VNA Next volume of Party's complete works to be published The 12th volume of the Complete Works of the Communist Party of Vietnam's Documents will be published to welcome the upcoming Ninth National Party Congress. This volume includes all documents promulgated in 1951 by the Party with important documents of the Party's Second National Delegates' Congress. This volume plays a key role in the whole Complete Works. After 15 years since the first Party National Delegates' Congress held in March 1935, a political event of great significance to the Party, the whole people and army was the Party Second National Delegates' Congress held in 1951. The theme of the Congress was defined by late President Ho Chi Minh: "This is a Congress of War Resistance. The main task of the Congress is to bring the resistance war to a complete success and build the Vietnam Labour Party (former name of the Communist Party.) The Party's Second Congress outlined the revolutionary path for Vietnam in the new period. The Congress elected the Party Central Committee, Politburo and the Party's Secretariat with Ho Chi Minh as President and Truong Chinh as General Secretary. The Party's Second Congress marked a great landmark in the national revolutionary process and in the Party building work. Therefore, the 12th volume of the Party's Document Complete Works will provide readers with official documents, thus helping them better conduct research into Vietnam's revolution and Party building work. **** Over 4 million entries for Party, Uncle Ho contest As many as 4,011,000 people nationwide took part in the contest entitled �Glorious Party, Great Uncle Ho and Prosperous Country Entering the 21st Century¹ as of September 2, 2000. Nhan Dan newspaper and Tien Phong newspaper are the two organisers of the contest, which was launched January 1, 2000. Many contestants sent in their carefully completed test papers. One paper of 4,000 pages measures nearly one metre when all pages are piled on each other. The organising board also received papers from elderly people (the oldest was Ms Nguyen Thi Binh, 95, from Van Giang precinct, Ninh Binh township, northern Ninh Binh province), revolutionary veterans, war invalids, pupils, the blind, soldiers in Truong Sa archipelago, etc. Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu sent a letter praising Nhan Dan and Tien Phong newspapers for the initiative of organising the contest and sent presents to excellent individuals and units. Yesterday afternoon, the contest¹s steering committee, chaired by Politburo member Nguyen Phu Trong, secretary of Hanoi Party Committee, met to discuss preparations for the award presentation ceremony which will be held on April 11 in Hanoi. This is an activity to welcome the coming Ninth National Party Congress. **** Deputy PM praises Red Cross, Red Crescent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem has expressed Vietnam's appreciation of the help given the country by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Receiving IFRC Deputy General Secretary Ernst Ligteringen and his entourage in Hanoi, the Deputy Prime Minister on April 4 affirmed Vietnam's humanitarian effort and expressed the hope that the IFRC would further its help to mitigate natural calamities and promote social activities and health care. Mr Ligteringen replied that he was impressed by the Vietnam Red Cross activities to help disadvantaged people, surmount natural calamities, prevent HIV/AIDS and take care of Agent Orange victims. He also affirmed his organisation's pledge to further its help to Vietnam. (VNA) **** Protestant pastor highlights religious freedom policy Southern Vietnam Protestant General Council leader, Pastor Pham Xuan Thieu has said he sees no reason why not to believe in the government's respect of religious freedom and worship of the people. "Since its inception, the Vietnamese State has always followed the policy of respecting religious freedom and worship of the people," Pastor Thieu said in an interview with Nhan Dan newspaper in connection with the government's recent recognition of the legal status of the southern Vietnam Protestant Church. He said: "The government as well as the local administration at all levels have, over recent years, paid special attention to and created every favourable condition for our religious activities, and so our Protestant church has been developing with an increasing number of believers and churches." "We all were very happy at being informed on March 16 of the Prime Minister's recognition of our religion's legal status so that now we, the southern Vietnam Protestant Church, can live the Gospel amidst the nation." "For the time being, we will set up our representative boards in cities and provinces to accelerate religious activities in these localities, build more churches and worship places in regions with a large number of believers, and open more religious courses for local Protestants," Mr Thieu said. "Each of us must be a useful citizen of Vietnam and has to make his/her active contribution to building a prosperous and beautiful Vietnam. We must show our respect for the God through our practical deeds towards the community and society," he affirmed. **** Funeral of composer Trinh Cong Son solemnly held The funeral service of composer Trinh Cong Son was solemnly held at his home (Pham Ngoc Thach street, district 3, Ho Chi Minh City) yesterday, to the sorrow of tens of thousands of his friends and admirers. More than 1,500 wreaths of the literature and art circle, musicians' associations and of leaders of branches and sectors in provinces and cities nationwide were sent to the funeral. A delegation of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, led by Mr Nguyen Minh Triet, Politburo member and the city Party Secretary, paid the last tribute to the composer. Reading the funeral oration at the service, composer Tran Long An, deputy secretary general of the Ho Chi Minh City Musicians' Association, expressed a boundless sorrow over the death of the composer of talent, righteousness, generosity and character. "The whole life of composer Trinh Cong Son and many of his works are warmly received by generations and youth of Vietnam as if they are their own breath and flesh and blood. He is a great composer with important contributions to the country and the public through his talent. Although he has left this world to rest in peace in another world, his music will now and forever live on in the hearts of music lovers," said the oration. **** Truong Sa island's activities to welcome Party Congress The Truong Sa island district has just launched an emulation movement to welcome the coming Ninth National Party Congress. The movement aims at making the island district economically strong and environmentally friendly will firmly ensuring national defence and security. To contribute to the country's economic development, particularly its off-shore fishing policy, residents and soldiers stationed on the island have always created favourable conditions for and instructed fishing vessels to operate in assigned water areas, issued temporary residence certificates and provided medicine to fishermen. The district has concentrated its efforts on tree planting to create a green and clean environment. Military units have boosted vegetable growing, animal breeding and fishing to improve the quality of soldiers' daily meals. They have also organised sports and cultural activities to ensure a healthy cultural life for their soldiers and raise their resolve to safeguard national sovereignty. (VNA) **** Vietnam supports Palestine Vietnam's Committee for Solidarity and Co-operation with African and Latin American People and Committee for Solidarity with the Palestinian People have expressed deep concern over the Israeli government's 'one hundred days' plan, saying it may worsen the crisis and bring the region to the brink of war. The two committees sympathised with the Palestinians in their suffering and losses. They said they would always show complete support for the just struggle of the Palestinians for self-determination and other legitimate rights, as well as their implementation of UN Decisions 242 and 338. The two committees called all concerned parties to resume peace talks as soon as possible. (VNA) **** Vietnam, Lao localities boost ties A minutes for boosting co-operation in maintaining security along their common border has been signed between central Thua Thien-Hue province, Vietnam, and Saravane province, Laos. The border authorities of the two provinces held a session in Saravane recently to review their co-operation in keeping political security and social order along the common border line, and agreed to further co-operation . (VNA) _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
