Two Ha Tinh locals arrested for resisting on-duty police

Two men had been arrested for their direct involvement in the illegal detainment of on-duty police officers in Bac Son commune, central Ha Tinh province’s Thach Ha district, the district police said on April 13.

Earlier, a criminal case was also launched against the illegal detainment and the causing of public disorder in the commune.

The two arrested men are Bien Xuan Tinh, born in 1975, and Le Xuan Tinh, born in 1987, both residents in Bac Son commune.

The incident happened on April 10, when the police of Ha Tinh province and Thach Ha district carried out an arrest warrant against Truong Van Truong, also a resident in Bac Son, on the charge of causing public disorder. Truong fled out of his house and incited many locals into hindering the police officers from carrying out their duty. Some of them even snatched the warrant and torn it up, then insulted and beat the officers. They later locked up four policemen and went on to the commune’s People’s Committee office and the houses of communal officials, where they damaged properties, broke the window glass at the People’s Committee office, as well as burned down a motorbike and destroyed a television at the home of the commune police head Nguyen Khac Son.

The provincial police had to send the reinforcement to free the detained officers, during which they also encountered violent resistance, with 11 policemen suffering from injuries.

According to the police’s investigation, Truong and four others often threw stones into local officials’ houses and incited others to protest against a project to build a cemetery in Bac Son commune.

HCM City falls short of vaccinations target as measles cases rise

Five weeks after the implementation of a measles vaccine campaign, only 37,000 of the 95,000 children targeted have received the free vaccinations, as the number of cases increases at hospitals.

Tran Dac Phu, head of Viet Nam's General Department of Preventive Medicine, said that provinces and cities including HCM City would step up their campaign to cover more children by the end of the month.

"The vaccine is the best way to stop the outbreak of measles," Phu added.

He warned that children at the age outside the national programme guidelines and adults should get a vaccine if tests show there are no antibodies to the disease in their system.

The number of measles cases is increasing in HCM City, with about 15-20 cases weekly, according to the Preventive Medicine Centre.

The districts with the highest incidences include 8, Binh Tan and Binh Chanh.

At the city's Paediatrics Hospital No.1, about 100 children on average are examined and treated each day. Of those, 10 per cent have had serious complications.

The campaign is directed at children aged nine months to three years and to those who have received only one shot. Two shots are necessary for the vaccine to be effective.

Under the national programme on expanded immunisation, nine-month-old infants are to receive their first shot in local wards and communes, and the second shot when they are 18 months old.

Dr Nguyen Tri Dung, the centre's head, said many parents were worried about the safety of the measles vaccine and were not taking their children to get shots.

PM backs revamp of vehicle registration

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructed ministries and local authorities to beef up the quality of vehicle registration centres across the country to avoid shortcomings related to vehicle registration certificates.

In his Instruction 08/CT-TTg signed on Saturday, Dung requests the Ministry of Transport to review, adjust and complete legal documents regarding regulations on road, rail, waterway and maritime vehicle registration.

He noted that all loopholes that could enable corruption or misconduct needed to be checked and reformed to ensure the integrity of vehicle registration.

The ministry was also asked to conduct regular checks on registration staff and close substandard centres undertaking serious violations. Violating centres would be publicly named and shamed under the instruction.

The Ministry of Public Security and local people's committees will also join hands to investigate and inspect violations at registration centres.

The National Committee for Traffic Safety will also be in charge of dissemination and education on the regulations of vehicle registration.

In his instruction, the Prime Minister noted that despite positive achievements in previous years, there were still weaknesses in registration procedures and that misconduct had affected the quality of vehicle registration.

Some registration staff were found engaging in reckless or irresponsible behaviour causing problems in the registration process, the PM's instruction noted.

The instruction added such wrongdoing had also allowed substandard vehicles to be certified, posing risks of accidents and pollution.

In another effort to boost the quality of registration, the Ministry of Transport last month announced that the heads of the Viet Nam Register Agency, the body in charge of all registration centres nationwide, would be forced to resign if problems related to issuing vehicle registration certificates persisted by the year's end.

The ministry has also planned to inspect all 100 centres across the country very soon.

H5N1 bird flu effectively controlled

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has announced the deadly avian flu strain H5N1 has been contained to isolated incidences in Vietnam.and is largely under control.

The disease was only reported in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, the MARD’s Animal Health Department reported, adding that no outbreak of H7N9 has so far detected in the country.

Vu Ngoc Long from the Health Ministry’s Preventive Health Department asked border provinces to take preventive measures against the H7N9 virus that hit 15 Chinese localities, claiming 121 lives. It is essential to prevent and strictly inspect the transmission of the deadly virus via border gates, he said.

The MARD urged localities to implement the Prime Minister’s instruction on the transport and trading of poultry to prevent the spread of the fatal disease to humans.

The Animal Health Department has issued around 12 million doses of Re-6 vaccine to help provinces combat the epidemic.

*** The central coastal province of Khanh Hoa has successfully eradicated the bird flu epidemic since the first case was found two months ago.

The first outbreak of the virus was detected on January 25 on free-range ducks in Ninh Ich commune, Ninh Hoa town.

The disease then spread rapidly to 21 communes, affecting approximately 40,000 poultry, which were all culled to prevent further transmission.

Le Thang, Head of the Khanh Hoa provincial Animal Health Department said although the epidemic was contained, preventive measures such as sterilization and sanitation are being taken in high-risk areas.

Student Math Olympiad with 11 special prizes

In addition, there are 34 students who achieved first prize in algebra and calculus courses.

After 5 days of the contest, the 22nd National Student Math Olympiad ended on April 12 in central Quang Ngai province.   

The event attracted over 700 students from 85 universities, colleges and institutes across from the country.

At the closing ceremony, the organizers awarded 11 students with special prizes and the first prize of algebra and calculus; 34 students won first prize in Algebra and Calculus courses.

In his speech, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga appreciated the organization of the Olympiad and asked universities and colleges to improve the quality of mathematics teaching in the future.

Deputy Minister Ga suggested universities and colleges promote applicable math so that graduate students can mingle with the working environment of all the advanced countries in the world.

Blast victims in critical condition

Three workers from the 10 hospitalized for suffering burns after a kiln exploded at a steel plant in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau are reportedly in critical conditions and undergoing special treatment.

The blast happened at Pomina 3 Steel Plant in Phu My Industrial Park No1 in Tan Thanh District at around 7pm on April 11. The melted scraps from the blast hit and injured the workers who were sent to Cho Ray hospital in HCM City for further treatment after first aid at local general hospitals.

The three, namely Hoang Thanh Thinh, 19, Nguyen Van Thai, 23, were seriously burnt from 61 to 85%.

Doctor Ngo Duc Hiep of Cho Ray Hospital’s Burns and Plastics Department said the patients received large burns and were suffering severe respiratory complications which required special ventilation support.

Of the victim, four had suffered minor burns and had been discharge, he said.

Hiep added that this department had received many cases of burns caused by kiln explosion or scrap explosion.

According to workers at the plant, the kiln has a capacity to melt more than 100 tonnes of steel and heats to over 1,000 degrees Celsius.

Police from the Ministry of Public Security are working with local police to investigate the cause of the explosion.

By April 12, police were unable to reach the scene due to extreme heat. They expected to return to the scene to resume investigation on April 14.

Hanoi plans monorail system to ease congestion

Hanoi is planning to build a monorail system to ease its traffic congestion and connect the existing railway routes.

The municipal People's Committee, in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, is working on a detailed plan of the project. A pilot route will be built with the funding expected to come from the build-operate-transfer investment.

Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has assigned the Transport Engineering Design Incorporation to take charge of the planning.

A plan to build a monorail route in the capital city was first proposed in 2010 by the Vietnam Construction and Import-Export Corporation (Vinaconex). It aimed to build a 38-kilometre monorail route in western Hanoi with the initial aim of serving 60,000 passengers daily.

Under the new plan, there will be 14 stations and the trains will run 4.5 metres above the ground at an average speed of 70 kilometres per hour.

The fares will be affordable for low-income earners, according to Vinaconex.

Hue conference shares endoscopic experience

Scientists, doctors and specialists from around the world attended an international conference on gastrointestinal endoscopy, co-hosted by Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy and Hue University on April 13.

The event is part of Hue Science Festival 2014 with the theme "Medical achievements towards community health" taking place from April 11-17.

International endoscopy conference offered an excellent opportunity for endoscopic experts and doctors to share and update information on new treatments and techniques such as elastography, endoscopic ultrasound, experience in endoscopic retrograde pancreatic bile, ultrasonic diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the small intestine and endoscopic dilatation.

At the conference, delegates heard reports on the experiences and lessons learned from developing specialised gastrointestinal endoscopy in Vietnam over the past years, the result of cooperation between Japan’s Nogoya Medical University and Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Activities demonstrating technical endoscopy are due to take place at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy’s hospital.

Prof. Dr. Cao Ngoc Thanh, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Rector, said the Thua Thien Hue provincial People’s Committee allowed Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy and Hue University to hold the first Hue Science Festival in 2010. Since then, the event has been held every two years, coinciding with Hue Festival.

Throughout Hue Science Festival 2014, there will be a series of scientific activities including the 3rd international graduate students conference and a symposium on screening , diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer on April 15, with the participation of scientists from Australia, Italy, the US, Japan , France , Thailand , Singapore and Vietnam .

In addition, there are various community-oriented activities such as a photo competition themed "medical achievement in life through the lens" and a medical exhibition at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy aiming to showcase the medical achievements to the public.

Embassy delegation visits Argentinean locality

Representatives from the Vietnamese embassy in Argentina led by ambassador Nguyen Dinh Thao paid a working visit to Argentina’s Tucuman province from April 11-12.

During the trip, they met with provincial and economic leaders from the Tucuman Economic Federation (FET) and attended a business forum organised by the FET.

In a meeting with ambassador Thao, Tucuman Governor José Alperovich confirmed his province’s desire to develop cooperation with Vietnam in the field of trade, politics and culture.

He highlighted the Vietnamese delegation’s visit as a good opportunity to promote multifaceted cooperation between the two countries and in particular Tucuman. He also expressed his wish to visit Vietnam soon.

At the forum, leaders from chambers of commerce and businesses involved in the foreign trade sector, electronics, apparel, tourism, fruit, wine and minerals from Tucuman were briefed on Vietnam's economic overview.

They were also introduced to opportunities for trade and investment cooperation between Tucuman province and Vietnam.

Participants showed their interest in establishing a mutually beneficial cooperative relationship with Vietnamese partners.

Tucuman Cultural Center launched a Vietnam cultural week in Tucuman featuring a photo exhibition, a display of ethnic costumes and a Vietnamese movie.

This was the first cultural activity of its kind that the Vietnamese embassy in Argentina held in Tucumán province that captured the attention of the local community.

Located in northwestern Argentina, Tucumán accounts for 80% of the country's lemon production, making Argentina one of the world’s largest lemon producing and exporting nations.

During the visit, the delegation also toured SA San Miguel- a big group in fruit production, processing and exports. This group is now the largest lemon exporter in the southern hemisphere that is also a joint venture in lemon production and processing in Uruguay and South Africa.

State budget to support 2,295 extremely poor communes

As many as 2,331 communes in 49 cities and provinces nationwide will benefit from the Government’s poverty reduction programme (known as Programme 135) in 2014 and 2015.

The figure sees two communes less than the list specifying extremely poor, border communes and others approved in the Prime Minister’s Decision 2405/QD-TTG dated December 10, 2013.

Under Decision 595/QD/TTg freshly issued to adjust Decision 2405, 2,295 communes will receive investment sourced from the State budget.

The rest of 36 communes of Hanoi and provinces of Vinh Phuc, Quang Ninh, Khanh Hoa and Ba Ria-Vung Tau will have investment stemming from local budgets.

Dien Bien Phu victory: motivation towards future

“The 60th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory is the time for us to look to the past, see the present and look toward the future in hopes of gaining greater achievements”.

Dien Bien provincial People’s Committee Chairman Mua A Son made the statement in a recent interview granted to a Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reporter about an array of activities marking the resounding Dien Bien Phu victory which helped end French colonial rule in Vietnam 60 years ago.

The 60th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory (1954-2014) is a national event of special significance for the country in general and in particular the province of Dien Bien.

This year's celebration activities highlight the meaning and value of the great historical victory of Dien Bien Phu by stepping up communication and educating the younger generation about traditional patriotism and national pride.

They also provocatively evoke the spirit of Dien Bien Phu so as to effectively implement socio-economic tasks, ensure security and defence and help local people, international friends and overseas Vietnamese gain a better understanding of the glorious history of the nation.

Talking to a VOV reporter, Mua A Son said since from 2012, provincial leaders have actively worked with the central ministries and agencies on a project regarding activities for the celebration of the Dien Bien Phu victory for submission to the Prime Minister for approval.

After the scheme was adopted, Dien Bien province established a steering committee, an organizing committee and a subcommittee helping the organizing committee direct the organization and implementation of celebratory activities.

60 years after the landslide victory, Dien Bien province has seen rapid development in all aspects.

Son said the most important highlights in the sequence of activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the historic victory are a special art performance on May 6; the national march and parade on the morning of May 7 at Dien Bien Stadium, and a firework display to be staged at the provincial Culture Conference Centre.

These activities will be broadcast live on both radio and television, he added.

Earlier from March 13-15, Dien Bien successfully organized Dien Bien Culture and Tourism Week, attracting a large number of tourists and ethnic minority people.

For construction projects welcoming the 60th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory, provincial leaders have provided guidance and urged investors to accelerate the progress of construction and ensure the project quality for timely completion for anniversary celebrations.

Among these projects, the Dien Bien Phu victory museum project is seen as the most important work for the landmark anniversary.

Dien Bien Phu victory museum is a key project highlighting this year's anniversary celebrations.

"The work shows gratitude of future generations for the heroic martyrs who laid down their lives for national independence and freedom. With that sense, we are striving to complete the project on schedule to serve visitors at home and abroad ", the provincial chairman said.

Along with that, Dien Bien has called on all provinces and cities from across the country to support it in communication activities and the province has received a positive response and support of provinces and cities nationwide.

To support the media agencies’ activities during the anniversary celebration period, the provincial People’s Committee has decided to establish a press centre aiming to facilitate dissemination of information about the important event.

Through these centres the Vietnamese and people of the world can obtain a heightened awareness about the value of the Dien Bien Phu victory as an omnipresent symbol of the overall success of all peace-loving people, Chairman Son said.

Online exchange with Vietnamese students abroad

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Students’ Association on April 12 held an online exchange with Vietnamese students studying in different nations in the world.

The exchange themed “Vietnamese students abroad with 2014 Volunteer Youth Year” attracted Vietnamese students from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and Australia.

Attendees’ discussions were focused on the role of the Vietnam Student Associations abroad, the associations’ experiences in implementing their activities in foreign nations as well as Vietnamese students’ voluntary activities towards the homeland.

The online exchange was chaired by Chairman of the Vietnam Students’ Association, Le Quoc Phong who is also secretary of the HCM Communist Youth Union, Deputy Editor-In Chief of Vietnamese Student Newspaper Le Thanh Ha, and some representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Lai Chau bitings spur fear of rabies outbreak

Local residents in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau are concerned about a possible outbreak of rabies, after hundreds of people report being bitten by suspected rabid dogs.

According to the report of the provincial health department's Preventive Medicine Centre, more than 340 people who were bitten by dogs have received vaccinations since the beginning of this year.

The figure is reportedly higher than the same period last year, when only 271 cases were recorded. Local medical staff said the true number of people bitten might be higher than the official figure, as some people have not sought treatment. The centre said that although dog bites were on the rise, no deaths had yet been reported from rabies this year.

Most reported victims of rabid dogs are in Lai Chau City, Tam Duong and Phong Tho districts.

Of these cases, resident Le Xuan Vuc, 53, in Lai Chau City's Tan Phong Ward, has had four out of five vaccine injections after being attacked and bitten by a 20 kilo stray dog one month ago when he was planting vegetables in his garden.

"The bite caused me to undergo two surgeries needing 14 stitches to close the wounds," Vuc said, adding that the Lai Chau General Hospital instructed him to receive the vaccinations.

Director of the provincial Department of Animal Health, Dang Xuan Hao, said most dog owners in the province had not followed regulations by letting their dogs run free and without a muzzle.

Hao added that the rate of dogs vaccinated against rabies remained low due to the poor awareness of dog owners.

"It's very difficult to get the dogs vaccinated, as they are wandering around, and when we try to catch them, they run into the forest or the fields," he said.

For many years, poor people in Lai Chau have received free vaccination injections after being bitten by suspected rabid dogs.

A vaccination station was recently set up by the Preventive Medicine Centre in Phong Tho District's Dao San Commune to shorten the time and distance for local residents seeking treatment.

This year, the province supplied 25,000 free doses of vaccines for dogs and cats to assist residents.

In 2009, a rabies epidemic occurred after four people died of the disease.

PPP to promote medical advances

The HCM City University Medical Centre will expand its Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to promote healthcare services and transfer advanced medical technologies to disadvantaged regions.

The University Medical Centre-Hoang Anh Gia Lai, which opened in early 2012 in Gia Lai Province, is a typical sample of the PPP model developed between the centre and the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group, according to Nguyen Hoang Bac, deputy director of university's Medical Centre.

The 200-bed general hospital provides health check-ups and treatment to more than 5 million people in the Central Highlands.

It receives an average of 500 patients every day, Bac said at a ceremony celebrating the 20th anniversary of the founding of the HCM City University Medical Centre held last Saturday.

"Patients in the Central Highlands can save a lot of money and time travelling to HCM City," he said. "The satellite hospital also helps ease overload at major hospitals in HCM City."

The hospital plans to co-operate with other enterprises to open more satellite hospitals in the southern region.

Hundreds of doctors who are also lecturers at the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy are working at the hospital, which has a combined purpose of a university and a medical institute, said Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, the Minister of Health.

"It is a huge advantage that should be utilised to help develop hospitals in disadvantaged areas," Tien said.

With the establishment of more satellite hospitals, medical students at the university will have more places to practise, she said.

The country's first university-institute model is one of the pioneers in diagnosing new emerging illnesses, treatment of difficult cases, and international cooperation and experience exchange as well as science research.

Last year, the hospital received 1.7 million outpatients and 43,000 in-patients.

Doctors of the hospitals performed more than 21,000 surgeries, including 7,000 laparoscopic surgeries.

On the occasion of the anniversary, the hospital received the Second-Class Labour Medal from the President of Viet Nam.

Inspections find misuse of land and public funds

The Government Inspectorate announced last Friday that eight "economic inspections" had found wrongdoings involving trillions of dong in the first quarter of the year.

A Vietnam News Agency report quoted Deputy Chief Inspector Tran Duc Luong as saying at a press briefing that the inspections had also found that 401ha of land had been misused during this period.

The units examined in the eight economic inspections included the Thang Long Tobacco Ltd Co, the Viet Nam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Natural Minerals Management Kan Province and Electricity of Viet Nam.

The Inspectorate has recommended that the State collects arrears of VND542 billion (US$25.7 million ) and reclaims 3.2ha of land, while the rest can be dealt with by relevant authorised agencies.

The Government Inspectorate is conducting another ten inspections at present.

Luong also said that in the second quarter of 2014, the agency would inspect implementation of the Government's decrees and decisions by the Ministry of Education and Training, the Health Ministry and some provinces and cities.

It would also examine compliance with regulations by: the ministries of Industry and Trade, Education and Training, and Health; the provinces of Dien Bien, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An; and several companies.

At the same time, the agency would continue efforts to improve its handling of complaints and denunciation from the public, Luong said.

It was revealed at the press conference that inspectors of various agencies including those related to health, environment and construction launched over 1,200 "administrative inspections" and completed 619 of them.

These inspections detected the misuse of VND2.676 trillion ($127.4 million); and proposed punishments for 113 units and 354 individuals.

Two cases of corruption and two individuals involved in them have been transferred to investigative agencies for criminal proceedings, it was said at the press briefing.

Thai Binh province holds bird flu response drill

A field simulation exercise against avian influenza A sub-types H5N1 and H7N9 in humans was held in the northern province of Thai Binh on April 13.

The drill was conducted under the scenario in which bird flu outbreaks in many communes across the province. A large number of people showed symptoms of the disease while the province’s General Hospital was overloaded.

Co-organised by the provincial Health Department and the Vietnam Avian and Human Influenza Control and Preparedness Project (VAHIP), the exercise aimed to raise the response capacity of competent agencies and health workers in case of any bird flu pandemic.

2004 marks the seventh year Thai Binh has received and implemented VAHIP projects. The province is a key national flu control point at three communal, district and provincial levels.

In 2009, the province recorded over 3,400 cases of H1N1 swine flu in about half of its communes. Thanks to its rapid and sound response, no fatality was reported.

Lao, Thai students welcome traditional New Years in Vietnam

Lao and Thai students at Vinh University in the central province of Nghe An on April 12 celebrated their traditional New Year festivals - Bun Pi May and Songkran.

This is the 11 th year the university, which has nearly 370 students from Laos and Thailand , has organised New Year meetings for the students.

With special art performances staged by Vietnamese, Lao and Thai students, the event helped strengthen friendship between Vietnam and the two countries.

At the meeting, the Lao Embassy presented certificates of merits to 40 Lao students who have made outstanding academic achievements.

On this occasion, Vinh University also granted certificates of merits or scholarships to 18 overseas students

Ha Noi to inspect medical waste treatment

The Ha Noi Health Department will inspect the collection and treatment of medical waste in both public and private hospitals and health centres in the city.

This follows the results of a recent survey.

The inspection of hospitals aims to improve hygiene in hospitals and health centres to prevent the spread of infectious diseases caused by improperly disposed medical waste.

A survey conducted by the health department discovered that local hospitals failed to obey regulations in sorting out, transporting and treating medical waste.

A lack of funding was blamed for difficulties that the hospitals had to cope with in operating the medical waste treatment systems and cleaning the hospitals.

About 3,500 tonnes of medical waste were discharged from hospitals and health centres last year in the city.

The survey, however, found that hospitals had spent a large amount of money to treat medical waste.

Dong Da Hospital had paid VND1.2 billion (US$56,400) for cleaning the hospital this year.

This cost did not include expenses of running and maintaining the wastewater treatment system or payment for equipment to treat medical solid waste.

The city now has 41 public hospitals, 29 private hospitals, and 45 public health clinics.

Life stinks in central commune

Nearly 3,000 residents in Pho Thanh Commune of central Quang Ngai Province have been living with a foul stench and odorous wastewater leaking from a nearby waste treatment facility in Duc Pho District.

The site, covering more than 1.3 ha, receives and treats household and solid waste from the district daily.

Pham Thi Long, a local resident living near the site, said the smell, dust and smoke were especially strong on sunny days.

"On rainy days, wastewater from the site seeps into local paddy fields and residential areas, which leads flies everywhere," she said.

Tran Thi En, who also lives in the area, said she was concerned that wastewater from the site had polluted the underground water; a vital water source used by local residents.

Vice chairman of the communal People's Committee, Nguyen Duy Trinh, said the committee had forwarded numerous complaints by local residents to the district authority to help resolve the leakage, but nothing had changed.

Trinh said waste at the plant was being dried and burnt, explaining that it was not the waste treatment process that had been designed for the facility, which stipulated waste be sprayed with chemicals first before incineration.

A tank would need to be built to collect the wastewater, while waste would need to be treated in accordance with designated plans, he said.

Chairman of the district People's Committee, Le Van Mui, affirmed the need for the tank, saying the district would deploy the necessary funds to build it. Waste would also be treated in accordance with initial plans in the near future.

In the long term, the district has planned to build a waste treatment site, covering about 10 ha and worth VND35 billion (US$1.6 million) to tackle the problem.

Funds to build the waste treatment site had been mobilised, he said. 

Vietnamese students abroad wonder about job opportunities at home

During an online meeting with authorities, many Vietnamese students who are studying abroad showed curiosity about job opportunities in Vietnam after graduation.

The meeting, held on March 12 between Vietnamese students studying in foreign countries and representatives from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Students’ Association, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Home Affairs, drew the participation of Vietnamese students in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and Australia.

During the two hour exchange, most of the students said that they wanted to return to contribute to the development of the country through volunteer activities.

Nguyen Xuan Thanh, a student in South Korea’s Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), posed questions about ministries' and agencies’ policies to attract those studying abroad to come return to the country.

Doan Duc Hao, deputy head of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Department of Youth Affairs, said the ministry hopes to lure at least 1,000 outstanding Vietnamese graduates from abroad to work at state-owned agencies and in the armed forces.

However, age regulations will be applied. For instance, new graduates must not be over 25 years old and those with master no older than 28. The age limit for doctors is from 32-35.

The Vietnamese Students’ Association in Strasbourg, France, proposed that the Committee of the Vietnam Students’ Association increase the dissemination of information on job opportunities and policies for Vietnamese students in foreign countries.

In response, a representative from the Vietnam Students’ Association said that more information will be made available starting this year.

Regarding the question on organising volunteer activities for students from Poland and Germany, Phong said that students who are studying abroad can carry out voluntary activities in the places where they study or live or they can contact Vietnamese agencies to join activities. He added that many students take part in volunteer programmes in Vietnam during their holidays.

According to Phong, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Students’ Association set up the National Voluntary Centre to connect individuals and agencies through volunteer programmes.

Villagers up in arms over cement plant pollution

Hundreds of households in Quang Binh Province have complained that the noise and dust from a local factory has been making life difficult there for seven years.

Noise and dust from the Ang Son II Cement Plant have prompted many locals in Ang Son Village to seek help from various agencies. Investigation teams came and took measurements of the pollution, yet nothing has been done to improve the situation.

"My husband died from cancer, all four of my grandchildren are also sick all the time and one died from cancer when he was five," a local said.

On April 2 about 100 people gathered and tried to block the way to the plant. The trucks that carry materials to the plant have also been blamed for ruining the road. A street maintenance worker said that even though they are 20-tonne cargo trucks, they regularly take loads of 30 to 40 tonnes. The villagers complain about the constant rumbling and honking of the trucks during the night.

A representative of the Ang Son II Cement Plant said they signed a contract with transport company and so were not directly responsible for damaged roads or air pollution from the trucks. Recently, the company held a talk and promised to fix the pollution problem.

"We have asked the transport company to cover their cargo and refrain from honking at lunchtime and at night," said Bui Quang Huy, head of Office for Organisation and Administration.

Pham Ngoc Vu, Deputy Director of the plant, said they did everything they could to prevent pollution, such as using water trucks, planting trees and deploying street cleaning teams. "The factory does not emit smoke or dust. We're also a victim in this case, we have proposed many times that local authorities build a new resettlement area for community."

In response, the households said they have pictures showing the plant emitting smoke and dust. They said the water trucks are just for show and that trucks operate from 10pm to 5am, violating their agreement.

Currently, due to a limited budget, the authorities still cannot provide a new resettlement area. The Quang Binh Province People's Committee admitted that there is severe pollution; they have not yet implemented any solutions but have promised to try to relocate the households.

VNA/VNS/Dantri/VOV