sipila
Fri, 23 Mar 2001 10:30:40 -0800
VNA Vietnam calls for more help for Agent Orange-affected children Vietnam's Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh has called on all individuals and organisations at home and overseas to help and support disabled children in general and children who are victims of Agent Orange in particular. The vice president made the call at a campaign launched in Hanoi on March 22, to support disabled children and children affected by Agent Orange between now and 2005. "Socio-political organisations, economic enterprises, communities, overseas Vietnamese, including children and their organisations, with their appropriate actions and capacities, should exert more efforts to make material contributions, take care of, and encourage disabled children, especially those who are victims of Agent Orange," the Vice President said. She called on international organisations and individuals to support the programmes for health care and the functional rehabilitation for disabled children and help their families as well as to help Vietnam remove unexploded bombs and mines and cleanse areas of Agent Orange. "The support from you and people of conscience all over the world will help relieve the pain of war, put the past behind and look forward to co-operation and development, as well as protection of the child's rights," she emphasised. Incomplete statistics show that Vietnam now has more than one million disabled children. Of these, 27% suffer from mental retardation and 12% from blindness, 15% are deaf and mute and 19% suffer other functional disabilities. US Defence records snow that, the US Air Force sprayed 72 million litres of toxic chemicals in southern Vietnam and parts of Laos and Cambodia. More than 44 million litres of these substances were Agent Orange contaminated with 170 kilograms of Dioxin between 1961 and 1971. "The war has elapsed for a quarter of century, but the effects of dioxins on human health have remained and nobody knows exactly how long they will last. Many Agent Orange victims have silently died without deserved helps and supports and many innocent children have been born with diseases and defects caused by Agent Orange," said Vietnam Red Cross Society President Professor Nguyen Trong Nhan. It is estimated that Vietnam has about one million people affected by Agent Orange, including almost 150,000 birth-deformed children, who are now living in difficult circumstances. Often, their fathers, the breadwinners, have lost their ability to work. Over the past eight years, the National Fund for Vietnamese Children has raised VND 65 billion to help orphans, displaced and street children, disabled children and children in disaster-devastated areas. Since its foundation in 1998, the Agent Orange Victim Fund has expanded its affiliates to 48 out of Vietnam's 61 provinces and cities and raised about VND 20 billion to support the Agent Orange victims, including children. At the launching ceremony by the National Fund for Vietnamese Children, the Agent Orange Victim Fund and the Vietnam Save Disabled Children, Madame Binh pledged half of her salary for the campaign, while the Finance Ministry declared it would donate VND one billion for the Fund. (VNA) Following are speeches made at the campaign launch to support disabled children, especially those who are victims of Agent Orange: Letter of Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh <http://www.nhandan.org.vn/english/today/bai-social1.html> Speech by Professor Nguyen Trong Nhan, president of Vietnam Red Cross <http://www.nhandan.org.vn/english/today/bai-social2.html> Speech by Lady Borton, Quaker Service Vietnam, American Friends Service Committee <http://www.nhandan.org.vn/english/today/bai-social3.html> Agent Orange Victim Fund **** Vietnam attends FUNCINPEC Party Congress A delegation from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) led by member of the CPV Central Committee Vu Mao is attending the eighth Party Congress of the National United Front for Co-operative, Independent, Neutral and Peaceful Cambodia (FUNCINPEC). The three-day congress, which opened in Phnom Penh on March 21, drew more 2,000 delegates representing party committees from Cambodia's 22 provinces and cities, and representatives of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the Communist Party of China and ruling parties from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. On the sideline of the congress, the Vietnamese delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Chairman Chea Sim on March 20. The two parties informed each other of their respective country's situation and compared notes on measures to boost the Vietnam-Cambodia traditional friendship. (VNA) **** Friendship, co-operation with Cambodia boosted The Vietnam Communist Party, National Assembly, Government and people of Vietnam will do their utmost to strengthen and develop neighbourly, friendly and co-operative relations with Cambodia. The pledge to do so was made by the leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) delegation to the eighth congress of the National United Front for Co-operative, Independent, Neutral and Peaceful Cambodia (FUNCINPEC), Vu Mao, at a reception given in Phnom Penh on March 20 by FUNCINPEC Chairman Prince Norodom Ranariddh. Vu Mao, member of the CPV Central Committee, director of the National Assembly Office and president of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association, wished FUNCINPEC even more achievements in its building of a peaceful, independent, neutral, non-aligned, prosperous and happy Cambodia of national reconciliation. Prince Ranariddh described the CPV's presence at the FUNCINPEC congress and its 20th founding anniversary as an important event in the friendship and co-operation between the FUNCINPEC and the CPV, contributing to boosting the neighbourly and friendly relations between the two countries. The Prince wished the Vietnamese people further achievements in their cause of national renovation. The same day, Mr Vu Mao called on Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Chairman Chea Sim. He believed that the Cambodian people, under the leadership of King Norodom Sihanouk and the CPP-FUNCINPEC coalition government, would obtain achievements in building a nation of peace, prosperity and happiness. The CPP Chairman congratulated the Vietnamese people on their achievements in national renovation initiated by the CPV and wished the ninth national CPV congress success. He expressed thanks to the Vietnamese Party and people for their assistance to the Cambodian people in the past years, especially their recent help to victims of natural calamities. (VNA) **** Youth Union's 70th founding anniversary celebrated Various activities have been held throughout the country recently to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union which falls on March 26. The Army's Young People's Board, in co-ordination with the Army's Museum and the Army's Library opened an exhibition in Hanoi named 'Heroic Youth in National Defence.' Meetings were also held in provincial Youth Unions of Hung Yen, Thanh Hoa and Quang Tri provinces to join the celebration. At these meetings, participants reviewed the glorious tradition of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union over the past 70 years. **** Nhan Dan presents scholarships to poor students Nhan Dan newspaper held a meeting with and presented scholarships to 20 poor, excellent students, who are studying at 11 universities in Hanoi on March 22. This is on the occasion of the 70th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26, 1931 - March 26, 2001). Present at the meeting were Mr Tran Quang Dung, deputy head of the Vietnam Students¹ Association and head of the Hanoi Students¹ Association; members of Nhan Dan newspaper¹s Editorial Board, representative of the newspaper¹s Youth Union and trade union. The 20 Nhan Dan newspaper scholarship recipients are those who have had many difficulties but have overcome them all and made considerable achievements in their study. They have also taken an active part in activities of their universities and the Youth Union. Many of the students are ethnic minority people who come from remote areas in provinces across the country. Nhan Dan newspaper¹s deputy editor-in-chief presented the scholarships, worth VND 500,000 each, to the students. **** Steps taken to protect water resources Vietnam is making greater efforts to protect its natural water resources from contamination that affect both the people's health and the ecology. The effort is part of government activities in response to the World Water Resource Day, March 22. Other measures include the effective management and economical use of clean water and upgrade of water-treatment equipment. Many mountainous regions are facing immediate or imminent water shortage as demand for daily use and production increases, particularly in urban areas - where underground water is overtapped and contaminated water is rising alarmingly. Experts blame inadequate treatment and industrialisation for the contamination of the surface and underground water resources that cause the outbreak of such diseases as diarrhoea, typhoid, eye and skin diseases and malaria. A survey shows that a large number of children aged between four and 14 in northern Vietnam are inflicted with hookworm and other intestinal flat worms. In 1998 more than one million people were affected by diarrhoea and another 135,000 by dysentery. The effort was discussed by the Health Ministry which sponsored a meeting in Hanoi yesterday, March 22, with the theme 'Water and People's Health.' (VNA) **** China helps hydro-meteorology work The Chinese government has donated nine rain gauges to the General Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (GDHM) of Vietnam. A document to this effect was signed in Hanoi on March 22 by GDHM Director General Nguyen Cong Thanh and Chinese Ambassador Qi Jianguo. Director General Thanh made known that several hydro-meteorological stations and observatories in Vietnam's central provinces were badly damaged in the two consecutive floods in November and December 1999. He said he hoped that these stations would work better with Chinese assistance. China had presented 10 rain gauges to Mekong delta provinces after these localities were hit by the strategic Storm Linda in 1997. (VNA) _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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