S Korea offers aid to help AO victims

As many as 80 Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange will be given free medical check-ups at South Korea's Yonsei Hospital next week.

This is part of a five-day programme starting from June 4 sponsored by the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), the Korean Victims of Agent Orange Veterans Association (KAOVA) and Korean Television MBC in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Viet Nam- Korea diplomatic ties this year.

VUFO Vice President Don Tuan Phong said in a press release yesterday that this was the first time that such a lot of Vietnamese AO victims received medical check-ups in a foreign hospital.

Moreover, the eligible would visit famous tourist attractions in South Korea and attend cultural exchange programmes with the Korean people, he said.

"Such activities were expected to let Korean people know more about Viet Nam and the consequences of AO in the country, then, join the fight for justice for AO victims," he said.

Vice President of the Viet Nam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin Tran Xuan Thu said that it was expected that Korean experts could offer the victims proper medical treatment after check-ups to partly relieve their pain caused by Agent Orange.

So far, at least 17 diseases relating to AO have been claimed by Viet Nam and US health experts including nine kinds of cancers, Thu said, adding AO could affect most of the human body and especially reduce immune systems to make victims vulnerable to various infectious diseases.

About 4.8 million people in Viet Nam were reportedly exposed to AO and about 3 million currently suffer from AO-related diseases.

Former cops indicted for pocketing $65,700

Police in Tien Giang Province have proposed the local prosecutor’s office charge three former police officers for abusing position and power while on duty to illegally gain VND1.368 billion, or about US$65,700.

The proposal was made after police completed investigation into the case that occurred within the province’s investigation police force several years ago.

Those indicted are Ngo Thanh Phong, 56, former head of the economic crime investigation department, Nguyen Van Nen, 47, former head of the investigation police agency, and Pham Van Ut, 43, who used to be in charge of criminal evidence. They were detained in June 2011.

According to investigators, in October 2002, the officials’ department cracked down on a smuggling ring related to the province-based Thanh Phat Co Ltd and seized VND12 billion (US$577,000) and about $249,000 from the ring.

Instead of putting all the money into the local State Treasury, Phong and Nen directed Captain Bui Van Nhut, an investigator, to deposit most of the money, VND11.4 billion and $206,000, into 25 saving accounts at some banks for interests.

By the end of May 2004, after earning a total interest of nearly VND1 billion, they withdrew all the money and put them into an evidence storage facility managed by Ut.

In late June 2004, Ut deposited VND12.1 billion and $206,000 into a saving account in his name at a bank and later gained about VND200 million worth of interest.

In 2005, Phong directed his staff to continue depositing VND5.7 billion seized in another case to pocket a total interest of nearly VND200 million.

The combined interests of nearly VND1.368 billion were put into the department’s “secret fund”, part of which had been spent on personal needs of Phong, Nen, Ut and other officials, and the rest given to their staff in the form of motorbike gifts and bonus on Tet (lunar New Year).

Two lose appeal against sedition

The court of appeals of Ha Noi Supreme People's Court yesterday, May 30, confirmed the sentences for two anti-government indictees, Ho Thi Bich Khuong from Nghe An Province and Nguyen Trung Ton from Thanh Hoa Province.

In December 2011, the Nghe An People's Court sentenced Khuong to five years in prison and three years under house arrest, and Ton to two years in prison and two years under house arrest for circulating propaganda against the Party and Government.

The court decided that the prosecuting procedures were done according to the law and that the evidence, including the many articles written by Khuong and Ton which circulated through the Internet, were sufficient for handing out the sentences.

Former bank vice chief get 15 years for corruption

The Hanoi People’s Court has sentenced Doan Tien Dung, a former vice general director of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), to 15 years in prison for abusing his power and position to gain illegal benefits.

At yesterday’s trial, the court also gave a 6-year sentence to Dung's accomplice, Tran Thi Thanh Binh, former deputy director of the Branch of BIDV in northern Hai Phong City, for the same charges.

According to the indictment from the local prosecutor’s office, Dung, 56, approved a total of nearly VND45 billion (US$2.16 million) in loans for the Hai Phong Export Garment Joint Stock Company and the Hai Phong V.K. Co Ltd through two credit agreements.

The director of both the companies was Hoang Van Khanh, who had mortgaged some of the companies’ warehouses to the bank as collateral.

In 2009, due to serious financial difficulties facing his companies, Khanh asked BIDV-Hai Phong Branch to allow him to assign the mortgaged warehouses to others to get money.

Both Dung and Binh then demanded bribes from Khanh in return for their approving a mortgage release, selling the mortgaged properties through the bank, and disbursing the sales from the bank to Khanh.

Khanh later gave different amounts totaling VND4 billion ($192,000) to Dung through Binh on different dates.

In February 2010, following a tip-off, police caught Dung receiving VND1 billion from Khanh in Hanoi.

Mekong Delta hospital makes breakthrough

Phuong Chau Maternity Hospital in Can Tho City has succeeded in collecting the parent cells from the blood of umbilical cords after childbirth.

This is the first time that a hospital in the Cuu Long Delta has successfully completed this task. The parent cells will be incubated and stored at MekoStem parent cell bank. In case the baby is infected with diseases like diabetes, marrow failure or blood cancer, the cells will be used to cure them.

MekoStem is the first parent cell bank authorised by the Ministry of Health in Viet Nam. People can consign their babies' umbilical cords to the bank so the parent cells from the cords can be used to cure diseases for the babies in the future.

400 students punished for fighting in 1/2 month: ministry

Some 400 students were punished for fighting in a recent check conducted by the Ministry of Education and Training at 12 provinces and cities nationwide.

There were 500 such fights in the survey for the "friendly school, active students" movement launched by the ministry from late March to mid-April.

The investigation team gathered the information at one nursery school, one elementary school, one secondary school and one high school or continuing education center at each locality.

The northern province of Quang Ninh is the place found with most cases, 169 ones, followed by southern Tay Ninh Province and northern Lang Son Province with 126 and 54 cases respectively.

Of the 400 students getting punishments for violent behavior and action nationwide, there were 151 ones in Lang Son and 132 others in Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

Northern province of Nam Dinh and central province of Binh Dinh had the fewest numbers of fighting among 12 surveyed provinces.

Many cases of violence among students have left unfortunate consequences, inflicting serious injuries, and even death.

Many fighting cases were filmed by mobile phones so that the clips were then posted on the Internet, causing adverse opinions among students.

But according to the ministry, compared with the 2011-2012 school year, the number of fights tends to go down in the last months of this school year.

Illegal poachers attack park guards

Two forest guards were attacked and hospitalised when trespassers broke into Tram Chim National Park to catch fish illegally last Friday.

Nguyen Van Hiep and Nguyen Van Thuyen, the two injured guards, were electrified by trespassers while attempting to stop the culprits from catching fish. They are currently being treated at Tam Nong General Hospital.

This is the third time in 2012 that trespassers have entered the park, recognised as a Ramsar wetland of international importance earlier this year.

Heavy rain floods more areas in Ha Noi

A number of newly flooded areas in the capital were recorded by Ha Noi Drainage after last week's heavy rainfall. The new areas include Nguyen Huu Tho Street, Minh Khai Street and Ring Road No 3.

The drainage system in these areas was overloaded because of traffic construction sites nearby. As a result, the drains were blocked up and causing floods in the areas.

Ha Noi Drainage urged investors of these drainage construction sites to solve problems with the system, but they have yet to carry out any repair.

Seminar discusses sustainable social policy in Vietnam

Vietnam is achieving the middle income country status, and its legal system and social development policies have been gradually completed.

This was agreed by participants at a seminar on sustainable social policies held by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in Hanoi on May 30.

They also said that more people have benefited from social policies, there has been an increase in social investment and living conditions of the poor and ethnic minorities have been improved.  

However, they pointed to some limitations, such as a large social welfare gap among different regions, unsteady job generation and poverty reduction, and low rates of social and health insurance. In addition, healthcare services provided do not meet the increasing demand.

Young Mo Yoon, chief advisor to the Vietnam Industrial Relations Project under the International Labour Organisation (ILO), said Vietnam may fall into the middle income country trap on its way to achieving a modern industrial economy. The ILO’s project on social policies will help Vietnam devise orientations for continued development, said Yoon.

Hundreds of trade unionists donate blood

Over 600 Vietnamese trade unionists from central agencies donated blood on May 30 in response to World Blood Donor Day 2012 and the national campaign to donate blood during this summer.

Agencies that have large numbers of donors included Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam Women’s Union.

Notably, Vu Kim Oanh from VOV and Cao Thang Loi from VNA have given blood up to 16 times.

“In recent years, I have donated blood once or even twice a year,” said Loi. “I feel healthier and happier after each donation. This is also a chance for me to check my health. I will continue to give blood when I have opportunities.”

Nguyen Thi Thu Hong, Vice Chairperson of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, said there was a surge in the number of donors this time.

“Many senior Party members, ministers, deputy ministers, and other leaders of ministries and agencies have donated blood many times and encouraged their staff and relatives to take part in this activity, which shows a change in people’s thinking,” Hong said.

The same day, 16 collectives and seven individuals were honoured for their excellent achievements in the blood donation movement, as well as encouraging others to engage in this activity.

Project to promote gender equality reviewed

A conference was held in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on May 28-29 to examine the outcomes of a project to ‘promote gender equality and reduce domestic violence’ funded by Nordic Assistance to Vietnam (NAV).

The project has been be rolled out across the central provinces of Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Tri and Da Nang and the northern city of Hai Phong to help reach national goals on gender equality and the advancement of women, which will help with the country’s socioeconomic development.

Since 2007, the project has helped Quang Dien district and Huong Thuy town in Thua Thien-Hue province to set up a number of women’s clubs to combat domestic violence and deal with the issues that cause domestic violence.

Margareta Koltai, NAV’s Chief Representative in Hue, said that with assistance from the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Chapter in Thua Thien-Hue and several state agencies, the project has helped to significantly reduce the numbers of cases of domestic violence.

In recent years, Vietnam has been drawing up a law on gender equality which is almost completed and the country is on the list of nations that have recorded the best outcomes in gender equality in Southeast Asia.

Dutch NGO supports tea, cardamom growers

A seminar was held in the mountainous province of Lao Cai on May 29 to review the growing of tea and cardamom in Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Ha Giang provinces, funded by the Dutch development organization SNV.

After being in operation for five years, from 2008-2012, the project has helped over 7,000 cardamom growing households to increase productivity, and raise their incomes by 15-20 percent.

The Dutch non-governmental organization has also helped to link up farmers and businesses with each other.

Under the program, Lao Cai province developed a 35ha organic tea plantation in Bao Thang district.

SNV provided support for trade promotions and helped to introduce cardamom to the Republic of Korea and Japanese markets.
According to Pham Dinh Que, Deputy Director of Lao Cai’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department, with SNV’s support, this is the first time Lao Cai province has been able to introduce an effective model from production to consumption.

As part of the project, farmers now have much more capacity.

The province has also applied advances in technology to production and processing to improve the quality of products to meet domestic and foreign demands.

VNN/VOV/VNS/Tuoi Tre