Local procuracy signs warrant to arrest Tuan ’dog’

The People’s Procuracy of Di An Town has signed an arrest warrant that allows local police to urgently capture Vu Duc Tuan, or Tuan ‘cho’ (Tuan ‘dog’), a suspect in a bloody revenge attack on a whistleblower in Binh Duong Province.

Nguyen Tang Tien, an amateur ‘crime fighter’ in the province, said he was slashed Monday morning by Tuan and his three accomplices after he had tipped off the local police about their frequently stealing motorbikes in the town’s An Binh Ward.

This was vengeance, Tien said. He had told Tuoi Tre one day earlier that he feared this revenge.

Previously, Tien and his associates of a voluntary ‘crime-fighting’ team, consisting of motorbike taxi drivers, bakers, and other people doing a variety of jobs, last Saturday detained 6 people who they believe are members of Tuan’s ring.

Despite the stolen number plates, fake ID cards, and lock-picking tools found in those suspects' rooms, the local police released the 6 just one hour after the ‘crime fighters’ handed them over, saying there was not enough concrete evidence.

The six have fled away from An Binh after the revenge.

The case has been reported to the provincial police for further investigation.

In another development, a working group from the Ministry of Public Security has also stepped in to handle the case.

Tien has been in hospital since Monday and is now recovering from the serious wounds caused by the slashing.

“I will continue my crime-fighting after I get well again. This is my responsibility so I will not allow fear to get in my job,” Tien insisted.

A news conference on the attack is expected to be held by Binh Duong police tomorrow.

G4 countries support Dak Lak welfare projects

The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has received VND18 billion (US$882,000) welfare aid from G4 countries, said Y Dham E Nuol, the provincial People's Committee deputy chairman.

He told embassy representatives from New Zealand, Canada, Norway and Switzerland on Wednesday that the money would be invested in five public welfare projects.

The G4-supported projects will focus on helping poor people improve their living conditions – particularly those with disabilities, ethnic women and those living in flood-hit areas.

At the meeting, embassy representatives said they would continue to help the province carry out welfare projects, especially in remote areas.

Detention extended for journalist-torching wife

Tran Thuy Lieu, who burnt her journalist husband to death in January, would be detained for another 4 months pending an expanded investigation, Long An province police said.
Lieu, 40, has been detained since February 20, when she finally pleaded guilty to killing Le Hoang Hung, 51, a journalist of Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, one month earlier.
There have existed many contradictions between Lieu’s testimonies and the evidence collected by the investigation agency, according to police.
Therefore, a further investigation is necessary to conclude whether Lieu had any accomplices in burning her husband to death, they said.
At the same time, some questions related to the murder have yet to be clarified, police said.
Hung was dogged journalist covering social issues, underworld gangs and corruption and a former soldier in the Vietnamese army. He had spent 32 years as a reporter.
On January 19, while he was asleep in his bed at his home in Long An, Hung was doused in petrol and set on fire. He died in hospital 10 days later.
After confession, Lieu told the press that she did not want to kill Hung, but only wanted to “warn” her husband.
She also told the police that her crime stemmed from domestic conflict arising from her gambling.

Lieu reportedly implored her husband to sell their house to repay her gambling debts, but he refused. Her total debt was said to be up to VND1 billion ($48,800) from her trips to Cambodian casinos.
Nguyen Van Tam, former head of a market management team in Long An province, allegedly lent Lieu VND150 million (US$ 7,200) for gambling.
Tam himself was her frequent company in their gambling trips.
Tam is suspected to be Lieu’s extramarital lover after her love letters to Tam were found.
On February 15, the Ministry of Public Security jumped in and dispatched a team to work with investigators in Long An.

Student helps seize motorbike thief in central city

A student at the University of Da Nang in the central city of Da Nang has recently helped to collar a thief despite getting stabbed in the legs by the criminal, Dan Tri reported.

Nguyen Van Tan Chinh, 26, was trying to break the lock of a motorbike in Cam Le District when local residents found out the attempt and shouted for help.
He immediately ran away, stabbing twice in the legs of Nguyen Minh, the 23-year-old student, who then rushed to get in his way after hearing the shout.

Minh still managed to hold Chinh back notwithstanding the two stabs. Locals nabbed the thief and took the student to a nearby hospital.

Chinh has a record, local police said.

Minh has been discharged from hospital after ten days of treatment.

Cam Le police is asking local authorities for an award for him.

Japan to help Viet Nam improve road maintenance

Over the next 30 months Japan plans to transfer its latest road maintenance technology to Viet Nam to help the country improve its transport infrastructure.

The project, supported by the Japanese government, will be launched in the middle of 2011 and will have a total budget of JPY345 million (US$4.3 million).

The Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and the Directorate for Roads of Viet Nam (DRVN) will sign an agreement tomorrow authorising the project.

Under the programme, the DRVN will enhance its road maintenance capacity by establishing a modern information system to manage the national road system, which covers a total length of 16,758km.

Tsuno Motonori, chief representative of JICA Viet Nam, said Viet Nam had so far focused on road building rather than maintenance, which lacked investment.

The project will introduce new information technologies to the management and monitoring of the road system rather than conventional forms of road maintenance such as road cleaning, asphalting and water drainage, JICA experts said.

The new data system will gauge road damage, necessary repairs and the costs involved.

DRVN officials will also take part in on-site training courses on road-maintenance skills and technology transfer.

Woman killed by car while watching TV at home

A rare accident occurred yesterday morning in Uong Bi City, Quang Ninh Province where a woman was killed by a crashing car while she was comfortably inside her home watching TV.

The car rushed into her house, knocking down the wall, killing Vu Thi Cham while she, her husband and their two children were watching TV.

The car’s driver fled afterwards.

Cham was taken to the Vietnam-Sweden Friendship Hospital in critical condition and died one hour later.

City police were called to the scene and managed to arrest the driver - Ta Ngoc Chau, 26.

He told police that he was a worker at Vang Danh Coal Company and that the car belongs to his friend Nghiem Xuan Chien, 25, working for Openaspa Co., Ltd. in Hanoi.

The police are investigating.

A similar accident happened in Bo Trach district, the central province of Quang Binh early this year.
On January 20, a bus was travelling southward on the National Highway 1A when it suddenly crashed into the house of Duong Thi Tuoc.
The bus pulled down the front wall before running over Tuoc’s daughter, Tran Thi Thu Phuong, who was seating watching TV.
The eighth grade girl was killed on the spot.

Taxi driver forced to take gangsters, shot

A taxi driver and one passenger were seriously injured after being shot when they were heading towards Minh Khai Industrial Zone in Hanoi early Monday morning.

Local police said taxi driver Le Van The, 20, early Tuesday morning refused to take a group of young passengers on Ho Tung Mau Street as they were carrying a bag containing knives.

Police later found two knives, one sword, and a pocket knife inside the bag.

Upon being refused, the gang threatened him with a knife and forced him to drive them to the Minh Khai Industrial Zone in Tu Liem district.

When the driver came near the Zone, three men on a motorbike from behind overtook and used a shotgun to open fire at passenger Pham Van Nam, 25, and the taxi driver.

The fire left them seriously injured and caused a flat tire.

ILO helps print guide for garment industry

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs yesterday introduced a guidebook on the law aimed at the garment industry.

The director of ILO's representative office in Viet Nam, Rie Vejs Kjeldgaard, said yesterday the guidebook would help clarify the labour laws, which were often difficult for the general public to understand.

The book, "Guide to Vietnamese Labour Law for the Garment Industry," was published in English and Vietnamese and directed at managers, workers, and legal officers in the garment industry, she said.

The book comprises 10 chapters, addressing labour matters like minimum working age, labour disputes, discrimination, occupational health and safety, and wages and benefits.

The book helps managers and workers in the industry understand their responsibilities and benefits.

According to Nguyen Van Tien, chief inspector of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, labour law compliance has led to many problems, including strikes.

Tara Ragarajan, director of the Better Work Viet Nam project, said the guidebook was designed in a way that offered easy understanding of the law among stakeholders. It explains the law in simple language and provides case studies that will help further compliance.

The Better Work Viet Nam project, a co-operation project between ILO and the International Finance Organization, produced the book with consultation from inspectors at the labour ministry.

Man detained for dragging traffic cop

Nguyen Khac Kien, 17, has been detained for dragging a traffic policeman over 10 meters in Hanoi after he was pulled up for traffic violations, police said Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday, Kien was stopped by two traffic cops Nguyen Van Kien and Hoang Van Dung for riding a motorbike without a rear-view mirror when he was traveling on Street No. 308 in Tien Thang Commune in Me Linh district.

Instead of stopping to produce documents and driving license, Kien suddenly sped up.

His motorbike fled past Dung, caught him by his clothes and dragged him for over 10 meters.

The man was stopped by local residents who handed him in.

About 58 attacks on traffic cops were reported last year, 26 of whom were injured.

Foreign investors eye mining sector

The nation's mining industry presented evidence of considerable growth potential at the Viet Nam Industrial Minerals Conference 2011, causing increased interest among foreign investors.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Linh Ngoc said Viet Nam has significant reserves of minerals, including coal, bauxite and mineral sand, but at present the country is not thoroughly exploiting its available resources.

Tran Kim Phuong, a scientist from Viet Nam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources, said as mineral resources were not appropriately exploited, the loss of resources in exploiting was still great, and mining still caused adverse impacts to the ecological environment.

"That's why Viet Nam always wishes to strengthen co-operation with international experts and investors to more efficiently use the resources we have, while at the same time combating environmental pollution," Ngoc said.

Dominic Heaton, CEO of Masan Resources in Viet Nam, which manages a big tungsten exploiting project in northern Thai Nguyen City, said now it was the right time to invest in Viet Nam because there was a growing demand for minerals not only within the country but also around the world.

Bill Magennis, management partner of Allens Arthur Robinson law firm in Viet Nam, said the new Minerals Law that would come into effect this Friday would be welcomed by foreign investors because of favourable regulatory measures.

For example, the duration for an exploratory licence has been doubled in the new law, now allowing 48 months plus extensions not to exceed an additional 48 months.

In addition, Magennis noted that after Friday almost all exploration rights would be auctioned.

Consulting manager Antonio Sequeros of Tractus Asia Viet Nam said Viet Nam had previously been perceived as a challenging destination for investment in mining, and some key issues still needed to be addressed.

"In some cases, the area limitations are too small to justify use of the latest technology. And the processing of applications and renewals should be more aligned with international practice," he said.

Viet Nam now is exploiting some 38 kinds of minerals which are used for production of more 54 commodities. Value gathered from minerals and products manufacturing from minerals reach about US$25 billion last year.

According to the Statistical Yearbook, the Foreign Direct Investment in the mining sector remained small when compared to the total, accounting for approximately 5 percent in 2010. Iron, titanium and copper were the leading metals exported, though imports still outpace exports in the mining sector.

The two-day conference, which wrapped up yesterday, was held by Metal Bulletin Ltd, an international publisher and information source for the global steel market. More than 200 participants gathered for the conference from more than 11 countries.

Bien Hoa woman run over to death by dump truck

An elderly woman was run over this morning by a dump truck while she was walking in front of the Viet-Sing Hospital in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province.
The accident occurred on Truong Quyen Street, Tan Mai Ward, at about 6 am, when Truong Thi Xu, 76, from Tan Mai ward, just left home to buy some food.
While Xu was walking on the roadside, a dumper running fast hit her from behind and ran over her.
She died on the spot.
The truck’s driver has fled the scene.
The unpaved road is very narrow and the accident scene was in front of the gate of the Viet-Sing Hospital, Tuoi Tre has found.

Many locals told Tuoi Tre that many dump trucks often travel along this road at high speeds and they often have to jump off the road to a canal’s bank underneath to avoid being hit.
Police were called in to handle the case.
The accident caused a traffic jam for hours.

ADB grants loans to finance City urban rail project

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Tuesday issued an official document which recommends that the State President approve the ADB loan agreement for the construction of Metro Line 2 in HCM City.

Earlier, the prime minister had authorised the Governor of the State Bank of Viet Nam to sign the loan agreement with a representative of ADB in Viet Nam.

In the agreement, ADB pledged to fund US$40 million in the first phase of the project and the other US$500 million during the 2011-2012 period.

The route broke ground in August last year at Tham Luong Depot. The US$1.3 billion project, which connects Ben Thanh Market and Tham Luong Depot, is also financed by Germany's largest bank-Kreditanstalt Fuer Wiederaufbau and the European Investment Bank.

As planned, the city will put the 19-km route of the first phase of metro 2 into operation by 2016.

The HCM City People's Committee is responsible for implementing the project between 2011 and 2016.

The city government plans to build a $7.5 billion metropolitan rail system with a combined length of 109 kilometres. It will have six lines by 2020, with 84 per cent of the funds expected to be from overseas lenders.

Car falls down mountain; driver injured

A truck driver transporting 20 tons of banana unexpectedly lost control and tumbled into a pit over 100 meters deep when he was traveling along the Rao Quan Pass in Dakrong district in the central province of Quang Tri Tuesday night.

The accident left driver Nguyen Van Khai, 35, from Hue central city severely injured and the vehicle badly damaged.

After being informed, police in Dakrong arrived on the scene and took Khai to hospital. 

VNN/VOV/VNS/Tuoi Tre