VNA Mr Nong Duc Manh visits Heroic Mother Bui Thi The in Cu Chi district. General Secretary Nong Duc Manh of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, paid a visit to Ho Chi Minh City on May 12. General Secretary Manh burned joss-sticks as an offering to President Ho Chi Minh; he also visited the city's Ho Chi Minh Museum where he was introduced to more than 3,000 exhibits reflecting Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary activities from 1911. Speaking to the museum's staff, the Party leader expressed his hope that the Nha Rong harbour relics and the Ho Chi Minh Museum will encourage younger generations to follow the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh. (VNA) **** Socio-economic development programme effective: PM The government's socio-economic development programme (Programme 135) was effective over the past two years of implementation, says Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. PM Khai made his assessment after a three-day conference for the review of the programme, on May 12. Programme 135 is designed to supply economic aid to communities living in mountainous and remote areas. The programme aims to help these communities pull themselves out of poverty. The PM said, Programme 135 has created good prerequisites for poor communes to change production structure, diversify occupations, and participate in the processing industry - thus contributing to the re-zoning of residential areas in combination with national defence and security. Many forces have take part in the almost 5,000 projects put into operation over the past two years, he added. PM Khai urged programme-targetted localities to accelerate the construction of new infrastructures. He pointed to the crucial role enterprises play in these localities, helping to create favourable conditions for investment in poor areas. He also asked for the integration of other socio-economic development programmes in Programme 135, and the training of grassroots officials. PM Khai agreed to provide more capital to 300 newly-built communal centres. He also agreed to include reclamation of virgin land, so as to help local inhabitants boost production and improve living conditions. The PM expressed his hope that a great majority of the 2,235 poor communes will have public works in the coming years, and that the development gap between regions will be narrowed. (VNA) **** Ho Chi Minh Vanguard Young Pioneers honoured Gold Star Order Party and State leaders with young pioneers at the meeting. Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh presented the Ho Chi Minh Vanguard Pioneers' Organisation with a Gold Star Order, the highest distinction of the Vietnamese State, in Hanoi on May 13 on the 60th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Vanguard Young Pioneers' Organisation (May 15, 1941 - May 15, 2001). In the same meeting, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai praised the achievements made by the Ho Chi Minh Vanguard Young Pioneers' Organisation over the past six decades. He also asked the whole society to pay more attention to and create more favourable conditions for young pioneers to become good children and useful citizens of society. Nguyen Thi Dieu Khuc from Can Tho province, representing 14 million young pioneers across the country, promised to implement the five instructions of Uncle Ho, gain more achievements in the emulation movements and build a stronger Ho Chi Minh Vanguard Young Pioneers' Organisation. Many other activities are being held in these days to mark the occasion. More than 2,000 young pioneers attended a camping festival held at Lenin Park on May 13. The same day, the Hanoi's Youth Union and the Vanguard Pioneers' Council held a celebration for young pioneers' chiefs past and present. Meanwhile in Ho Chi Minh City, a similar observance for different generations of young pioneers' chiefs was also held. The Vanguard Young Pioneers' Organisation of Phu Tho province has just ended a festival for excellent young pioneers and their chiefs. More than 200 delegates attended the festival. During the festival, the Phu Tho Youth Union's Standing Committee, entrusted by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem, presented 230 packages of gift to excellent young pioneers. Also on the occasion, the Young Pioneers' Organisation, in co-ordination with the Thanh Nien (Young People) Publishing House, published a book entitled 'History of Ho Chi Minh Vanguard Young Pioneers' Organisation and Vietnamese Children 'Movements'. **** Vietnam supports UN initiatives on sea development Vietnam's representative to the United Nations on May 10 voiced support for the UN initiative on international co-operation in ocean research and in the fight against piracy. Addressing a five-day UN consultative meeting on oceanic issues, the Vietnamese representative said piracy has emerged as a global problem and that international efforts are needed to bring it under control. He shared other delegates' view on the seriousness of the problem and called for closer regional co-operation in fighting it. He said coordination of action should, however, be based on the legal framework of the UN Convention on the Sea and should have the consensus of all concerned nations. Vietnam stands ready to boost activities of international co-operation in the fight against piracy for safe navigation, he emphasised. His view was shared by the Thai representative. He expressed Thailand's readiness to co-operate with other countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, in research and the fight against piracy. (VNA) **** Hanoi delegation attends Asian-Pacific mayors' meeting A delegation from Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi, led by Vice Chairman of the People's Committee Nguyen Quoc Trieu, attended an Asian-Pacific mayors' meeting in Honolulu, Hawai, from May 4-9. The theme "poverty eradication and environmental protection," drew 34 delegations from within the region. The participants exchanged experiences in policy-making and discussed ways of better implementing policies. During the meeting, Hanoi was praised for its efforts in hunger eradication and poverty reduction as well as in environmental protection. Hanoi Vice Mayor Trieu signed a joint commitment with other delegations to alleviate poverty and protect the environment. Within the Asian-Pacific region, Hanoi has developed an excellent reputation, in 1999, it was awarded the title "City of Peace" by the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organisation. (VNA) **** Funeral services held for Yngong Niek Dam Grand funeral services for former member of the Party Central Committee, Yngong Niek Dam, were held in Buon Ma Thuot, central highland Dac Lac province on May 11-12. Yngong Niek Dam, who died in Ho Chi Minh City on May 9, aged 79, was also former member of the National Assembly's Standing Committee, Chairman of the NA Council of Nationalities, and Secretary of the Party Committee of the central highland Dac Lac province. Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, State President Tran Duc Luong, and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai sent floral wreaths to the services. The Party Central Committee, National Assembly, ministries, and agencies sent floral wreaths and messages of sympathy to the services. Present at the funeral ceremony were Nguyen Van Yeu, member of the Party Central Committee, National Assembly Deputy Chairman, head of the funeral ceremony, and others. Mr Nguyen Van Yeu delivered a funeral oration, expressing the boundless grief of the Party, the National Assembly, the State, and the nation, over the death of Yngong Niek Dam, highlighting his great contributions to Vietnam's revolutionary cause over the past 50 years. "Yngong Niek Dam had played an active role in the cause of great national unity as well as national construction and development. He had been awarded many Orders and Titles by the Party and the State," Mr Yeu stressed. Delegations from the Dac Lac provincial Party Committee, People Council, People's Committee, Fatherland Front, mass organisations, were among the people who attended the funeral. A large number of delegations from central provinces and other central highland provinces, and more than 4,000 delegates representing nearly 1.9 million ethnic minorities people in the provinces, paid their respects to Yngong Niek Dam. (VNA) **** Green Sunday launched Over 400 volunteer students of Hanoi - based colleges, along with Capital Youth Park�s staff, started the �Green Sunday� programme launched by Hanoi�s Youth Union and Students� Association on May 13 to mark 111th anniversary of Uncle Ho (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2001) and to begin �Volunteer Summer 2001� campaign. The students spent all day cleaning the park�s environment and disseminating information on drug control to people in the area. They also exchanged experiences and techniques on the Union�s activities. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
