measures.

Accordingly, chairpersons must ask local departments of health to watch out people from Ebola-hit regions to detect infected people.

Health workers have to keep a close watch on those from Ebola-hit nations.

Local authorities and health watchdog should provide information of healthcare to residents and travelers and precautionary measures should be taken. Medical clinics should prepare isolation areas and medicine, equipment, chemical for treatment of infected people.

The Ministry also asked department of information and communications and media to release the information of the disease to raise people’s awareness and help people take preventive measures according to the Ministry’s warning.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 7,227 infected people including 3,372 deaths had been reported or confirmed as a result of the Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the world as of October 1. 219 medical workers died of the disease and 383 others have been infected with the disease.

Most infected people are living in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, Nigeria, Congo, Senegal and the US.

Though the disease has yet not spread to Vietnam, the country is likely to be at risk as it is a popular destination for international tourists, including those even from African countries.

From August 11 to date, 42 Vietnamese and 201 foreigners from West Africa countries have entered Vietnam.

186 suspension bridges to be completed in June 2015: Ministry

The transport ministry said 80 out of 186 suspension bridges will be built in 2014 as per project to build 186 suspension bridges in 28 mountainous provinces in the northern, central highlands.

A technological economy report for 83 first bridges worth VND 403billion has been approved, according to the ministry. At present, the ministries of Investment & planning and Finance have reported to the Prime Minister to approve the project’s budget.

The ministry said although the budget is waiting for approval, but to date, relevant agencies have tried starting construction of 12 bridges; of these, eight of 12 will be finished in October, 2014 including Ban Com (Yen Bai province); Nam Cong (Ha Nam province); Ban Diem (Nghe An Province); Sam Lang (Dien Bien province); Cho Moi, Ban Gieng, Pjiao and Na Dan (Bac Kan province).

The ministry promised left 174 suspension bridges will be completed in turn in June 2015.

Memorial complex commemorates late Politburo member

A memorial complex commemorating late Politburo member and Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC), Le Duc Tho, was inaugurated in Nam Dinh city’s Nam Van commune, Nam Dinh province on October 5 on the occasion of his 103rd birthday (October 10, 1911-2014).  

Present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony were Le Hong Anh, Politburo member and standing member of the CPVCC’s Secretariat; Dinh The Huynh, Politburo member and Head of the CPVCC’s Commission for Communication and Education; former Party and State leaders; representatives from central agencies; provincial leaders, and local people.

Addressing the ceremony, Secretary of the Nam Dinh provincial Party Committee, Pham Hong Ha, reviewed the life and revolutionary career of comrade Le Duc Tho, who was also Advisor to the CPVCC and head of the its Organisation Commission.

Ha reiterated comrade Tho’s talent and virtue as well as his great contributions to the Vietnamese Revolution during his glorious 65-year revolutionary career, while emphasising that the memorial complex showed the present generation’s tribute to the prominent leader of the Vietnam Communist Party and aimed to educate the country’s young generation about their forefathers’ revolutionary traditions.

The complex, located in Nam Van commune’s Dich Le hamlet where comrade Tho was born, features a worship place and a memorial house showcasing many artifacts and photos closely attached with comrade Tho’s life and his 65-year revolutionary career.

Police call on residents to turn over handmade guns

Handmade guns are gaining popularity in the northern province of Yen Bai's Van Yen District, especially in mountainous communes.

In the first nine months this year, district police seized more than 400 handmade guns, said Dao Ngoc Thuy, head of the Social Order Police Team under the Van Yen District Police.

The guns appeared in the district at the beginning of last year. Making a gun takes only two or three hours and utilises materials that many locals have on hand, like bicycle pumps and pesticide spraying spouts. Iron ball bearings are used as bullets.

The gun looked simple, but it had a 30m range and had already injured several locals, said Thuy.

Ban Thi Chan, who lives in Vien Son Commune's Thac Cai 2 Village, said that eight months had passed since her five-year-old son was shot in the head by such a gun, and he was still frightened by recurrent nightmares of the shooting.

Chan's son Dang Quy Lam was shot last November by some village youths out hunting for birds. The bullet hit Lam's skull in a dangerous place so that surgery could not be conducted to take it out.

"I hope that people using handmade guns will give them to the police to avoid causing danger for others," Chan said.

On May 28, Duong Minh Tuan from Hoang Thang Commune used a handmade gun to shoot a construction worker on the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway when a personal conflict arose. The worker suffered serious injuries. After searching Tuan's house, the police seized two airguns and one handmade gun.

Police chief Thuy said that district police would join commune and town authorities to raise awareness. When residents understood producing and using handmade guns was illegal, they would volunteer to hand in the guns to the police.

Scientific evidence improves policy making

Vietnam and Laos agreed to share their experience in boosting basic research on social science and improving scientific evidence to serve policy making in a seminar held in Hanoi on October 6.

The two countries, together with Cambodia, will organise an annual conference to discuss joint research projects in fields of common concern, such as the environment, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and green growth.

President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) Nguyen Xuan Thang said his institute is conducting a number of studies on regional development and culture, as well as compiling a Vietnamese encyclopaedia.

The academy helps local authorities outline policies on the designation of special economic zones and appropriate development strategies.

The institute is also working with officials at the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to draft reports on Vietnam’s economic development vision for 2030 and human development achievements in 2013-2014.

President of the Lao Academy of Social Sciences Chaleune Yiapaoheu said his institute is keen to learn from Vietnam’s experience in personnel training, event management, and research.

Vietnamese Catholics raise fund for Truong Sa

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam (CBCV) has raised VND3 billion to support the soldiers and people of Truong Sa island district.

The donation was handed over to the Navy High Command at a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on October 6.

CBCV Deputy Secretary General Bishop Nguyen Van Kham hailed the efforts made by the soldiers and residents of Truong Sa island district to safeguard the country’s sea and island sovereignty.

Rear Admiral Dinh Gia That expressed his thanks for the support of the Government’s Committee for Religious Affairs, the CBCV and the Vietnamese Catholics for the soldiers and people of Truong Sa archipelago island district.

Workshop tackles illegal trade in chemicals, waste

The Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and the United Nations Environment Programme jointly held a national capacity building workshop on controlling the illegal trade in chemicals and waste in Hanoi on October 6.

Attended by ministry officials and representatives from Vietnam Customs domestic and international agencies, the workshop aimed to increase the institutional and individual capacity of enforcement agencies to control the illegal trade in waste and chemicals in Vietnam as well as the Asian-Pacific region.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment and Head of the VEA Bui Cach Tuyen said the trans-boundary transportation of chemicals and waste was causing serious harm to the environment and human health, especially in developing countries, creating an urgent need for effective measures to be implemented.

In Vietnam, a number of enterprises have disregarded the Law on Environmental Protection and illegally imported waste into the country, despite authorities’ increasing investigations and preventive measures. The most common types of waste are plastic, paper, copper, rubber, silicon, nylon and out-of-date machinery, he added.

Tuyen said the effective enforcement of international conventions and national environmental law was one of the best ways to protect the environment and public health, stressing the important role of customs officials, environmental police, and the provincial Departments of Natural Resources and the Environment.

Wanhua Yang, legal officer at the regional UNEP office’s Division of Environmental Law and Conventions, appreciated Vietnam’s effort to develop decrees and circulars on waste control, adding that the UN was willing to support Vietnam by sharing its experience and advising on effective policy measures to eliminate the harmful trade.

A number of important topics were up for discussion during the workshop, including an analysis of the current trends in the illegal trade of chemicals and waste; regional and international approaches; policies and regulations on environmental protection with regard to imported waste in Vietnam; and international lessons learned in tackling the illegal trade of waste.

Emergency surgery saves life in Truong Sa archipelago

An operation conducted by doctors of the Military Hospital 175 under the Ministry of Defence and the public health clinic in Truong Sa Lon island saved the life of a fisherman suffering from appendicitis.

Bui Hiep, aged 55, was admitted to the island’s clinic on October 6 with serious stomach pains that had persisted for four days due to an inflamed appendix.

An emergency operation was conducted by Huynh Thanh Binh, head of the island’s clinic, with the support from Senior Lieutenant Colonel and PhD Dr Trinh Van Thao, vice dean of the Department of Abdominal Surgery, and his team at the Military Hospital 175 on the mainland via telecomedical technology.

After two hours, the patient’s life was no longer in danger and he began recovering.

In recent years, telecomedical technology, which transcends geographical distances and brings medical expertise to remote communities, has helped the Military Hospital 175 connect with the clinic on Truong Sa Lon to perform complicated surgery and save countless lives of local residents.

On August 23, the telecomedical system supported another successful operation on the island.

Homestay accommodation and community-based tourism, which are developing rapidly in a number of localities throughout Vietnam, have substantially contributed to the promotion of the value of local cultures and poverty-reduction efforts.

Homestays first emerged in Sa Pa tourist town in Lao Cai and spread to other parts of the northern mountainous province. They have proven highly effective in the province, with 145,752 tourists choosing homestays in 2013, spending a total of 29 billion VND (1.36 million USD).

In staying with local residents, tourists can enjoy local specialties and traditional music performances and experience locals’ way of life. They can also take part in tours of the surrounding villages.

Hoi An, in central Quang Nam province, has also successfully developed community-based tourism in Tra Que vegetable village, which has become an attractive destination for tourists, especially international visitors.

Recognising the benefits of community-based tourism, local authorities have expanded the model to other areas and developed new services. Tourists can now explore nipa palm forests, cycle through peaceful villages, learn to cook and enjoy seafood specialties.

This kind of tourism first emerged in the Mekong Delta when the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme anchored in Ho Chi Minh City in 1995. Fishing, harvesting fruits and visiting floating markets have since attracted a large number of domestic and foreign visitors.

According to a report published by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the contribution of tourism to the economy increased significantly in recent years. In 2013, the total revenue from tourism reached 200 trillion VND (9.4 billion USD), accounting for approximately 6 percent of the country’s GDP.

Approximately 1.8 million people benefit from tourism, including more than 570,000 people directly employed in the sector.

Community-based tourism has accelerated the modernization process in rural areas, helping to reduce poverty and transform the economic structure. It has also changed local residents’ perception of tourism, narrowing the development gap between urban and rural areas and reducing the emigration rate from the countryside to major cities.

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