Vietnam ethnic minority people

Chairman of the National Assembly (NA)’s Ethnic Affairs Council Ha Ngoc Chien has called on the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to support Vietnam in organising training courses for deputies to the NA and all-level People’s Councils in ethnic minority-inhabited areas.

The courses aim to equip the deputies with knowledge and capacity for researching, analysing and assessing policies towards ethnic minority groups, Chien told Louise Chamberlai, UNDP Country Director in Vietnam, in Hanoi on September 6.

At the meeting, the official proposed the UNDP coordinate with his council to evaluate the implementation of the national target programmes on poverty reduction and new-style rural area building, and others on socio-economic development in extremely difficult villages and communes.

He also suggested the 2017-2021 joint strategic plan between the Vietnamese Government and the UN, which is being drafted, pay special attention to ethnic minority people who face numerous difficulties in integration and development.

Host and guest also reviewed outcomes of cooperation between the council and the UNDP over the past time, especially the project on enhancing budget supervision capacity of people-elected agencies in mountainous and ethnic minority-inhabited areas.

Louise Chamberlai noted her hope that the two sides will hold regular meetings and share information about issues of mutual concern in the time ahead./.

Water security in Asia and Pacific has progressed overall in the past 5 years, but major challenges remain, including overexploited groundwater, demand from rising populations, and climate variability, according to a new report from ADB.

The new edition of the Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO 2016) released on August 30th 2016 at World Water Week in Stockholm provides a snapshot of the water security status of 48 of the region’s countries, using latest data sets. According to these, the number of countries assessed as water insecure has dropped to 29, compared to 38 (out of 49 countries) identified in the previous issue of the report in 2013.

“Asia and Pacific remains the world’s most vulnerable region to water insecurity and cannot sustain its recent economic growth without addressing this issue,” said ADB Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development Bambang Susantono, who led the launch in Stockholm. “Meeting the region’s socioeconomic challenges and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water will require bridging the gap in provision of water services between rich and poor in urban areas, and between rural and urban areas.”

The report cites that in Asia and the Pacific, 1.7 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. Recent estimates suggest that by 2050, 3.4 billion people could be living in water-stressed areas in Asia and the Pacific while water demand will increase by 55%.

AWDO 2016 assesses water security in 5 key dimensions—namely household access, economic viability, urban services, restoring rivers and ecosystems, and resilience to water-related disasters.

Advanced economies such as Australia, Japan and New Zealand consistently lead the way, followed by countries in East Asia—led by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which has taken the biggest stride to improve water security since the AWDO 2013 edition.

On household access to piped potable water and improved sanitation, the water security score in Asia and the Pacific on a 20-point scale ranges from 4.5 for South Asia to 20.0 for the advanced economies. All parts of the region improved their performance by about 2 points since 2013, except for the Pacific islands. But although the rural-urban gap has been reduced in some countries (such as Armenia and Thailand), the report says major disparities remain between rural and urban areas and between rich and poor on services and infrastructure for piped water supply and sanitation. South Asian countries particularly need to make considerable efforts to improve their performance in this dimension.

The second key dimension, economic water security, provides an assessment of the productive use of water to sustain economic growth in food production, industry and energy.

Most of the change since 2013 has been positive with advanced countries again showing the highest scores and Pacific islands lagging. But there remains room for improvement across the region. Countries that merit strengthening current conditions are concentrated in Central Asia.

On No. 3, urban water security, East Asia has shown positive progress while South and Southeast Asia still have some way to go, particularly Myanmar, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

Nearly half of the economies have piped water supply levels higher than 85% but less than 50% of the urban population have access to improved sanitation.

In many areas, the majority of wastewater is discharged to the environment having received little to no treatment. The report says significant investment and leadership is needed to reliably meet the water needs of cities.

The fourth key dimension describes how well a country is able to manage its river basins and sustain ecosystem services. This shows a wide range of results, with the Pacific islands scoring highly due to good river health and advanced economies doing well due to strong governance.

Declining river health is most evident in Bangladesh, the lower Yangtze River Basin of the PRC, Nepal, and Mekong Delta in Viet Nam, the report says.

For the fifth key dimension, resilience to water-related disasters, advanced economies show the strongest performance while much of the rest of Asia and the Pacific has been weak.

Between 1995 and 2015, there were some 2,495 water-related disasters striking Asia, killing 332,000 people and affecting a further 3.7 billion. South Asia showed the lowest resilience score, but several other countries showed strong improvement since 2013. These included Pakistan; the Philippines; and Taipei,China.

The report concludes that the relationship between water security and the economy can be a virtuous—or a vicious—circle. “There is a strong relationship between water management and the economy, and investments in good water management can be considered as a longer term payback for increased growth and poverty reduction,” the publication says. “Water-related investments can increase economic productivity and growth, while economic growth provides the resources to invest in institutions and capital-intensive water infrastructure.”

AWDO 2016 is produced by ADB in partnership with the Asia Pacific Water Forum and three specialist agencies—Asia Pacific Center for Water Security at Tsinghua University, International Water Management Institute, and International Water Centre. Key contributions have also been made by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis./.

Part 1: A Chinese-originated movement

Raising from China, Falun Gong, a spiritual practice, has spread to many countries including Vietnam. But there is still a lot of questions around this movement. What is it? Religion, belief or just an exercise. Why is it forbidden in China? Is it bad or good? 

Falun Gong or Falun Dafa (literally, "Dharma Wheel Practice" or "Law Wheel Practice") is a Chinese spiritual practice that combines meditation and qigong exercises with a moral philosophy centered on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. It was established in the early 90s by Li Hongzhi. The practice emphasizes morality and the cultivation of virtue, and identifies as a qigong practice of the Buddhist school, though its teachings also incorporate elements drawn from Taoist traditions. Through moral rectitude and the practice of meditation, practitioners of Falun Gong aspire to eliminate attachments, and ultimately to achieve spiritual enlightenment.

As a matter of doctrinal significance, Falun Gong is intended to be "formless," having little to no material or formal organization. Practitioners of Falun Gong cannot collect money or charge fees, conduct healings, or teach or interpret doctrine for others. There are no administrators or officials within the practice, no system of membership, and no churches or physical places of worship. In the absence of membership or initiation rituals, Falun Gong practitioners can be anyone who chooses to identify themselves as such. Students are free to participate in the practice and follow its teachings as much or as little as they like, and practitioners do not instruct others on what to believe or how to behave.

Spiritual authority is vested exclusively in the teachings of founder Li Hongzhi. But organizationally Falun Gong is decentralized, and local branches and assistants are afforded no special privileges, authority, or titles. Volunteer "assistants" or "contact persons" do not hold authority over other practitioners, regardless of how long they have practiced Falun Gong. Li's spiritual authority within the practice is absolute, yet the organization of Falun Gong works against totalistic control, and Li does not intervene in the personal lives of practitioners. Falun Gong practitioners have little to no contact with Li, except through the study of his teachings. There is no hierarchy in Falun Gong to enforce orthodoxy, and little or no emphasis is given on dogmatic discipline; the only thing emphasized is the need for strict moral behavior, according to Craig Burgdoff, a professor of religious studies. To the extent that organization is achieved in Falun Gong, it is accomplished through a global, networked, and largely virtual online community. In particular, electronic communications, email lists and a collection of websites are the primary means of coordinating activities and disseminating Li Hongzhi's teachings.

Outside Mainland China, a network of volunteer 'contact persons', regional Falun Dafa Associations and university clubs exist in approximately 80 countries. Li Hongzhi's teachings are principally spread through the Internet. In most mid- to large-sized cities, Falun Gong practitioners organize regular group meditation or study sessions in which they practice Falun Gong exercises and read Li Hongzhi's writings. The exercise and meditation sessions are described as informal groups of practitioners who gather in public parks—usually in the morning—for one to two hours. Group study sessions typically take place in the evenings in private residences or university or high school classrooms, and are described by David Ownby as "the closest thing to a regular 'congregational experience'" that Falun Gong offers. Individuals who are too busy, isolated, or who simply prefer solitude may elect to practice privately. 

          Some sources have estimated the Falun Gong population in China to have peaked between 10 and 70 million practitioners. The number of Falun Gong practitioners still practicing in China today is difficult to confirm, though some sources estimate that tens of millions continue to practice privately. Falun Gong is practiced by tens, and possibly hundreds of thousands outside China, with the largest communities found in Taiwan and North American cities with large Chinese populations, such as New York and Toronto./. (to be continued)

Can Tho City on September 1 held a ceremony to celebrate the 71^st anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day (Sept. 2). Present at the ceremony were head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilization Truong Thi Mai, leaders and former leaders of the city, local Vietnamese heroic mothers, heroes of the People’s Armed Forces and local troops.

In the anti-American War, the city’s authorities and locals together fought bravery for the national liberation and reunification cause.

* The same day, the Communist Party of Vietnam online newspaper held an art program, named “National Day – August Autumn” in praise of the Party, President Ho Chi Minh, Uncle Ho’s soldiers and Vietnamese heroic mothers. The program aimed to raise awareness among Vietnamese people at home and abroad of the cause of national solidarity, construction and protection.

* Units under Military Region 7 held various activities, including talks, gatherings and meetings for veteran revolutionaries, heroes of the People’s Armed Forces, labor heroes and historical witnesses of the August Revolution. On this occasion, the military region command, in association with the Ho Chi Minh Television, held an art exchange program, visited and presented gifts to veteran revolutionaries, Vietnamese heroic mothers and policy beneficiaries.

* Meanwhile, in Hai Phong city, a ceremony was held to honor 145 outstanding students, who won prizes at various national and international knowledge contests. In the academic year 2015-2016, the city’s education and training sector successfully completed the set targets.

* Da Nang city holds various activities to celebrate the National Day, such as an art program, titled “Towards national seas and islands” on September 3 evening at Rong (Dragon) bridge; a photo exhibition themed “Da Nang - Achievements and progress during 30 years of innovation” at the Museum of the city from August 30 to September 15 and the Open Traditional Boat Race Da Nang – VTV8 Cup on September 2 on the Han River.

* The Tay Ninh provincial People’s Committee opened a photo exhibition on September 1 to mark the 180^thfounding anniversary of the city. The exhibition featured 306 photos and documents over the past two centuries, arranged in five topics depicting the city’s formation and development.

Vietnam ranks eleventh out 67 countries and territories around world in the list of the best places to live abroad in the third annual InterNations Expat Insider 2016 survey.

This is big progress for Vietnam as the country only ranked 35th in last year's survey. In 2016, the top ten were Chinese Taipei, Malta, Ecuador, Mexico, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Australia, Austria, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic. Chinese Taipei tops the list this year, beating last year’s favourites Malta, Ecuador and Mexico. In addition to the best overall rating, the East Asian island also holds first place for personal finance and quality of life, and second place for its working conditions. An impressive 85% of expats are satisfied with their financial situation, compared to a global average of 64% saying the same. An ever higher percentage of expats in Chinese Taipei praise the quality and affordability of the local healthcare system, at 94 and 95% respectively. Malta, ranking second this year, has jumped from 42nd to 6th position for personal finances, the country’s first position worldwide for climate and weather, as well as the highly rated availability of leisure options; expats can find a wide range of diversions right at their doorstep. After ranking first for two years, Ecuador has been dethroned by career boosters Taiwan and Malta. The country has dropped from a strong 7th rank to a mediocre 30th position in the Working Abroad Index, mainly due to heavy losses in the Job Security subcategory, where it comes in 50th place. For its annual Expat Insider survey, InterNations asked about 14,300 expatriates representing 174 nationalities and living in 191 countries or territories to rate and provide information on various aspects of expat life, as well as their gender, age, and nationality. Participants were asked to rate 43 different aspects of life abroad on a scale of one to seven. The rating process emphasised the respondents’ personal satisfaction with these aspects and considered both emotional topics as well as more factual aspects with equal weight./.

Effective since 2013, the new Law on Anti-Terrorism (the Law) serves as a complete and solid legal foundation for the prevention and combat of terrorism and financing of terrorism in Vietnam.

The 51-article Law provides anti-terrorism principles, policies, measures and forces; state management, international cooperation and responsibilities of agencies, organizations and individuals in the prevention and combat of terrorism.

Under the Law, the State will implement six groups of policies on the prevention and combat of terrorism. These policies include: raising the capacity of anti-terrorism forces; encouraging and mobilizing organizations and individuals to participate in the prevention and combat of terrorism; strictly punishing all individuals and organizations committing acts of terrorism and financing terrorism; and granting leniency.

Anti-terrorism steering committees will be established at national, ministerial and provincial levels.

Prevention and combat of terrorism

The term “terrorism” is defined in Clause 1 of Article 3 by listing specific acts which are regarded as terrorist actions.

The Law devotes Chapter III to providing the prevention of terrorism. Eight groups of measures to prevent terrorism and financing of terrorism are specified from Articles 20 to 27, ranging from communication and education, management of security and order, control of transport activities, control of transaction of monetary and property, control of imported, exported, transit goods and means of transport, control of activities of publication, press, post and telecommunications, control of food safety and hygiene and medicine, and elaboration and implementation of anti-terrorism plans.

Chapter IV regulates the combat of terrorism, specifying the detection of terrorism, receipt and processing of reported information and denunciations about terrorism, measures to prevent terrorism, measures to fight terrorists and counter terrorist attacks at foreign diplomatic and consular offices, representative offices of international organizations and residences of these offices’ members, and overseas agencies, organizations and Vietnamese. According to Article 28, through their operation, agencies, organizations and individuals must proactively detect terrorism.

The combat of terrorism must use measures specified in this Law and the laws on protection of national security and maintenance of social order. The Law also provides 12 groups of urgent measures to stop and eliminate terrorism and minimize harmful effects of terrorism.  

Besides, five groups of prohibited acts related to terrorism are specified in Article 6: (i) acts of terrorism and financing terrorism; (ii) concealing, harboring and not reporting on acts of terrorism and financing terrorism; (iii) revealing state secrets in anti-terrorism activities; (iv) intentionally spreading false information on terrorism and financing of terrorism; obstructing and causing difficulties to the prevention and combat of terrorism; and (v) abusing position and power in the prevention and combat of terrorism to infringe upon the State’s interests and rights and legitimate interests of organizations and individuals.

Combat of financing of terrorism

As per the Law, financing of terrorism is an act of mobilizing or providing monetary and property supports in whatever form to a terrorist organization or terrorists.

The Law provides measures and mechanisms to combat financing of terrorism.

Chapter V specifies detection of acts of financing terrorism; receipt and processing of reported information and denunciations about financing of terrorism; identification and updating of client information and application of provisional measures; and control of cross-border transport of cash, precious metals, gems and negotiable instruments.

According to Article 33, when detecting signs or acts of financing terrorism, the State Bank, financial institutions, related organizations and individuals conducting relevant non-financial business lines and other organizations and individuals must promptly report them to anti-terrorism forces.

International cooperation

Principles and contents of international cooperation on anti-terrorism are provided in Chapter VI.

International cooperation in the prevention and combat of terrorism must assure independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, comply with domestic laws and respect international conventions and fundamental principles of international law.

International cooperation will focus on information exchange, anti-terrorism training and exercises, building of legal capacity and settlement of terrorism cases.

To enforce the Law, four decrees will be issued in the coming time.

Maybe or maybe not, you have heard about the movement of the Path of Vietnam, a group called itself as a revolutionary organization for Vietnamese people. But what has this group done for the country and people? Here, we just see negative impacts of its activities. They joined in calling protests against the Party and State’s policies of developing the country’s economy, inciting people to violent demonstrations in related to sensitive issues like the South China Sea disputes, land clearance and recently the environmental disease in central provinces, and conducting activities that hurt the country’s reputation and the national interests. Some typical members which violated and were punished by Vietnamese laws like Lê Công Đinh, Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức, Lê Thăng Long and other foreign linked members like Nguyễn Xuân Ngãi, Nguyễn Sĩ Bình, Nguyễn Công Huân, Lê Quốc Tuấn prove for the group’s reactionary essence. Let find out how this group has deceived the public at home and abroad.

On June 10th 2012, Lê Thăng Long on behalf of three initiators:  Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức, Lê Công Định and Lê Thăng Long, publicly launched the Vietnam Path Movement. This is a non-partisan movement calling upon every Vietnamese citizen to act so that “Human Rights must be respected and protected above all and equally in Vietnam” in order to build a substantial democracy for the people.  The movement was introduced to encouraging reception from both in-country and overseas compatriots. As it self-proclaims the ultimate goal of the movement of The Path of Vietnam is to make the Human Rights to be first and equally respected for and protected in Vietnam so that the Vietnamese people are respected and may confidently and fully exercise all their citizen rights in reality so as to be master of their country and legitimately create wealth for themselves.

 At first, Vietnam Path Movement announced its Board of Directors and Executives including Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức – Founder - Chairman Emeritus, Lê Công Định – Founder – Chief of Administration Emeritus, Nguyễn Xuân Ngãi – Deputy Chief of Administration, Nguyen Công Huân – Chief Executive, Lê Quốc Tuấn – Spokesman.

The group calls itself an association of volunteers who collectively strive for achieving its goals and obeying its points of view, ways of actions, guiding principles and platform. It said the group is not a political party that works to seek for ruling terms in Vietnam. Nevertheless, it will be in favor of any political party that has the policies which conform to the objective laws and satisfy the people’s will, and vice versa it will oppose to any policy of any party that go against this rule.

 The group’s founders and leaders are unfortunately criminals which violated Vietnamese laws. Firstly, about Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức, who was born on 29 November 1966 is a self-claimed Vietnamese engineer, entrepreneur and human rights activist. He was the founder and president of EIS, an international internet and telephone line provider. He was arrested in 2009, initially for "theft of telephone wires", and later for "conducting propaganda" against the state. He made a televised confession but later recanted, saying he was coerced.

The second figure is Lê Công Định, born October 1, 1968. Dinh was a Vietnamese lawyer who sat on the defence of many human rights cases in Vietnam. He was arrested by the Vietnamese government on June 13, 2009 on charges of national security. And the third one is Lê Thăng Long, born in 1967 in Hanoi, is also self-proclaimed as human rights activists, a dissident. Yes, they all along with another young guy Nguyen Tiến Trung were arrested in 2009 on national security charges under article 88 of Vietnam's criminal code ("conducting propaganda against the government"). The authority announced that lot of documents and conspiracy evidences had confiscated which indicate the attempt to overthrow the state of Vietnam by these individuals. In 2010 they were tried in day-long trial by sentences for many years in prison for their crimes.

        The group and its leaders are not moral revolutionary examples like the Party and State’s leaders in the Vietnam wars, so they can not call for any advanced movements in the name of human rights and democracy. People should be aware of their true essence and keep away their illegal activities that undermine the country’s security and interests./.

MOST beaches in four of Vietnam’s central provinces have now been declared safe for swimming and fish farming, heard a conference held in Quang Tri Province on August 22 by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in cooperation with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Quang Tri local officials and the Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

Professor Mai Trong Nhuan, who headed a team of Vietnamese and foreign scientists commissioned by the government to study the impact of the disaster, told that the chemicals, including cyanide and carbolic acids, are becoming more dilute, chemicals and substances including phenol and iron are at permissible levels in line with the nation’s standards QCVN 10-MT 2015/BTNMT. He said the coral reefs are recovering as the presence of the toxic substance has reduced by 90 percent in samples taken in July and August.

“Aquatic creatures are returning and the ecosystem is recovering,” he said at a conference held in Quang Tri by the environment ministry and the Vietnam Institute for Science and Technology.

The latest study found that contamination in most parts of the affected areas were now safe for swimming, aquaculture and aquatic conservation activities. However, it requires more time for the Ministry of Health to study and announce whether seafood caught in the waters off the provinces are safe for eating or not.

Test results between late April and August by the Ministry of Health showed that pollutant concentrations in seafood of the four central provinces dropped steadily. Nhuan said the ministries of health and agriculture-rural development would monitor the quality of seafood caught in safe waters informed by the agriculture ministry. 

Trinh Van Tuyen, director of the Institute of Environmental Technology, told the conference that before the cause of mass fish deaths was brought to light, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment had collected seawater samples in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and some other localities for testing. After the cause was clarified, the research was scaled down and focused on the four central provinces. He noted the study method was adjusted and modern equipment was used.   

Tuyen said results showed that seawater quality has improved and pollutant concentrations are now below the allowable levels at present. Most of the toxic substances have fallen significantly but further monitoring is still needed, he said. Tuyen proposed keeping a close watch on the Formosa steel complex in Ha Tinh Province to prevent a repeat. He suggested the environment ministry to set up automatic systems in the provinces to check seawater.

The information is important as it helps people know about the safety level of seawater in Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Binh and Thua Thien-Hue provinces, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha told the conference held to announce scientific reports after over 100 tons of fish were found dead along the shores of the provinces in April.

Earlier, the Vietnam unit of Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group admitted responsibility for the mass fish deaths and agreed to pay over US$500 million in compensation. The reasons and culprit of the most severe environmental incident in Vietnam were made public but Vietnamese have since been concerned about the safety of seawater and seafood in the provinces. The incident has strongly hurt economic growth and the livelihoods of many local people. This worst environmental disaster has devastated the fishing and tourism industries in the region.

The government said in a report to the National Assembly in July that the disaster harmed the livelihoods of more than 200,000 people, including 41,000 fishermen. An estimated 115 tonnes of fish washed ashore along more than 200km of the central coast in April, the report said. The pollution sparked rare protests across the country. Formosa Plastics’s US$10.6 billion steel complex in Ha Tinh province includes a steel plant, a power plant and a deep sea port, and is one of the largest foreign investments in Vietnam.

Nguyen Van Hung, Party chief of Quang Tri Province, said documents released at the conference would help the locality and the other three provinces draw up plans to support people and their production.

One positive sign is that Vietnamese officials have pioneered in taking exemplary actions to assert that swimming and seafood are safe amid growing concern over the death since early April of large numbers of fish along the central coast. People can see on media  a lot of photographs showed leaders, such as Danang’s Party secretary Nguyen Xuan Anh and chairman Huynh Duc Tho in the water at My Khe beach on May 1, or recently Minister of  Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha swam in Quang Tri beach. They were also seen eating fish during their field trip.

As part of their concerted effort to help local fishermen who have been hit by mass fish deaths and woo scared tourists to beaches. The move of the leaders aims to convince consumers that seafood caught offshore is safe.

         It is understandable that consumers are afraid of eating fish because they fear they might eat the dead fish washed ashore. What they have done deserves commending and enhancing. People should consider not to worry about the disaster, researches and tests showed the quality of water samples collected at beaches in the north-central province is now at safe levels. It is now time to recover our tourism sector and economy and help our fellow fishermen./.