Letter to UN seeks support for Vietnamese Agent Orange Victims

Wed, 10/13/2004 - 03:50

Following a letter to American President George Bush on October 1, Len Aldis, Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society, has sent another letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, calling for support for Vietnamese Agent Orange/dioxin victims.

The letter was also sent to the Vietnam News Agency bureau in London. He wrote:

Vietnam supports increase in the UN Security Council's membership

Wed, 10/13/2004 - 03:47

Vietnam supports an increase in the membership of the United Nations' Security Council in both categories: permanent and non-permanent. The country also supports measures aimed at ensuring broader participation, more democracy, accountability and transparency in the Council's work, said Ambassador Le Luong Minh, Permanent Representative of the Vietnamese Mission to the United Nations, at the Joint Debate of the 59th UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

Petition creator urges U.S. to compensate Agent Orange victims

Wed, 10/13/2004 - 03:30

The creator of an online petition supporting Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange called on the U.S. government to take responsibility towards the sufferers on Oct. 1.

“I implore you to accept the United States' responsibility for the Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange, in a spirit of decency and justice that is worthy of your office," said Len Aldis, secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society in a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush.

The letter was also addressed to U.S. senator John Kerry and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Agent Orange victims get over 4.6 mil backing signatures

Wed, 10/13/2004 - 03:20

Over 4.6 million signatures were collected, some online at www.petitiononline.com/AOVN/petition.html, to support Vietnamese Agent Orange victims in their lawsuit against the U.S. makers of the herbicide, announced an association.
The Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin on Oct. 12 said that by the end of September they had raised more than 1.4 billion Vietnam dong to help support the victims.

Cargill to commission 3rd feed factory in Vietnam

Mon, 09/27/2004 - 16:58

US company Cargill Inc. will commission its third feed processing factory, capitalized at $US 12 million, in the northern province of Hung Yen on Sept. 29, said Cargill’s chief representative in Vietnam.
The factory will operate in Pho Noi A Industrial Park and is designed to turn out 200,000 tons of feed for cattle and poultry a year, said Truong Chanh, chief representative of Cargill in Vietnam. The factory aims to supply the northern market.

Law may open doors to foreign merchants

Mon, 09/27/2004 - 11:12

Friday, September 24, 2004, Vietnamese News

Hanoi - A draft law to throw open trading to foreign businesses has come up before the National Assembly Standing Committee for consideration. It is expected to go to the NA house for approval by year-end.

Hitherto, under the Trade Law enacted in 1997, foreign traders could open representative officers while trading was allowed only by Vietnamese businesses.

Though the current law also allows foreign traders to open branches in the country, it restricts the trading range of these branches.

VNPT to Be Divided into Two Corporations from Jan 2005

Thu, 09/23/2004 - 16:44

The Vietnam Post & Telecoms Corporation (VNPT) has said it is finalizing necessary procedures to split into two separate corporations from January 1, 2005, with one specializing in telecoms and the other in postal services.

The new corporations will be called the Vietnam Telecoms Corporation and the Vietnam Postal Corporation, which will be comprised of the Inter-provincial & International Postal Co., the Central Newspaper Publishing Co., the Postal Savings Co. and post offices at city and provincial level.

Vietnam to Achieve Strong Economic Growth in 2004-05: ADB

Thu, 09/23/2004 - 16:43

Vietnam looks set to achieve an economic growth of 7.5% in 2004 and 7.6% in 2005, compared with 7.1% last year, according to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report "Asia Development Outlook 2004" released on September 22, on the back of strong domestic demand and robust industry sectors.

Accordingly, local demand in Vietnam will rise 8.7% this year and 8.1% in 2005 and export growth will be 16.3% and 12%, respectively.

Catholics in Bui Chu diocese live the gospel amidst the nation

Mon, 09/20/2004 - 17:44

Nam Dinh, Sept. 20 (VNA) - The Bui Chu diocese, on Monday, held a seminar on "the Catholics in Bui Chu diocese live the gospel amidst the nation, contributing to social security maintenance, and building a life of peace and happiness," in Quan Phuong Church in Hai Hau district, Nam Dinh province.

Representatives of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, leaders of the Party Committees, People's Councils, and People's Committees of Nam Dinh province and Hai Hau district, priests, nuns and representatives of the Catholics attended the event.

National Assembly at odds with gov’t education report

Mon, 09/20/2004 - 17:39

The situation of Vietnam’s education may be seriously worse both academically and morally than stated in a recent Ministry of Education report, suggested National Assembly (NA) members on Sept. 20.

The report was presented by the Minister of Education Nguyen Minh Hien during the opening meeting of the NA Standing Committee’s 22nd session in Hanoi. But, some NA committees that had also done research on Vietnam’s education later painted a gloomier picture of the country’s education.

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