The Party’s clear-sighted leadership was the decisive factor in the Great 1975 Spring Victory that liberated Việt Nam’s south and reunified the country, according to General Lương Cường, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the General Political Department of the Việt Nam People’s Army.

In an article published in the Quân đội Nhân dân (People’s Army) newspaper on Monday, Cường, who is also a member of the Central Military Commission’s Standing Board, emphasised that the Great 1975 Spring Victory has gone down in history as a glittering chapter and brilliant symbol of complete victory by revolutionary heroism and human wisdom. 

It was also remembered in the world history as a great feat of arms in the 20th century and an event of international importance.

He noted that under the 1954 Geneva Accords, Việt Nam was temporarily divided into two regions. While the north became completely independent and began the transitional period to socialism, the south was under the rule of the US imperialists and their henchmen who brutally suppressed the local population.

In that context, the Party set two strategic revolutionary tasks – carrying out the socialist revolution in the north and liberating the south from the rule of the US imperialists and their henchmen, so as to reunify the country and bring about independence and democracy.

Cường wrote that in the strategic general offensive in the spring of 1975, the Party had precise assessments of the situation, firmly seized opportunities, and selected the right direction and main attack targets, thus changing the disposition of the war completely.

Throughout the resistance war against the US, the Party gradually developed the people’s war to the pinnacle. It mobilised the entire population for the battle by bringing into play the strength of the “great rear” in the north to concurrently fight against the enemy, build socialism, and provide efficient support for the “great front” in the south, and joining with the strength of southern compatriots and soldiers in the front line of the fight against the US, the General said.

He highlighted that the strategic general offensive in the spring of 1975 was the pinnacle of the combination of offensive and uprising to defeat and dismantle all the enemy forces and conclude the war in a short period of time, which reflected the sharp, creative and clear-sighted military leadership of the Party.

This is forever a source of pride for the Vietnamese Party, army, and people, Cường said, adding that the Party’s leadership role in the general offensive remains valuable for today’s national development and defence.

The war to liberate the South and reunite the country lingered on for more than 20 years, he said, adding that during that time, the North played a significant role in supporting human strength, wealth and spiritual encouragement for the Southern front. 

Referring to lessons from the resistance wars against France and the US, as well as in the national building and defence, the general emphasised the need to inherit and promote experience to continue the cause of safeguarding national independence and sovereignty./.

Even before Vietnam became affected by COVID-19 pandemic, poverty, economic growth and environmental issues were top concerns of citizens, according to the 2019 Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) report released on April 28 in Hanoi.

UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen went live on UNDP Vietnam's Facebook page__Photo: VLLF

 

The report also highlights the country’s encouraging progress in governance and public administration performance to address citizens’ needs in the past year and delivers key insights into a broad spectrum of reform areas across nearly a decade.

Speaking at the report’s online launching ceremony, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen stressed that the PAPI survey’s nationally representative findings on top citizen greatest concerns, including poverty and job loss, and evaluation of recent reform priorities regarding control of corruption and e-governance, provide valuable insights for policymakers as Vietnam enters the recovery phase of COVID-19.

She pointed out that provincial governance performance has gradually improved over the two government terms from 2011 to 2019, especially in the areas of control of corruption and transparency in local decision-making. This is a testament to the strong commitment of central and local leaders to improve governance.

Looking at the issues of greatest concern, poverty has topped the list of most important issues facing Vietnam in the past five years and 2019 was no exception with nearly one-quarter of respondents saying that it was their main concern. Meanwhile, jobs and employment have remained in the top four of greatest concerns since 2015, Caitlin said.

These concerns are likely to be amplified in the coming months with large groups of citizens having been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. The PAPI results indicate that more citizens without social insurance consider poverty to be a pressing issue. The unprecedented USD 2.6 billion social protection package adopted by the National Assembly, therefore, is expected to help address some of these concerns.

Interestingly, the environment has made it back into the top three citizen concerns in 2019, with many reported that air quality has remained the same or degraded in their localities, she added.

According to the report, further streamlining of administrative procedures and promoting e-governance should be prioritized as many respondents reported that efforts to streamline administrative procedures and implementing “one-stop shops” have been less impactful for citizens than for businesses.

This year’s PAPI report also contains a special chapter on gender and leadership. With elections for the coming National Assembly and People’s Councils in 2021, the 2019 PAPI report found that voters exhibited a strong bias against women in leadership roles, especially at hamlet level, nearly three times greater than that faced by female National Assembly candidates.

In 2019, PAPI measured eight dimensions: participation at local levels, transparency, vertical accountability, control of corruption, public administrative procedures, public service delivery, environmental governance, and e-government.

PAPI survey is a collaboration between the Center for Community Support and Development Studies, the Center for Research and Training of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Real-Time Analytics and the United Nations Development Programme. Following the initial pilot in 2009 and a larger survey in 2010, the PAPI survey has been implemented nationwide each year since 2011. For the 2019 PAPI report, 14,138 randomly selected citizens were surveyed. In total, 131,501 Vietnamese citizens nationwide have been directly interviewed for PAPI since 2009.

MEDIA WORLDWIDE is facing crises on multiple fronts, exacerbated by the COVID19 pandemic. Reporters without Borders released its 2020 World Press Freedom Index on April 21st, noting that the Coronavirus is being used by authoritarian governments to implement "shock doctrine" measures that would be impossible in normal times.

The index shows a "clear correlation between suppression of media freedom in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, and a country's ranking in the Index." Of the 180 countries and territories in the index, Iran (ranked at 173) censored their Coronavirus outbreaks extensively. Iraq, at 162, punished Reuters for an article that questioned official pandemic figures, and Hungary (ranked at 89) has just passed a coercive Coronavirus Law.

The long-term risks of suppressing press freedoms have been exposed by the pandemic. As the death toll mounts amidst an economic crisis of unprecedented proportions, promoting transparent reporting is a global necessity. Yet, several countries stand accused of acting too late in warning the world about the timing and extent of the threat.

The World Press Freedom Index illustrates the oppression of journalists from North to South and a pandemic in its own right seems to have fomented.

In Myanmar, Voice of Myanmar's editor was arrested RECENTLY and charged with terrorism for interviewing a representative of the Arakan Army, a rebel group fighting for regional autonomy.

Even the president of the world's most powerful democracy has described the press as "the enemy of the people."

Ultimately, the freedom of the press can only be guaranteed by a coordinated global effort, public awareness and a focus on the long-term advantages of a more critical world.

This year's World Press Freedom Day aims to do just that, under the theme of "Journalism Without Fear or Favour." It calls for awareness on specific issues about the safety of journalists, their independence from political or commercial influence, and gender equality in all aspects of the media.

In the words of Albert Camus, "...without freedom, the press will never be anything but bad."

Vietnam’s policy of not joining any military alliances has been manifested clearly in the “2019 Vietnam National Defence” White Paper. This further proves the sound and consistent national defence policy of our Party and State.

Military alliance is a rather popular political – military phenomenon throughout the history of mankind which is a joint military operation between two or more countries basing on the agreement of goals and interests. Depending on the political aims, a military alliance can be progressive and negative, self-defensive or invasive. Therefore, joining a military alliance can be both positive and negative, directing affecting peace, stability of a nation, region or the globe. At present, peace, independence, democracy, cooperation and development are still the main trend and common aspiration of the international community. However, the world and regional situations still entail complicated and unpredictable evolutions; sovereignty infringement, territorial and natural resource disputes, racial and religious conflicts, disruptive intervention, terrorism, partial war, cyberwarfare and non-traditional security challenges are threatening the world as a whole. The manifestations of extreme nationalism, power politics, pragmatism, protectionism are on the rise in international relations. A number of countries, especially major powers, are adjusting their strategies in favour of their national interests, making international relations complicated. Such situations are posing both opportunities and challenges for the protection of territorial sovereignty, political regime, and national security, peaceful and stable environment of each nation.

Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong welcomes the return of Vietnam's peacekeepers

As for Vietnam, since the regaining of independence and the beginning of renewal and international integration, we have gained significant achievements; the country’s overall strength has been strengthened; external relations have been deepened and widened; the country’s status and prestige on international arena have been enhanced. These have brought about important conditions for the mission of Fatherland construction and protection. To reaffirm its consistent defence viewpoints and policies and help facilitate mutual understanding and confidence building between Vietnam and other countries in the world, in 2019, the Ministry of National Defence released the Vietnam National Defence White Paper emphasizing its “Not joining any military alliances” policy. The appropriateness and suitability of this policy are as follow:

First, Vietnam national defence is peaceful and self-defensive in nature. During our history of national construction and defence, our country has been occupied by foreign invaders many times. However, our people always stayed united and persistently struggled with the utmost goal of regaining independence and freedom for the nation and building and developing the country. At present, the world and regional situations are evolving with complications. Disruptive forces are fostering their sabotage against Vietnam’s revolution with a number of sophisticate and cunning plots and schemes. Against such backdrop, our Party and State have been implementing a number of measures for mobilising all resources of the country and leveraging the favourable international conditions for the cause of Fatherland construction and protection. Persistent and consistent with peaceful and self-defence policy; not to invade or threaten to invade any country, not to use force or threaten to use force in international relations; Vietnam’s military modernization and consolidation serve no other purpose but for self-defence, maintaining peace and stability of the country. Even if we have to take up arms for self-defence, our goal is for peace and national independence. Implementing that goal, our Party advocates that “to resolutely and persistently struggle and protect the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, firmly protect the border and the country’s sovereignty over seas, islands and airspace”; “to settle the disagreements and disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international laws”. This affirms that Vietnam’s defence policy is of peace and self-defence and clearly manifests the revolutionary, progressive, legitimate nature and our good will for peaceful coexistence, cooperation, development and prosperity. At the same time, it helps unify awareness of all people, generate a consensus on the duties and responsibilities; mobilise resources for the cause of defence struggle, especially in the condition of a socialist-oriented market economy. The publication of our defence policy also helps building and consolidating strategic trust between Vietnam and foreign countries and creating a premise for the widening and enhancement of relations, cooperation for the creation of favourable conditions for the cause of Fatherland protection and defence in the new situation.

Second, consistently implementing the defence line of independence, self-reliance, and resilience. According to the Law on National Defence 2018, defence potential are built on political, spiritual, human resources, material, financial grounds which is all-people, comprehensive, independent, self-reliant , resilient and increasingly modern. In particular, the Party’s leadership by sound political and military lines; the State’s centralized, unified, effective management; the strength of the political system and the national unity bloc are the key factors to the success of our defence cause. Vietnam aims to build its defence capability with its own resources and intellect, not to depend on external factors. The consolidation and strengthening of defence is a crucial and regular task with a view to mobilising the synergy of the entire nation and political system in which the armed forces being the core. With its all people’s national defence line, all defence works are for national interest and the benefit of its people. This has attracted the participation of a large number of people, creating a synergy from the entire nation for preventing, repelling the risk of riot, overthrowing, armed conflict and invasive war.

Third, facilitating international integration and defence cooperation for peace and development. Over the past years, our Party and State have implement our foreign policy in general and defence diplomacy policies in particular of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, and cooperation. With this viewpoint, Vietnam is ready to be a friend and a trustworthy partner, a responsible member of international community; actively integrate and widen international cooperation, strengthen defence diplomacy in the guideline of “proactive, active, steady, flexible, effective” basing on equal and mutual beneficial principles. As a result, our status on international arena has been enhanced; the combination between national strength with that of time has been promoted; strategic trust and peaceful environment have been ceaselessly strengthened, creating favourable conditions for firmly protecting independence, territorial sovereignty, national interest, and peaceful environment for the country’s development as stipulated in the 2019 Vietnam National Defence White Paper: “strengthen cooperation with countries both inside and outside the region to cope with common security challenges”. With those sound guidelines, by the end of 2019, Vietnam has established defence relations with over 80 countries and international organisations. It has also set up defence attaché offices in 37 countries and to the United Nations. 49 foreign countries have set up their defence, military attaché offices in Vietnam. Vietnam has shown its active participation in the common issues of the world, such as: hosting the U.S – North Korea Summit, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting, participating in the UN peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic and South Sudan which were highly appreciated by international communities.

The above mentioned facts and figures prove that our defence policy is completely appropriate and suitable ensuring the firm protection of our independence while maintaining a "dynamic balance" of relations. With this policy we are not driven into the competition and rivalry for influence of major powers which badly affects our relations and international integration. At the same time, it enables us to earn support of international communities for the cause of national construction and protection.

Children may escape the worst symptoms of Covid-19 and suffer lower mortality rates, but for millions, the pandemic will have devastating effects.

The choices that governments make now are crucial for children. Governments can both lessen the worst effects of the crisis on children in the months to come, and also put policies in place that will improve children's lives long after the pandemic is over.

The pandemic has highlighted huge fault lines in many countries' protections for children, including the lack of emergency action plans for large-scale school shutdowns, the overuse of detention, and insufficient safety nets for low-income families.

School shutdowns in 192 countries have left more than 90 percent of the world's student population – more than 1.5 billion students – out of school. Many schools have moved online, but nearly half the world has no access to the internet, leaving many students even further behind.

The problem isn't limited to low-income countries: last week in Phoenix, a high school principal found three students huddled under a blanket in the rain, trying to access their school's wifi to complete their assignments.

As the global death toll -- currently more than 145,000 – continues to rise, so will the number of children left without one or both parents. Orphaned children are particularly vulnerable to trafficking and other forms of exploitation. During the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, for example, girls who lost family members resorted to transactional sex to meet their basic needs, leading to a sharp increase in teenage pregnancy.

Even when countries are not in crisis, children are at greatest risk of violence in their own home. The United Nations secretary-general recently reported a "horrifying" surge in domestic violence linked to Covid-19. Family stresses related to the crisis – including job loss, isolation, excessive confinement, and anxieties over health and finances—have escalated violence between partners and against children.

Despite the increased risks, child abuse is less likely to be detected during the pandemic. Teachers – often the first to identify signs of abuse – have far less access to children, and many child protection agencies have cut back or eliminated home visits to avoid spreading the virus.

Massive global job and income losses are likely to increase rates of child labor and child marriage. The International Labor Organization projects that by mid-2020, nearly 200 million jobs could be lost globally from the crisis.

Before the pandemic, an estimated 152 million children were already engaged in child labor and 12 million girls married each year before their 18th birthday. Without government support to families struggling to meet their basic needs, these numbers will rise.

Children are also more vulnerable to online sexual exploitation, as they spend more time online and may be anxious or lonely due to school shutdowns and stay-at-home orders. Europol has documented an increase in online offenders seeking child sexual abuse material online and attempting to initiate contact with children through social media.

Millions of children are institutionalized or detained, often in crowded conditions where Covid-19 prevention measures such as frequent handwashing and "social distancing" are nearly impossible. UNICEF has warned of outbreaks in these facilities and called for a moratorium on new admissions and the urgent release of children who can be returned to their families or other appropriate care.

Governments that make smart policy choices now will not only protect children during the immediate crisis, but also benefit children significantly over the long term. Expanding internet access will transform education for many children, enhance their access to information, and strengthen their ability to organize and express themselves.

Transferring children out of institutions and detention centers will limit transmission of the virus, and also help countries transition to family-based alternatives for children, which are proven to be healthier, often cheaper, and for children in the justice system, linked to lower recidivism rates. Expanding networks of kinship and foster care can provide homes and critical support for children left without parents.

The economic crisis should prompt governments to strengthen social protection measures, such as cash transfers, to help low-income families hit hardest by the pandemic and enable them to meet their basic needs without resorting to child labor or child marriage. Hotlines and public education campaigns can help protect children at risk of violence in the home or online sexual exploitation.

The pandemic demands government leadership to protect children from the worst impacts of Covid-19. It also offers the chance for policymakers to put measures in place that will benefit children long after the pandemic ends.

Defendant Truong Duong (centre) at the trial on April 21

The People’s Court of southern Binh Duong province on April 21 sentenced a man who caused a blast last year at the headquarters of the provincial Department of Taxation to 11 years behind bars.

Truong Duong was charged with “conducting terrorism acts against the people’s administration” under Article 113 of the 2015 Criminal Code, the first instance trial heard.

He received guidance from Lisa Pham, a member of a terrorist organisation called the “Provisional National Government of Vietnam”.

Duong must also pay compensation of over 800 million VND (34,000 USD) to the taxation department./.

Harvesting rice in Vietnam

The Government has submitted a proposal to the National Assembly to extend the agricultural land tax exemption policy to the end of 2025 to support farmers and encourage the development of agriculture.

The Ministry of Finance said an estimated 7.5 trillion VND (3.2 billion USD) in agricultural land tax would be exempted every year in the 2021-2025 period, which was expected to return to the sector as an investment to expand production, improve productivity and product quality.

The ministry said the agricultural land tax exemption would not cause a drop in State budget revenue because this policy was already implemented from 2001. Under the National Assembly’s Resolution 55/2010/QH12 dated on November 24, 2010, the exemption was set to run until the end of this year.

Over the past two decades, the policy had been proven to help improve farmers’ life and generate jobs for the rural sector, through which, farmers could have the capital to reinvest and apply science and technology in agricultural production.

The policy also encouraged farmers not to leave land deserted and help them feel secure when investing in agriculture.

The Ministry of Finance, however, noted that the land tax exemption alone was not enough, adding that a combination of policies was needed to promote efficient agricultural production.

In addition, the ministry said agricultural land which was used for wrong purposes must be revoked and handed to those who use it efficiently.

Pham Dinh Thi, Director of the ministry’s Tax Policy Department, said the agricultural land tax exemption policy was critical to the sector.

Thi said the exemption was also in line with Vietnam’s international commitments and international practices.

The ministry’s statistics showed more than 10 million farmers and 6 million hectares of agricultural land enjoyed the exemption each year in 2003-2010 with a sum worth an average of 3.2 trillion VND in agricultural land tax exempted each year.

In 2011-2016, the exemption benefited 12 million farmers and more than 7 million hectares of land. The exempted tax was worth 6.3 trillion VND per year.

In 2017-2018, more than 12 million farmers and more than 8 million hectares of agricultural land enjoyed the exemption with an average of 7.4 trillion VND in tax exempted per year.

The value in 2013-2018 totalled 17 trillion VND, the finance ministry said, adding that the sum created an important direct financial resource for the agricultural sector./.

Children line up to get food in Harare, Zimbabwe.

 Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, on April 21 called on the UN Security Council (UNSC) and other UN agencies to make greater efforts to handle the vicious cycle of conflict and food insecurity, especially amidst higher risks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quy made the appeal at the UNSC’s online meeting regarding the protection of civilians from conflict-induced hunger.

Apart from maintaining commitments to humanitarian aid, the UN and international community need to cooperate and support countries in post-conflict restoration, improving people’s livelihoods and maintaining food supplies, while taking comprehensive measures to build peace and ensure food security, he said.

Quy also proposed promoting women’s full participation in building peace and ensuring food security.

In his remarks, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu cited the Global Report on Food Crises in 2020 as saying that 135 million people in 55 countries were trapped in a food crisis in 2019.

This is the highest number in the last four years. Almost 60 percent of all those people came from countries with conflict or instability, especially South Sudan, Yemen and Sahel.

Executive Director of the World Food Programme David Beasley pointed to a grim picture of 135 million people facing crisis levels of hunger or worse, coupled with an additional 130 million on the edge of starvation prompted by the coronavirus.

Miguel Vargas Maldonado, Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic that holds the UNSC Presidency in April, suggested coordinating the UN’s pillars of peace, security, development, environment and humanitarian aid.

Other delegates shared the view that armed conflicts have resulted in stagnant food production, destroyed infrastructure, and caused homelessness, humanitarian consequences and severe starvation.

They called on all sides to observe international humanitarian law and relevant resolutions of the UNSC, and proposed the council step up efforts to prevent and address conflicts and build peace sustainably./.