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Railway crash site warnings beefed up
Hanoi (VNA) – Warning lights, barriers patrols are to be installed at dangerous railway crossings to cut down the number of fatal accidents and injuries, the Hanoi Department of Transport has said.
The crossings include 11 crash spots in Thanh Tri, Thuong Tin and Phu Xuyen districts including those in Hoang Liet Ward, at Tu Ky Pagoda in Hoang Mai district and at Dau Pagoda in Thuong Tin district.
The department has set up guard stations at nine crash spots, most of them in Thuong Tin and Phu Xuyen districts.
In the first three months this year, more than 20 accidents occurred in Hanoi ’s railway system, 11 more than in the same period last year, the department said. They killed 23 people and injured 17.
The main cause of the accidents is drivers and pedestrians failing to pay attention, department deputy director Nguyen Xuan Tan said.
The latest railway accident occurred on March 30 when a bus driver failed to obey warning signals in Nguyen Trai commune, Thuong Tin district. Nine people died in the accident and 10 others were injured.
In November, 2009, seven people died when a train crashed into a bus in Thuong Tin district’s Van Tu commune.
The department proposed the Vietnam Railway Administration and district authorities put up more warning signs and instructions at railway and crossings.
At present, the Railway Law and crossing regulations do not punish drivers or pedestrians who ignore warnings signals and deliberately cross at the wrong place, he said.
Also, Tan said the department does not punish people who built houses too close to railway safety zones.
“Legislative bodies should have strict punishment for drivers who violate railway safety regulations and raise local residents’ awareness,” Tan said./.
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Easter celebrations held in Hanoi
Hanoi (VNA) – Together with millions of Catholics all over the world, Vietnamese Catholics celebrated the Easter Day, one of the most important celebrations of Catholic followers in the year.
Many churches in the capital city of Hanoi held Mass on the morning of April 24.
At the capital’s Cathedral, the Mass was chaired by Hanoi Archbishop Phero Nguyen Van Nhon with the presence for the first time of a dignitary of the Vatican , Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, non-resident representative of the Holy See to Vietnam .
During the ceremony, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli emphasised the significance of the Easter, which marks a new life - the life of hope and love, and called on parishioners to together share hopes and love with others.
He said he was pleased to visit Vietnam for the first time and attend the celebration for the Resurrection of Jesus at the capital city’s Cathedral as well as expressed hope to have more opportunities to visit the Vietnamese Catholic community.
Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli’s visit showed great developments in the Vietnam-Vatican relations, especially after meetings of the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group, and represented the two sides’ aspirations and goodwill for cooperation.
After attending the Mass in Hanoi , Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli will take part in the first annual conference of the Vietnam Bishops’ Council in Ho Chi Minh City and visit several local parishes.
The Easter Day (also called Easter Sunday, Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday) is held to commemorate Jesus’ return from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion./.
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Air Mekong launches direct flight to Phu Quoc
Hanoi (VNA) – The Mekong Aviation JSC (Air Mekong) will launch a direct flight from Hanoi to Phu Quoc island in the southern province of Kien Giang on April 28.
This is the first direct flight between the two destinations without transiting in Ho Chi Minh City , thus will help passengers to reduce half of their travelling time.
Daily Hanoi-Phu Quoc flights will depart at 6am in Hanoi and make return flights at 12.40pm.
Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam with an area of 59,300 ha with two towns, Duong Dong and An Thoi, and eight communes. It is known for its pristine beaches and forests.
Phu Quoc is also called the Emerald Island because of its natural treasures and tourism potential.
Air Mekong , Vietnam 's third private air carrier, went into operation last October. It recently has received delivery of four Canadian Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft, owned by the US company Skywest Leasing. Each aircraft has 90 business and economy-class seats./.
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Japan launches large scale search for disaster victims
Hanoi (VNA) – Some 25,000 Japanese soldiers will join a large scale campaign to search along Japan ’s Pacific coast for the missing of the March 11 devastating earthquake and tsunami, said Japan Self-Defence Forces on April 25.
US forces will also join the campaign, the third of its kind in Japan , to look for 12,000 people still unaccounted for almost one month and a half after the double disaster.
They will carry out the search in areas around large estuaries and tsunami-hit places, including areas within a 30-kilometre radius from the Fukushima nuclear power plant No 1.
Earlier, the past two campaign found 438 bodies, unveiled the Japanese Ministry of Defence.
The earthquake and tsunami last month in Japan killed 14,000 people and left 12,000 people missing./.
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Thailand ready for negotiation to settle clashes with Cambodia
Bangkok (VNA) – Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared on April 24 that the government will support the Army to defend Thai territory and is also ready to take part in bilateral meetings of the two countries’ border committees.
Abhisit Vejjajiva’s made the statement in the context of clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in the disputed border area stepping into the third consecutive day.
Speaking at the weekly Sunday programme broadcast live on NBT channel, the Thai PM said his government is willing to settle the conflict through meetings of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) and the Regional Border Committee (RBC), which may be held in Thailand or Cambodia .
The Cambodian Defence Ministry reported that four Cambodian soldiers were severely injured in the border clash with Thailand on the morning of April 24.
On the same day, the Cambodia Red Cross (CRC) said that 2,560 households with over 9,800 residents were evacuated from combat zones in Oddar Meanchey province. CRC said it had called on domestic and foreign organisations to provide food and drinks in emergency relief for people who lost their houses.
In an effort to ease tension on the Thailand-Cambodia border, on April 25, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa will arrive in Cambodia to discuss with the host country on new developments in the Thailand-Cambodia relations.
In a related development, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on April 23 urged Cambodia and Thailand to restrain themselves to the utmost and immediately take measures to come to an effective ceasefire agreement
Thailand and Cambodia cannot address their current conflict through military measures, he stressed, urging the two sides to hold serious dialogues for a long-term solution./.
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Volunteers help create a greener city
Hanoi (VNA) — Elizabeth Somers, 9, and her Korean friend Su Yon, 12, picked up rubbish around West Lake on April 23 morning instead of playing around the home like other children.
Wearing masks and gloves, they joined about 400 people collecting plastic and other rubbish around the lake. They were volunteers for the Hanoi Environmental Group, in collaboration with non-governmental organisations, companies and individuals, who have organised activities to protect the environment in Hanoi .
"We were here at 9.30am and we're in charge of tidying up this road, including the garden," Elizabeth said. "We have the same environmentally friendly activities at our UNIS school."
Another volunteer, Gerd Koblitz, who came to Vietnam to work as an English teacher, said the campaign will help improve people's awareness of keeping the environment green and clean.
"Environmental protection is our responsibility. If someone dumps waste and assumes that there'll be someone else to pick up their litter, they are wrong. What will happen if everybody has the same thought?" Koblitz said.
He said people in his country, Australia , started the anti-litter movement in the 1970s and most got involved.
Ben Minot, one of the group's founders, said it was the result of initiatives from Hanoi 's expatriate community to preserve Hanoi 's environment.
The group had no office, no leader and no profit, he said.
"All we do is to mobilise expats and Hanoians to gather here and make Hanoi cleaner and cleaner," Minot said.
"This is the second time we've held the campaign. Our Earth Day actions today drew double the number of people last year to clean up West Lake and plant trees," Minot said.
"The volunteers have been divided into groups in charge of different areas around the lake.
"We're not going to go into the lake to clean the water or to clean all around the lake so it will still have a pollution problem and mass fish deaths.
"But we hope our actions will stop people from continuing to dump into the lake," he said.
"Awareness is important and action will create awareness."
Minot, who came with his wife to Hanoi several years ago, said anyone could join the group and tidy up the city instead of complaining about it.
The group said that more initiatives will be launched soon to create a greener Hanoi , including the 26 Degree programme, which will urge people to keep their air conditioners above 26 degree Celcius.
This willreduce energy consumption and the amount of heat pumped into the street and reduce the impact on the environment, the group said.
They have also produced grocery bags using fair-trade labour practices and eco-friendly materials for use instead of plastic bags.
The group was established in April last year with support from the Italian and Australian embassies, companies and individuals.
The first clean-up programme was held last year with the participation of about 170./.
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Ministry raises awareness of benefits of vaccinations
Phu Tho (VNA) — A vaccination week was launched on April 24 by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation in Vietnam to raise awareness among parents or caregivers of the importance of vaccinations in disease prevention.
The week, initiated by the WHO for the first time in Vietnam , will also mobilise resources and secure political support for immunisation programmes.
"Hundreds of thousands of children and women have been protected from diseases in Vietnam thanks to the efforts of the National Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) during the past years," said Deputy Minister of Health Trinh Quan Huan.
"EPI needs strong political commitment both in financial and human terms and the participation of all ministries, sectors and communities from central to local levels in order to lower and eliminate the transmission of dangerous diseases," he said.
Vaccination activities need the support of a strong and effective health system. Priorities are given to mountainous and remote areas and to strengthening community communication, added Huan.
During the week of April 25-30, activities will focus on providing information to parents and caregivers. Events to attract community and media will be offered to increase visibility and the number of national and local media stories on infant immunisation.
Started in 1985, the EPI now has provided free vaccines for 11 transmitted diseases to millions of children under five and women nationwide. The under-five children vaccination rate has reached more than 90 percent continuously in recent years.
Vietnam eliminated wild polio in 2000 and tetanus in 2005. And measles is expected to be eliminated in Vietnam by 2012./.
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Readers celebrate Vietnam Book Day
Hanoi (VNA) — Thousands of people flocked to the Temple of Literature in Hanoi on April 23 to enjoy Vietnam Book Day, initiated by the National Library.
The day, entitled Reading Books for Tomorrow, was supported by publishing houses, companies and bookstores, who agreed to discount one book by 20-30 percent.
Activities were held to connect readers with writers and instruct students how to choose books. There was a cover illustration contest, a talk on reading culture and speed-reading, performance poetry, a favourite books competition and other activities.
"Clan's Bookshelf" library founder Nguyen Quang Thach was in charge of giving away 2000 books, half of which were from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
"According to a survey I took on Valentine's Day, about 100 youngsters chose books as presents for the opposite sex. Therefore, this activity encourages people to give books to each other," he said.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Thuy Anh, founder of the "Read Books with Our Children" Club, told why she established the club.
"At first, I didn't have any intention of consolidating a reading culture," she said. "The idea came to me when I heard my children saying bad words and it turned out they learnt the words from books I had bought for them."
This club was founded to help parents interact with their children and to create a forum for parents to recommend interesting books which are suitable for their children.
Thai Ha Books director Nguyen Manh Hung, PhD, said a reading culture developed from reading habits, book choice and reading skills. Poor farmers did not have enough money to buy books and did not invest in knowledge "even though an investment in knowledge brings benefits", he said.
Book is very expensive because of the high price of paper and small number of copies.
"Last year I talked about reading culture with students of 50 universities nationwide," Hung said. "They were divided into two groups: one reading books all day and the other never touching a book."
"Lots of people came to my book store chain to buy books as a present on Tet. During this holiday, businessmen invited me to their houses to show me their bookshelves instead of their wine shelves as usual," he said.
"I believe that a reading culture has been developing and I do not think that it is dying."
One of those who celebrated Book Day was Le Bach Kim who came away with several books.
"I spent 800,000 VND (38 USD) buying books from early morning to now." Kim said. "Most of them are about literature and nutritional science."
This is the fifth time Vietnam Book Day, initiated by the Hanoi National Library, has been held in the city./.
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Biennial drama festival kicks off
Binh Dinh (VNA) - The National Tuong (classic drama) Festival 2011 kicks off on April 25 in the city of Quy Nhon and runs until April 30.
Nine “tuong” plays, with topics ranging from history to modern folk, will be performed by seven top “tuong” companies, including the Vietnam “Tuong” Theatre, the Hue Royal “Tuong” Troupe and the Dao Tan Tuong Troupe.
To encourage talented youths, only artists under the age of 40 are allowed to take part in the festival this year.
"The regulation is set to give young artists an opportunity to perform on the stage, as well as to ensure that youths have enough opportunities to take main roles," said Vuong Duy Bien, director of the Art Performances Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Vietnam “Tuong” Theatre director Hoang Khiem expressed his approval of this regulation: "The board limits the participating age so that the theatres give main roles for young generation. Even young artists have to strive for promotion in their careers. At the moment, there are many talented youths in the theatre, such as actresses Loc Huyen and Phuong Thanh and actors Dinh Long and Duc Manh."
The jury will grade the artists based on their performances, not based on the quality of the plays.
Two plays that the Vietnam “Tuong” Theatre will bring to the festival are Son Hau and That Hien Quyen. Son Hau is about fighting for power in an acient Chinese royal court. That Hien Quyen focuses on describing social ethics through stories shared among members in a family.
The festival, organised by the culture ministry's Arts Performances Department, takes place every two years./.
Poland gives 25,000 USD to restore Hue gate
Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) — The Foreign Ministry of Poland has agreed to fund more than 25,000 USD for the restoration of the front gate of the Temple of Literature in Hue , the former imperial city, in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue .
The Hue Centre for Relics Conservation said funding would be implemented through the Embassy of Poland in Vietnam .
The project to preserve the Linh Tinh Gate has been approved by the provincial government.
The project, expected to kick off in June for completion in early 2012, will involve in restoring four downgraded decorative columns made of mortar, at a total cost of 1.6 billion VND (80,000 USD).
Linh Tinh Gate, built in the early Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945), serves as the front gate of the Temple of Literature in Hue city, a landmark closely linked to the boat marina on the bank of the Perfume River .
The structure comprising four mortar pillars with the upper sections decorated with enamel has deteriorated during the war and the post-war period. Currently, only four stone bases of the columns remain intact. /.
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The East Sea issue under the light of international law
Hanoi (VNA) - On March 23, 2011, Xinhua - the official news agency of China, published an article titled “ The Nanhai sea dispute from the perspective of the international law of the sea ” by scholars He Jian and Wang Ao from the Xiang Tan University, which not only asserted the so-called “ sovereignty ” of China in the East Sea but also falsely accused Viet Nam and other Southeast Asian nations of having “ bended ” the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and “ fought for China ’s sovereignty ” in the East Sea .
Viet Nam News Agency introduces below an article titled “ The East Sea issue under the light of international law ” written by Hai Bien, a Vietnamese East Sea researcher, aiming to elaborate the East Sea issue under the light of international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
1. Overview of the East Sea
The East Sea is a semi-enclosed sea in the Pacific Ocean , covering an area of over 3.5 million km 2 . It is bordered by nine coastal countries, namely Viet Nam , China , the Philippines , Malaysia , Brunei , Indonesia , Thailand , Cambodia and Singapore . The East Sea is abundant in natural resources, specially oil, gas and marine resources. Recently, a lot of data have shown that the sea has huge reserves of natural hydrate. The sea is the second largest maritime route in the world after the Mediterranean route, with 150 - 200 large-tonnage ships passing through everyday. Imports and exports essential for such major economies as China , Japan , the Republic of Korea , Chinese Taiwan and Hong Kong , depend largely on this shipping route. Militarily, the East Sea is where operate navy fleets of many countries both inside and outside the region. All these factors have led to an inevitable and obvious situation that in the East Sea the interests of many countries are closely intertwined at different levels. Peace and stability in the East Sea directly affect peace and stability in the region and the world.
2. Maritime zones of the countries bordering the East Sea under the international law of the sea
The third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1967-1982) adopted the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea containing 320 articles and nine annexes. As an outcome of prolonged negotiations among different groupings of countries, the Convention constituted a fair and culminant package deal in the process of codification and progressive development of the international law of the sea. It has definitely established the legal regimes for different maritime zones under sovereignty and sovereign rights of coastal states, providing for the rights and obligations of the states in sea-related activities and setting up a series of important international machineries for the implementation of the Convention and settlement of sea disputes such as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the Conference of States Parties to the Convention, the International Seabed Authority and the Commission on the Limit of the Continental Shelf. To date, 161 countries and international organizations are parties to the Convention, including seven countries bordering the East Sea , including Viet Nam , China , Indonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines , Singapore and Brunei .
Applying the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to the conditions of the East Sea , we can see several basic points below:
First , the countries bordering the East Sea have the sovereignty over their internal waters and territorial seas of 12 nautical miles which are measured from their baselines. It is notable that under the international law of the sea of the 1940s-50s, the territorial seas of the countries bordering the East Sea were just 3 nautical miles outside which were high sea. Thus, the Convention has enlarged the territorial seas of the countries bordering the East Sea by 9 nautical miles.
Second , each country bordering the East Sea has the sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles and continental shelf of at least 200 nautical miles. The breadths of both zones are measured from the baseline used to determine its territorial sea. When its actual continental shelf extends beyond 200 nautical miles, a nation bordering the East Sea may expand its continental shelf up to 350 nautical miles provided that it strictly complies with provisions and procedures set out in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea .
Each country bordering the East Sea has full jurisdiction to explore and exploit natural resources in its maritime zones, especially the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, to serve people’s life and national development. Each country bordering the East Sea has full powers to allow or disallow other countries to exploit natural resources in its maritime zones. At the same time, it is obliged to respect those sovereign rights of other neighboring countries. In pursuance to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the countries bordering the East Sea are concurrently obliged to respect other nations’ rights to freedom of navigation in and flight over their exclusive economic zones and the airspaces above these exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.
Third , under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, how should China’s signing of a contract with the Crestone Energy Corp. in 1992 on Vietnam’s Tu Chinh bank and official submission of its “U-shaped line” claim to the United Nations in May 2009, be viewed? The Tu Chinh bank completely lies within Viet Nam ’s 200-nautical mile continental shelf on which Viet Nam has assigned oil exploration blocks. China National Offshore Oil Corp’s signing of a contract in 1992 with the American Crestone Energy Corp. to explore oil and gas in the Tu Chinh bank area within Vietnam’s 200-nautical mile continental shelf (which was called Wan'an Bei in Chinese ) was a blatant violation of Viet Nam’s sovereign rights under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
With regard to the “U-shaped line” or “nine-dotted line” claim, Chinese scholars all are clearly aware that at international seminars on the East Sea held in Ha Noi (in 2009) and Ho Chi Minh City (in 2010) as well as other international seminars, French, Belgian, American and other foreign scholars clearly stated that the “U-shaped line” claim was dubious and groundless and that China should clearly explain the legal nature of sea areas within that “U-shaped line.” So far, both Chinese politicians and scholars have failed to give satisfactory answers.
Proceeding from provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to which China is also a contracting party, it is apparent that this claim is absolutely contrary to provisions of the Convention. No provision in the Convention can justify this claim. Simply because the sea areas encircled by the “U-shaped line” cannot be the territorial sea or exclusive economic zone or continental shelf of China . These sea areas belong to the exclusive economic zones and continental shelves of Viet Nam , the Philippines , Malaysia , Indonesia and Brunei . The irrational “U-shaped line” claim has seriously violated the sovereignty rights of the five ASEAN nations over their exclusive economic zones and continental shelves. Therefore, Viet Nam , Malaysia , Indonesia and the Philippines have sent their diplomatic notes to the United Nations General Secretary to reject this claim.
The presenting of the above irrational claim to the United Nations in 2009 and recent field activities to pursue this claim are further complicating the East Sea situation, truly causing great concerns among the world community. Not only countries involved in the East Sea dispute but also many other countries have expressed their discontent with this claim.
3. Current disputes in the East Sea under the light of international law
There are two types of disputes concerning the East Sea – one over the overlapping continental shelves and economic exclusive zones and the other about sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.
a. Due to the narrow breadth of some areas in the East Sea , such as Bac Bo Gulf and the Gulf of Thailand , which is less than 400 nautical miles, parts of the economic exclusive zones and continental shelves of neighbouring countries overlap. As a result, there exists a number of disputes over the boundaries of the economic exclusive zones and continental shelves between the countries bordering the East Sea .
Relating to Viet Nam , in the North, we have an overlapping area in the continental shelf and economic exclusive zone with China in the Bac Bo Gulf and a smaller area in the entrance to the Gulf. While to the South there are overlapping areas which are claimed by Viet Nam , Cambodia , Thailand and Malaysia in the Gulf of Thailand . In the South of the East Sea , there is an overlapping area which is claimed by both Viet Nam and Indonesia . The same overlapping areas are reported among other countries bordering the East Sea , such as between Malaysia and Thailand , between Thailand and Cambodia and between Indonesia and Malaysia . These overlapping areas have been gradually settled by Viet Nam and relevant countries in an amicable way in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
b. The Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos consist of a series of tiny coral reefs and banks in the middle of the East Sea . At present, these two archipelagos are the centre of complicated disputes between several countries bordering the East Sea . The sovereignty dispute over the Hoang Sa is between Viet Nam and China while that over the Truong Sa is between five countries and six parties, including Viet Nam , China , the Philippines , Malaysia , Brunei ( Brunei claims sea areas) and Chinese Taiwan.
To settle territorial sovereignty disputes, international law has already come up with the principle to establish sovereignty - the principle of effective occupation and effective, continuous and peaceful exercise of state authority. This principle has been used by countries and international jurisdiction bodies in settling disputes over territorial sovereignty in the world. Some of the classical cases should be mentioned here were the dispute over the Palmas island between the USA and the Netherlands , the Minquiers and Ecrehous case between the UK and France , the case of the Clipperton island between Mexico and France or the case of Greenland between Norway and Denmark , and a few others.
Applying the aforementioned principle to the cases of the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, everyone clearly sees that the Vietnamese State has effectively occupied these two archipelagos for hundreds of years. Precisely speaking, the Vietnamese State has exercised its sovereignty over these archipelagos since the 17 th century when they were not under the sovereignty of any country. Since then Viet Nam has exercised effectively, continuously and peacefully its sovereignty over the two archipelagos.
There is ample of evidence on Viet Nam 's sovereignty of the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. The first evidence is the maps of Viet Nam in the 17 th century. In these maps, these two archipelagos were called Bai Cat Vang (Golden Sandbank). And they were part of Bình Son district of Quang Ngai prefecture. The second evidence is contained in many ancient books of Viet Nam, including Toan Tap Thien Nam Tu Chi Lo Do Thu (Route Maps from the Capital to Four Directions) (in the 17 th century), Phu Bien Tap Luc ( Miscellaneous Records on the Pacification of the Frontier) (in 1776), Dai Nam Thuc Luc Tien Bien and Chinh Bien (the First Part of the Chronicles of Dai Nam and the Main Part of the Chronicles of Dai Nam) ( 1844-1848 ) and others. All those books wrote about Hoang Sa and its exploitation by Hoang Sa brigades. In addition, quite many foreign ancient books and maps confirmed the two archipelagos belonged to Viet Nam . The third evidence was that the Vietnamese feudal state had dispatched the Hoang Sa and Bac Hai brigades to exploit the two archipelagos in the name of the State (each brigade consisted of 70 members and its trip lasted for six months to catch tortoises, holothurians and precious snails and collect merchandises in sunken ships). There were specific rules set up by the State on selecting people to go to the archipelagos as well as awarding for those excelled themselves in exploitation duties. Those brigades were continuously operating from the Nguyen Lords (1558-1783) to the Tay Son dynasty (1786-1802) and the Nguyen dynasty. The Nguyen dynasty sent generals Pham Quang Anh (1815), Truong Phuc Si, Pham Van Nguyen and Pham Huu Nhat (from 1834-1836) to the Hoang Sa to survey and measure islands in order to draw a map of the archipelago. During their stay, the sailors also built temples and erected sovereignty markers there. In 2009, the Dang family in Ly Son island, Quang Ngai province, presented to the Vietnamese State a decree of the feudal dynasty confirming that the archipelago belongs to Viet Nam .
Following its domination of Indochina , France , on behalf of Viet Nam , continued to govern the two archipelagos through the sending of battleships to patrol the area to ensure security and prevent smuggling. The French authorities gave permissions to the Japanese to exploit guano on the archipelago. It also sent the De Lanessan ship to conduct oceanographic, geological and biological researches there.
From 1930-1932, the French naval ships of Inconstant, Alerte, La Malicieuse and also De Lanessan were sent to the Hoang Sa archipelago on many occasions. In the early of the 1930s, French troops were deployed in main islands of the Truong Sa archipelago (Truong Sa, An Bang, Ba Binh, Song Tu, Loai Ta and Thi Tu). Such activities were made public in the Gazette of the Republic of France published on July 26, 1933. In 1933, the General Governor of Indochina issued a decree incorporating the Truong Sa archipelago into Ba Ria province. France then separated the Hoang Sa archipelago from Nam Nghia province and merged it into Thua Thien province. France also dispatched a unit to garrison in the Hoang Sa archipelago.
After returning to Indochina , France demanded that troops of the Republic of China withdraw from some islands which they illegally occupied in 1946. And the French troops replaced those of China and rebuilt meteorological and radio stations there.
In 1951, the San Francisco Conference discussed draft Treaty of Peace with Japan . At that Conference, a proposal was put forward to add to the draft Treaty that to return to China the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. Yet, the proposal was rejected. The rejection decision was approved with 46 votes in favour, three against and one abstention. At the Conference, the head of the Vietnamese delegation affirmed the Vietnamese State 's long-standing sovereignty over the two archipelagos. This statement did not meet any objections and/or reservation from the floor.
In 1956 France transferred the Vietnamese southern territory to the Sai Gon administration. And from then on the Sai Gon administration sent troops to the two archipelagos and recognised them administratively, setting up in each archipelago a commune which was part of a mainland district. The Sai Gon administration built sovereignty markers and continued to operate the meteorological stations there.
Since the 1950s, the situation in the two archipelagos became more complicated. Taking advantage of the withdrawal of French troops from Indochina under the Geneva Accords in 1954, China occupied the eastern part of the Hoang Sa archipelago in 1956. The Sai Gon administration vehemently opposed the occupation. In 1959, Chinese troops disguised as fishermen landed on the western part of the Hoang Sa archipelago. However, they were repelled by the troops of the Sai Gon administration and 82 Chinese "fishermen" were arrested. For the western part of the Hoang Sa archipelago, the Sai Gon administration continued to control them until 1974. In the same year, taking advantage of the fight between the army of the Sai Gon administration and the liberation fighters of the South Viet Nam Provisional Government, China once again used navies to occupy the western part of the Hoang Sa archipelago. Following such event, both the Sai Gon administration and the South Viet Nam Provisionary Government came out strongly against the illegal occupation of China over the archipelago.
In 1975, when the Sai Gon administration was overthrown by the revolutionary forces, the Vietnamese State overtook control of the islands within the Truong Sa archipelago and established the districts of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. A naked truth is that by 1988 China never had its presence on the Truong Sa archipelago. On March 14, 1988, China started to use force to occupy some rocks of Viet Nam ’s Truong Sa archipelago. In the imbalanced fight on that day, 64 Vietnamese soldiers devoted their lives to protect the homeland's sovereignty.
In short, under the light of the international law, Viet Nam has all historical evidence and legal foundation to confirm her sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. According to historical records, China only started to occupy the eastern part of Viet Nam 's Hoang Sa archipelago in the 1950s. And in 1974, China resorted to military force to occupy the western part of the archipelago. On March 14, 1988, China again used military force to occupy some rocks of Viet Nam 's Truong Sa archipelago.
4. Solutions to the East Sea issue
a. Issues concerning the East Sea are very complicated, important and sensitive to related countries. Marine resources in the East Sea are vital to the livelihood and daily life of hundreds of millions of people in the nine countries bordering the East Sea . Natural resources here are a necessary condition for the economic construction and development of related countries. Countries bordering the East Sea are stepping up activities in exercising their sovereignty and sovereign rights over their different sea areas respectively. At the same time, there are plentiful and diverse activities related to the East Sea (freedom and safety of navigation, combating crimes at sea, etc.) which are closely associated with the interests of different countries both inside and outside the region.
b. As a result, it is an objective requirement that all countries having activities in the East Sea should adhere to the common rules that the international community, including the countries bordering the East Sea , had worked hard to build – the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. While applying the Convention in exercising its sovereignty and sovereign rights over its internal waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as stipulated in the Convention, each country bordering the East Sea is obliged to respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of other countries bordering the East Sea over their territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and continental shelves. This is an obligation of a member of the United Nations. This is also an obligation under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. This is an obligation under the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
It will be very unfair and irrational when a country bordering the East Sea arbitrarily drew up an ambiguous claim line that goes contrary to the 1982 Convention, violates the sea areas of neighbouring countries, creates a “disputed area” in the waters of neighbouring countries and then requested that the affected countries “put aside disputes to jointly exploit” on their very own continental shelves. Similarly, an act of a country bordering the East Sea on its own discretion imposed a ban on fishing in other neighbouring countries’ exclusive economic zones is also a violation of the 1982 Convention. Such behaviours are clearly violations of international commitments of a member of the United Nations under the Charter of this body.
c. The existence of sovereignty disputes over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos as well as disputes over the overlapping continental shelves and exclusive economic zones is an objective fact. The settlement of such disputes, especially the sovereignty dispute over the two archipelagos, is difficult and complicated, but not impossible. As mentioned above, there are overlapping areas concerning the continental shelves and exclusive economic zones of Viet Nam and China in the Bac Bo Gulf, and Thailand , Indonesia , Malaysia and Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand . In the past, on the basis of the 1982 Convention and in the spirit of friendship, neighbourliness and respect for each other’s legitimate interests, Viet Nam has reached the maritime delimitation lines with Thailand in the Gulf of Thailand, with China in the Bac Bo Gulf and the boundary of the continental shelf with Indonesia in the south of the East Sea. Other countries bordering the East Sea have also settled a number of sea disputes through joint efforts and on the basis of international law. Most recently, sovereignty disputes regarding some islets between Malaysia and Singapore , and between Indonesia and Malaysia were also resolved through awards by the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Those experiences showed that sovereignty disputes over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos and disputes over the overlapping sea areas between countries bordering the East Sea will be amicably settled once international law, including the 1982 Convention, is respected, and peaceful means for solving disputes, which are stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations, are applied. Threat of force or threat to use force has been prohibited by international law. Threat of force or threat to use force will never constitute a proper method for resolving disputes in the East Sea .
d. Disputes related to the East Sea are obviously complicated. The path towards a final solution to these disputes that are acceptable to all concerned parties will be a bumpy and long one. That reality requires the parties to these disputes to make greater efforts. While seeking a fundamental and lasting solution to these disputes, the concerned parties should abide by the commitments prescribed in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), which was signed by ASEAN and China in 2002, in particular the commitment to restraining from any action that can further complicate the situation in the East Sea.
ASEAN member countries and China also need to increase their efforts and work together in building a more legally binding document which is a Code of Conduct in the East Sea . The document can be made in the form of a treaty, an accord, an agreement, or a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between ASEAN and China , which is signed by authorised representatives of ASEAN and China before being approved by competent agencies of ASEAN and China .
Respecting jus cogens principles of international law, the Charter of the United Nations and provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, settling disputes by peaceful means, fully executing all the commitments contained in DOC, advancing toward the building of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea, and jointly working towards making the East Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, all are the key to resolving complex issues related to the East Sea at present./.
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Students help enhance VN-Laos friendship
Dien Bien (VNA) – Students from Laos ’ northern region found it a worthwhile experience being part of efforts to bolster friendship with Vietnam ’s northern province of Dien Bien.
During three days in Dien Bien, from April 22 to 24, students from Phongsaly, Luang Prabang and Oudomxay provinces took part in a sport competition and artistic performances with their local peers. These events, where barriers in language became a minor problem, have also helped participating students to understand more about the two countries’ culture and traditional customs./.
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Vietnam, RoK look to increased cooperation
Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Defence Minister Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh welcomed first Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Park Suk Hwan to the first Vietnam-RoK deputy foreign minister-level strategic dialogue on external relations, security and national defence.
Vinh hosted a reception in Hanoi on April 25 for the visiting RoK official, who gave high estimations of the Vietnamese Government’s support to his country in the past.
The RoK official expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Defence Ministry and other agencies would continue to pay attention to boosting Vietnam-RoK cooperative relations./.
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HCM City leader greets Vatican representative
HCM City (VNA) - Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli’s appointment as non-resident representative of the Holy See to Vietnam and his visit showed a developing relationship between Vietnam and the Vatican.
Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Chairman Le Hoang Quan made the comment during his reception on April 25 for the Archbishop, who is currently in the city for the first annual meeting of the Vietnam Episcopal Council, from April 25 to 29.
The reception saw the presence of Cardinal Pham Minh Man, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City Archdiocese (HCMCA).
Quan affirmed that municipal authorities always follow the Party and State’s policies on activities of religions and the city’s development is significantly enhanced by religious followers, including Catholics, with many meaningful activities in healthcare and social charity.
The municipal leader spoke highly of the roles of Cardinal Pham Minh Man and HCMCA priests in the national construction and development as well as encouraging local parishioners to fulfil their role as Vietnamese Catholics.
Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli said his visit aims to strengthen ties between the Vatican Holy See and the Vietnamese government.
He said he saw many progresses made by Vietnam with many achievements in improving the people’s lives and expressed his belief that the Vietnam Episcopal Council would provide continued contributions to the development of Vietnam, especially in the fields of education and public health.
Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli arrived in Vietnam on April 18 and will stay in the country till May 1./.
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13th NA to convene first session in July
Hanoi (VNA) – The first session of the 13 th National Assembly is expected to open on July 21 and close on August 16, 2011.
This information was released at the 39 th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 12 th National Assembly, which opened in Hanoi on April 25 to review the results of the 12 th NA’s ninth session and discuss preparations for the first session of the 13 th NA.
During the first session, the NA will spend 14 days working on State agencies’ organisation and personnel, including electing the Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons of the NA, members of the Standing Committee, the Council of Ethnic Minorities and committees of the NA; the State President and Vice President, the Prime Minister, the Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court, and the Head of the Supreme People’s Procuracy.
The NA will decide on the Government’s organisational structure and approve the nominations of deputy prime ministers, ministers and other members of the Government.
The NA will spend five days discussing reports and deciding on several other important issues, including the adoption of the 2009 State budget balance.
Regarding law building work, the NA will consider approving a resolution on the 2012 law and decree-building programme and give comments to two draft laws, including the amended Water Resource Law and the Law on Tertiary Education.
Presenting a report on the results of the 12 th NA’s ninth session, Tran Dinh Dan, Head of the NA Office, said the results of the ninth session continued to affirm renovations and progress made by the 12 th NA during its four-year term.
All institutions in the State apparatus have fulfilled their tasks excellently, he said, adding that NA deputies and the public appreciated the agencies’ efforts and sense of responsibility in preparing their term summarisation reports.
On legislative work, the NA has allocated adequate time to considering and adopting three laws and contributing ideas to one bill, Dan said.
The NA deputies basically agreed with the major contents of the report. However, many of them said the report should more clearly analyse the characteristics of the current national situation, with income difficulties and increasing prices making people’s life more unstable.
Voters and people nationwide also paid attention to corruption prevention and public spending supervision, which are factors that the NA should take into account when building action programmes, they said.
The report should assess and highlight the operations of the NA and agencies in the State apparatus, as well as draw out lessons and experiences and make specific proposals in order to help the agencies to better perform their roles and responsibilities in the new tenure, the legislators said./.
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French naval vessel visits Vietnam
Hai Phong (VNA) – The French navy frigate Le Vendemiaire with the 93-sailor crew on board docked at Hai Phong port on April 25, starting its six-day visit to the city.
Captain Stanislas de Chargeres will pay courtesy visits to leaders of the municipal People’s Committee, the High Command of Military Zone 3 and the Navy High Command.
The Maritime College under the Navy High Command will have the chance to explore the ship, whose name means “grape harvest”.
Put into operation in 1993, the surveillance ship with its base in Noumea , New Caledonia performs duties in the Pacific region.
The ship will leave Hai Phong on April 30, the day that marks a magnificent victory that reunified Vietnam. /.
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Cambodia opposition leader gets extra sentence
Phnom Penh (VNA) -- The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on April 25 sentenced Sam Rainsy, who led the Party of the same name, in absentia to two years in jail and fined him 2,000 USD for public defamation and inciting discrimination.
The charges were brought under the new criminal code and stem from comments that Sam Rainsy made in a speech on April 17, 2008, saying that the current Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong was formerly the chief of Boeung Trabek prison in the Khmer Rouge regime.
"Sam Rainsy's claims are groundless and incite discrimination against government officials," said the verdict read by the presiding judge, Seng Neang.
"The verdict is just and brings cleanness to my client," the lawyer for Hor Namhong told reporters after the verdict announcement.
In 2010, Sam Rainsy, 60, who is currently living in exile in France , was sentenced in absentia to a total of 12 years in prison for vandalism after he uprooted border markers with Vietnam and for forging public documents and disseminating false information relating to a map of the border between Cambodia and Vietnam . /.
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Vietnam, Polish Party boost ties
Hanoi (VNA) – Poland and its left wing party, the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) consider Vietnam as an important partner in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific, affirmed SLD Chairman G. Napieralski.
Chairman G. Napieralski made the statement at a reception given by Truong Tan Sang, Politburo member and permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) Secretariat, in Hanoi on April 25.
He said he hoped the Vietnam-Poland cooperative relations would continue to develop, particularly in economics, investment, culture, science-technology, education-training, shipbuilding, marine transport and energy.
The Vietnamese Party, State and people attach importance to the traditional friendship and cooperation with Poland and SLD, stressed Politburo member Sang.
He shared the same view with the guest on the importance of developing the active relationship between the two Parties and helping to enhance the relationship between the national assemblies and mass organisations of the two countries.
Earlier, SLD Chairman G. Napieralski held talks with CPVCC member and Director of the CPVCC Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan on issues of mutual concern and measures to promote bilateral relations between the two Parties and countries.
The Polish delegation worked with leaders and toured a number of cultural and socio-economic establishments in Hanoi and the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh./.
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Vietnam, Cambodia sign education protocol
Phnom Penh (VNA) – Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam Pham Vu Luan and Minister of Education, Youth and Sports of Cambodia Im Sethy on April 25 signed a protocol on education cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia in the period 2011 -2015.
The protocol was inked on the occasion of the two-day visit of the delegation from the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam to Cambodia from April 25-26, aiming to replace the protocol on education cooperation in the period of 2006-2010 signed between the two countries in 2005.
Under the protocol, in the future, Vietnam and Cambodia will continue to exchange delegations at all levels as well as cooperate further on education between educational agencies and scientific research organisations of the two nations.
For its part, Vietnam will support Cambodia in teaching Vietnamese at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
During the talks between the two education delegations before the signing ceremony, the two sides highly valued the implementation results of the previous protocol.
Accordingly, from 2006 until now, Vietnam received 1,167 students from Cambodia , with postgraduate students accounting for 20-25 percent; Cambodia , each year also provided Vietnamese students with 10-15 scholarships for studying in the country’s universities./.
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Vietnam, Russia urged to enhance cooperation
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and Russia need to work closely to implement agreements signed by leaders, focusing on boosting bilateral cooperation in economics trade, investment, culture, education-training and science-technology, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
PM Dung asked both sides to make good preparations for the Vietnam visit by Russian Prime Minister V. Putin in July while receiving Russian Deputy Foreign Minister A. Borodavkin in Hanoi on April 25.
The PM highly valued the outcomes of the regular political consultation at deputy foreign ministerial level between the two foreign ministries in Hanoi , saying that the results showed confidence and cooperation between the two ministries and made contributions to the Vietnam-Russia strategic partnership.
He affirmed Vietnam’s readiness to accelerate the warming-up of negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and member countries of the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Alliance, which is expected to facilitate trade, investment and targets to raise two-way trade to 3 billion USD by 2012 and 10 billion USD by 2020.
PM Dung said Vietnam is also ready to cooperate with Russia in aviation and space technology for peaceful purposes, as well as organising the APEC 2012 Summit .
Deputy FM Borodavkin informed PM Dung that during the consultation meeting, the two sides discussed orientations and measures to enhance bilateral cooperation and ease difficulties to accelerate the implementation of strategic cooperation projects, especially the project on construction of the first nuclear-power plant in Vietnam .
Both sides supported the continued expansion of cooperation on energy and implementing the two countries’ leaders guidelines that the head of the Vietnam-Russia intergovernmental committee on economic trade and scientific-technological cooperation will be a permanent deputy prime minister/first deputy prime minister, he told PM Dung.
During Deputy Foreign Minister Borodavkin’s visit to Vietnam from April 24-26, the Russian Deputy FM and his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son conducted a political consultation.
The regular political consultation at deputy foreign ministerial level was to review situations and discuss measures to strengthen the traditional friendship and promote cooperation between the two countries in the context of the two nations celebrating the 10 th anniversary of their strategic partnership.
Both sides agreed that the Vietnam-Russia strategic partnership is developing in a strong and comprehensive manner.
The two deputy FMs highly valued the close cooperation between Vietnam and Russia at the United Nations, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
Vietnam asked for Russia’s support in its bid for membership of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2013-2016 term and as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term and the Russians acknowledged Vietnam’s proposal./.
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Preparations for elections on right track
Hanoi (VNA) – Preparations for the elections of the 13th National Assembly (NA) and People's Council at all levels for the 2011-16 term are being carried out in accordance with the law, Secretary General of the Election Council Pham Minh Tuyen said.
Tuyen, who is also Head of the NA Standing Committee’s Delegates Board, made the statement at the 39th session of the NA Standing Committee in Hanoi on April 25.
Under the Election Council and relevant central agencies’ close guidance, nationwide preparations are due to be completed within the deadline for the election, he said.
Party General Secretary and NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong emphasised the need to mobilise the entire political system and people to be involved in the preparation and continue to popularise the elections with focus on scale, content and methods of the dissemination work.
Relevant agencies should guide cadres who are directly involved in the election work and ensure social security and order for the elections and supervision work, he said./.
BUSINESS
Finance Ministry adjusts ceiling price of airfares
Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Finance has issued a decision to adjust the ceiling price of economy airfares on the domestic market from April 27.
Under the decision, the new ceiling price ranges from 2.72 million VND (130 USD) for a one-way ticket over 1,280 km to 863,000 VND (41.3 USD) for flights under 300 km.
The present ceiling price ranges from 682,000 VND (34 USD) to 1.8 million VND (90 USD)./.
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Saigon Paper to export tissue to Japan
Hanoi (VNA) – The Sai Gon Paper Joint Stock Company (SGP) has won a contract valued at 120,000 USD with Japanese partners to export tissues to the Japanese market.
Under the contract’s terms, the tissues bearing SGP’s trademark and logo will be distributed to over 200 trading centres in Japan .
SGP will first ship 13 containers of tissues per month and will later increase the export volume to at least 50 containers per month after the company’s My Xuan II factory comes into operation.
My Xuan II factory, with total investment capital of 2,000 billion VND (93 million USD), will put into operation three production lines of coated paper, consumption paper and carton packaging paper in August, September and November, respectively./.
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First building with hanging gardens inaugurated
HCM City (VNA) – A luxury apartment complex, the first in Vietnam having hanging gardens, was inaugurated in Ho Chi Minh City on April 24 after two years of construction.
The Ruby Garden building is designed with giant hanging gardens on alternate floors around the four surfaces of the building.
The 12-storey building has 302 apartments and 12 penthouses with their own hanging gardens.
It also has a trade and services centre, a park, a swimming pool, a sport centre and children’s playground.
The project, which is close to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, was designed by MIA of Belgium and built under the supervision of IDEAL of the US./.
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Kinh Do looks to expand global presence
HCM City (VNA) — The Kinh Do food and beverage corporation, listed at the HCM Stock Exchange as KDC, plans to issue 20 million global depositary receipts (GDR) this year.
Its shareholder annual meeting on April 23 approved the new issue via private placement and authorised executive board to choose the suitable time and method to gain the best benefit.
CEO Tran Le Nguyen said, with consultancy from Sacombank Securities (SBS), Deutsche Bank was chosen as the underwriter.
He will apply for private placement to the State Securities Commission and expect to collect the money by July.
A depositary receipt is a negotiable certificate that represents a company's publicly traded debt or equity, which facilitates trading outside the country where the company operates.
The sale is hoped to help KDC increase its chartered capital by 200 billion VND (9.5 million USD) to almost 1.4 trillion VND (66.7 million USD), plus a larger amount of surplus.
The receipt will then be listed at the London Stock Exchange, following the step of Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAG), who pioneered the GDR issuance and last month its GDR were listed on the LSE board as the first by a Vietnamese firm.
KDC will try to pay this year's dividends at 24 percent, just as 2010, despite the challenging general economic situation.
Shareholders approved that KDC should focus on its core business and reduce financial investment.
It targets a food and beverage turnover (not calculating the property business in the turnover as this operation may not bring in fruitful result this year) at 4.2 trillion VND (200 million USD) this year, up from last year's 3.3 trillion VND.
Gross profit is expected to reach 500 billion VND from 2010's 420 billion VND./.
April CPI reaches 20-year high
Hanoi (VNA) — The consumer price index (CPI) in April soared 3.32 percent against last month, making it the highest month-on-month increase since 1991.
The General Statistics Office (GSO) report, released on April 24, said the rise exceeded that of the April 2008 high of 2.2 percent, which was blamed on the global economic crisis.
The inflation rate in the first four months of 2011 soared 9.64 percent, higher than the yearly target of 7 percent.
The GSO director Nguyen Duc Thang attributed the April increase to the price hike of essential goods such as food, foodstuffs and petrol.
"Political uncertainties in North Africa and the Middle East, as well earthquakes and the nuclear crisis in Japan , have caused commodity prices to soar worldwide. Vietnam is not immune," he said.
He added that the biggest force behind the rise had been the petrol price hikes on February 24 and March 29, and the higher cost of power price since March.
Economists attributed that the uncertainties of foreign exchanges, although were slowing down, still bothered when it resulted in a high cost for domestic enterprises to import goods and materials.
All 11 commodities groups used to calculate the CPI saw increases this month. Transport prices continued to rise in the second month, surging 6.04 percent due to a hike in petrol price. Meanwhile, the cost of food soared 5.61 percent.
The cost of eating out and restaurant services rose 4.5 percent, while foodstuffs rose 2.47 percent.
Housing and construction materials (electricity, water, fuel and rent) saw the fourth biggest rise, climbing 4.38 percent. Textile-garments and home utensils and equipment saw slighter increases, rising 1.63 and 1.38 percent, respectively.
Despite soaring inflation, the price of gold and the US dollar fell by 1.2 percent and 1.61 percent against the previous month. Neither were taken into account when calculating the CPI.
The CPI should not rise further after April if the State Bank was consistent to the tightened monetary policies, said Le Xuan Nghia, deputy chairman of the National Financial Supervision Council.
Nghia said new policies on monetary supply would come into effect in May./.
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