Foreign aid keeps flowing in for AO victims

The event was implemented within the working visit to Nagasaki by Vu Huy Mung, Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka, Japan. 

During his stay in Nagasaki, Consul General Mung met with municipal officials and more than 300 representatives of friendship and social organisations in the province to discuss issues regarding cooperation in economy, society, education and culture. 

Meanwhile, a famous French surfing athlete Alain Larribe has donated nearly four million VND to Vietnamese AO victims as a small gift on the Christmas Day. 

He plans to present all the proceeds in the next Lot competition, which is scheduled to take place in France’s hot province in July, 2010, to the Vietnamese AO victims.
.

Top ten cultural, sports and tourism activities in 2009

Da Nang (VNA) – The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) officially announced 10 outstanding cultural, sports and tourism activities in 2009 in the central city of Da Nang on December 27. 

1. The 12 th National Assembly approved and the State President issued an order to promulgate three laws: the amended Laws on Cultural Heritages, Intellectual Property and Cinematography. 

The Prime Minister approved a cultural development strategy by 2020 and issued a decision on the ranking of Special National Relic (first phase) for ten historical and cultural relics. 

The MoCST launched a set of administrative procedures on state management with 179 procedures. 

2. “Quan Ho Bac Ninh” singing (Bac Ninh folk love duets) was recognised by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind, while Ca Tru (ceremonial songs) was put in the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding. 

The UNESCO decided to attend the 1,000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi scheduled for October 2010. 

3. Diplomatic cultural activities in the “Year of Cultural Diplomacy” included the Vietnamese Week in Russia , the UK , Laos , South Africa , Venezuela and Brazil ; Vietnam ’s cultural and artistic activities in China , Spain , Sweden and Italy ; the “Meet Vietnam” Programme in San Francisco , the US ; the Republic of Korea Cultural Week and the Cambodia Cultural Week in Vietnam 

The Vietnam National Orchestra was set up and performed in Laos while the New York Philharmonic (NYP), one of the oldest and most world-renowned symphony orchestras in the US , played in Vietnam . 

4. A series of cultural and artistic activities were held to mark the nation’s big events, including the 50 th anniversary of the opening of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the traditional day of Truong Son troops; 55 years of the Dien Bien Phu Victory; an exhibition marking 40 years of the culture, sports and tourism sector’s implementation of President Ho Chi Minh’s testament; and the Quang Nam Cultural and Tourism Week towards the 1,000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi. 

5. Activities to honour traditional culture in the integration process and world cultural exchange included a ceremony to make public the Prime Minister’s decision on marking April 19 as the Cultural Day for Vietnamese Ethnic Groups and other activities in the framework of the Day in 2009; the International Gong Festival 2009 in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai; the Mrs World Pageant 2009 contest in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau; the First Vietnam Rice Festival 2009 in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang; and the Mekong-Japan Cultural and Tourism Days in the Mekong Delta province of Can Tho.

6. Vietnamese film, “Don’t Burn”, bagged the Fukuoka Audience Award at the Fukuoka International Film Festival in Japan . Vietnam won four first prizes out of seven awards at the international music competition held in Jakarta , Indonesia .

7. The third Asian Indoor Games (AIG3) in Vietnam : Vietnam ranked second among 43 countries and territories participating in the Games. The opening ceremony of the AIG3 made good impression to international and domestic sports fans. 

8. Vietnam pocketed 215 medals with 83 golds, 75 silvers and 57 bronzes, ranking second in the 25 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). The woman’s football team took the gold medal while the men’s football team brought home a silver medal. 

9. The ASEAN 2009 Tourism Forum, themed “Vietnam Impression”, aims to promote Vietnam ’s tourism. 

10. Halong Bay enters the final round of a campaign voting for the world’s seven new natural wonders. Thua Thien-Hue province’s Lang Co Bay has been recognised as the world’s beautiful bay.

Anti-state agitator to go on trial next week (Correction)

Thai Binh (VNA) – The People’s Court of Thai Binh province plans to open a first-instance trial against Tran Anh Kim on Dec. 28 for charge of “acting to overthrow the people’s government.” 

Kim, 60, will stand trial under Article 79 of the Criminal Code, said the court.

HCM City holds first ethnic minority congress

HCM City (VNA) – The first Representative Congress of Ethnic Minority Groups of Ho Chi Minh City opened on Dec. 27, attracting 486 delegates from 26 ethnic minority groups in the city. 

The congress emphasised the need to further promote the role of patriotic personalities, intellectuals as well as people of ethnic minority groups and religions to contribute to the city’s development. 

Municipal authorities defined implementation of comprehensive socio-economic development measures and provision of better care for ethnic minority people as two of the city’s major tasks in the coming time. 

HCM City currently has more than 1,300 Party members who are ethnic minority people, up 154 percent compared with 2004. Ethnic minority people account for almost 12 percent of the total number of members of the city’s political and social organisations.

Anti-state agitator to go on trial next month

Thai Binh (VNA) – The People’s Court of Thai Binh province plans to open a first-instance trial against Tran Anh Kim on Dec. 28 for charge of “acting to overthrow the people’s government.” 

Kim, 60, will stand trial under Article 79 of the Criminal Code, said the court.

PM kicks off construction of passage for ships to Hau River

Tra Vinh (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on December 27 issued an order to kick-start the project to build a passage for heavyweight vessels to the Hau River . 

This is a significant event for the development of the Mekong Delta in general and the maritime sector in particular, marking an important step in seeking ways for the southwestern region’s import-export goods, PM Dung said. 

It will also help improve the living conditions of people in 13 provinces and cities in the region, he added. 

At present, the volume of the Mekong Delta’s import-export goods is estimated at around 15 million tonnes per year. However, the region’s river and sea port system can only handle 20-30 percent of goods volume. The two largest seaports in the region, namely Can Tho and Cai Cui, are only capable of receiving vessels with capacities of 3,000-5,000 tonnes. 

Once completed in the next 36 months, the 40-km passage, which runs through the areas of Duyen Hai and Tra Cu districts of Tra Vinh province, will create favourable conditions for ships of 10,000-20,000 tonnes to come in and out ports on the Hau River. 

Earlier, PM Dung met with Tra Vinh leaders to discuss the province’s socio-economic situation. 

The PM praised the provincial authorities and people’s efforts in boosting socio-economic development, especially maintaining an annual GDP growth of over 10 percent. 

He asked the provincial leaders to continue to instruct the effective implementation of policies on great national unity, ethnic minorities and religion, creating favourable conditions for the Khmer people to practise religious activities and actively participate in patriotic movements.

NA Chairman urges Cao Bang to step up industrialisation

Cao Bang (VNA) – National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong has called on the northern province of Cao Bang to speed up its industrialisation and modernisation process in a bid to help the province escape from the poverty.

The province now boasts 12 districts and a provincial town but five districts among them are rated as the country’s poorest. Up to 138 communes in the province are classified as special difficult ones.

Speaking at a working session with the provincial authorities on Dec. 27, NA Chairman Trong said the province’s economic structure shift as well as its industrialisation and modernisation process should be taken in conformity with local practical conditions.

He recommended that the process should go together with rural agriculture, focussing on the development of the mining industry and the creation of more jobs for local people.

Chairman Trong also applauded efforts made by the province’s Party Committee, authority and people in the 2006-2010 period with its GDP growth averaging 11 percent annually and the ratio of agriculture and forestry reducing to 38 percent in its GDP.

NA Chairman Trong made a two-day working visit to Cao Bang from Dec. 26 to inspect the province’s preparation for the XI th National Party Congress’ document. During his stay in the province, he called on some noteworthy economic models and made field trips to districts of Trung Khanh and Quang Uyen.