VNA NA focuses on export efficiency Export efficiency and greater authority for district court personnel drew much attention from National Assembly deputies on the third day of the current ninth session, held in Hanoi on May 24. Many deputies said that the government's decisions to purchase 2 million tonnes of rice and 150,000 tonnes of coffee; give bonus and subsidies to the export of rice, coffee, meat and vegetables; and exempt import tariffs for fertiliser, were merely temporary solutions. For long-term development, the government should consider focusing investment only on those commodities which have proved to give high profits. They questioned how long the State could afford to subsidise inefficient and unprofitable agricultural businesses. To raise the efficiency of exports, they proposed more investment in scientific and technological development and environmental protection. Currently, crude oil exports make up more than 60% of all export revenues. If Vietnam could refine crude oil for export, the value would be much greater, they said. Regarding budget collection and spending, the deputies stressed the importance of the fight against corruption and wastefulness. The fight against corruption should be conducted continously and with firm measures, deputies said. They also voiced their concern about the growing number of expensive celebrations, which they said wasted a lot of money. They expressed concern about the poor capacity of judges at district courts, especially in remote rural areas, questioning whether they could fulfil their newly enlarged authority. There should be a long-term programme for training people at district courts, some proposed. (VNA) **** Vietnam appreciates US ambassador's contributions Vietnam appreciates what US Ambassador to Vietnam Douglas "Pete" Peterson has done in his efforts to contribute to normalising the relations between Vietnam and the United States, said foreign ministry's spokeswoman, Phan Thuy Thanh. "Ambassador Peterson has done much during his term of office in Vietnam, thus making an active contribution to the course of normalising the ties between Vietnam and the United States, including the signing of the bilateral trade agreement," Ms Thanh said. The spokeswoman made the remark while responding queries from Deutsch Press Agency (DPA) and Reuters correspondents about Vietnam's reaction to Mr Peterson's sending a letter of resignation to the US president as well as its evaluation of his work in Vietnam. She added that first ambassadors often play an important role in building and promoting bilateral relations. "We hope that Ambassador Peterson always keeps his strong impressions of our country and continues making active contributions to strengthening and developing Vietnam-US ties," Ms Thanh said. (VNA) **** Bush administration urged to submit BTA to Congress for approval American congressmen and entrepreneurs are putting pressure on the Bush administration to quickly submit the US-Vietnam Trade Agreement (BTA) signed last July to Congress for ratification, a Washington-based Vietnam News Agency correspondent reports. Leonard Boswell, member of the House of Representatives, urged US trade representative Robert Zoellick, to send the trade pact signed with Vietnam to Congress for voting on as soon as possible. The Iowa Democratic congressman, who is a Vietnam War veteran, made the remark at a Congressional hearing, on May 23. Massachusetts senator John Kerry, together with 20 other senators, wrote to President George W Bush, asking for early BTA submission to Congress. Kerry, who is also a Democrat, urged Robert Zoellick to press the issue at a meeting on Wednesday, May 23. Also this week, Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, also requested President Bush to send the US-Vietnam trade pact to Congress for approval on June 1st. Last January, a group of 250 American entrepreneurs and traders put their signatures on a letter addressed to George W Bush, calling for an early submission of the BTA to Congress. The Bush administration has delayed sending the trade pact to Congress as it wants to link the pact with other trade issues, making it a bargaining chip for Congressional concessions. Sources in Congress say that there is currently enough support among their ranks to ratify the Trade Agreement. Pact supporters believe that the delay of ratification may hurt the course of normalising relations between the US and Vietnam, including POW/MIA co-operation. (VNA) **** Ly's arrest supported by people, religious dignitaries Many people and religious dignitaries in Thua Thien - Hue, expressed their support for the arrest of Nguyen Van Ly and suggested that State law enforcement forces should strictly punish Ly, in order to protect the State's laws. Law enforcement forces in central Thua Thien - Hue province, arrested Nguyen Van Ly, on May 17, on charges of violating his probation under Article 269 of the Criminal Code. Ly was arrested at his house in Truyen Nam hamlet, Phu An commune, Phu Vang district. A parishioner of Nguyet Bieu diocese, Nguyen Thi Khoa, expressed her agreement to the arrest of Ly. She said that Ly incited several parishioners to occupy land, prevented the strengthening of canals and irrigation works and protested against the administration. Buddhist nun Thich Quan Thanh of Phuoc An pagoda, Phu An commune held that the arrest of Ly is necessary. She said that 90% of the population are Buddhist, while only 7-8% are Christians. All Buddhist followers have not found any violation on religious freedom by the Party and State. Ly gathered some parishioners to cause public disorder in the commune so that the local people could not live in peace. Priest Nguyen Van Trong of Phu Cam church said "I did not witness what Ly has done but I feel distressed to hear information about Ly. Because this is not the first time Ly violated the law. Ly was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for his sabotage of the national unity. He went against the Common Letter's spirit of the Vietnam Episcopal Council." Parishioner Ton That Thanh Nhan said: "priest Nguyen Van Ly has made many wrong-doings. Of late, Ly continued to provoke public disorder and incite anti-government activities, thus threatening public security. We do not agree with what Ly has done. He has violated the laws and Catholicism's regulations many times. So that the arrest of Ly is totally correct." **** Vietnam joins Asia-Pacific talks on children's suitable world The Vietnamese government has approved a programme of action for the safe and healthy development of children in the 2001-2010 period, said minister and chairwoman of the Committee for Protection and Care of Children, Tran Thi Thanh Thanh. Ms Thanh was responding to an international call for a suitable world for children early in the 21st century at the fifth Asian-Pacific Ministerial Consultative Conference on 'Children's Future' held in Beijing, China, from May 14-16. She said Vietnam has recorded considerable achievements in implementing its pledges for the rights of the child, citing the elimination of polio, illiteracy eradication and universalisation of primary education. These achievements were made while the country was facing many socio-economic difficulties, Ms Thanh emphasised. However, the consequences of war have posed other problems such as a large number of disabled children, Agent Orange child victims, and a high child malnutrition rate, Ms Thanh said. The newly-approved programme of action for children in the first decades of the new millennium is expected to help ensure children their rights to live, to develop, and to be protected, Ms Thanh said. Those issues were also central to the agenda of the conference, which drew in representatives from the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, and 21 regional countries and territories, besides the host country. Voices of children were also heard at the event. Dang Thu Trang and Nguyen Manh Hung of Vietnam called for more support to the families for better child care and concrete policies to children in poor rural communities. Asia and the Pacific is home to more than 300 million children. (VNA) **** Vietnam signs Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Vietnam and 87 countries signed the Stockholm Convention on Persistant Organic Pollutants (POPs), on May 23 at a two-day meeting in Stockholm, which drew delegates from 170 countries and organisations worldwide. The treaty aims to outlaw or restrict the use of the "dirty dozen" toxic chemicals blamed for causing death and diseases in humans and animals and for dangerously polluting the earth's environment. Vietnam has negotiated the treaty since 1998 and contributed considerably to its content. Ambassador, Nguyen Van Nam, head of the Vietnamese delegation, emphasised in his address the aftermath of Agent Orange sprayed by the American forces during the War. He stressed that Vietnam has been suffering, much more than any country in the world, from hazardous dioxins. Resolving these is the foremost concern of the Vietnamese government and its people, the ambassador said. He called on countries, regional and international organisations, as well as individuals to provide more support and co-operation with Vietnam in this effort. (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] __________________________________________________
