VNA 90th anniversary of Uncle Ho's departure for national salvation. Many political and cultural activities are being held to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the day young Nguyen Tat Thanh, later President Ho Chi Minh, left the country to seek a way for national salvation (June 5,1911 - June 5, 2001). A ceremony to mark the event was held on June 5 at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. Also, an exhibition, 'Ho Chi Minh's Thought and National Renovation' was opened in the museum. With 150 exhibits, artefacts and 50 books, the exhibition introduced the origin and fundamental content of Ho Chi Minh's Thought as well as achievements gained during the national renovation process taken by President Ho Chi Minh. Ninety coloured and black and white photos, fifteen charts illustrating the facts and figures and many products of handicrafts featuring the virtue and thought of President Ho Chi Minh and remarkable achievements of the city in the past 15 years are also being displayed. Also on the occasion, the Ho Chi Minh National Political Institute and the Border Guard Command jointly held a symposium 'Viewpoint of President Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnam's Communist Party on Border Defending Work'. **** NA adopts more articles of Draft Road Traffic Law National Assembly deputies passed Chapters II, III and IV of the draft law on road traffic on the 12th working day, June 5, of the on-going session of the 10th National Assembly. They discussed articles from 26 to 36 of Chapter II and approved the whole chapter on road traffic rules with 84.1% in favour. The 11-article Chapter III on regulations on road traffic infrastructure and Chapter IV on road traffic means were passed with 87% and 85.4%, respectively, in favour. On the same day, the deputies also discussed Chapter V on drivers of traffic means. Earlier, on June 4, NA deputies passed articles from 14 to 25 in the second chapter following a two-day debate. They will meet in the conference hall on June 6, to continue discussing and approving Chapter V and the remaining articles of the new road traffic law. (VNA) **** PM calls for speedier administrative reform Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, has asked the government to work closely with ministries and localities to speed up administrative reform. The prime minister noted that steps should be taken immediately to make the State administrative apparatus more effective, to devise more efficient means to deal with negative phenomena among State administrative staff, and to accelerate the fight against corruption. The request was made at a recent working session between Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and his deputy, Nguyen Tan Dung, with the government's Steering Board for Administrative Reform. The prime minister told the Steering Board that the government, ministries, relevant agencies, and localities had, since the beginning of this year, achieved good results in building and promoting some institutions, streamlining administrative staff and rectifying administrative disciplines. However, the work had been done relatively slowly and achievements were lower than expected, Mr Khai added. He, therefore, asked the Steering Board to streamline administrative and organisational agencies, and their staff, describing it as a requirement that should be fulfilled immediately. The Steering Board was also asked to make good preparations for the government to work actively and effectively on the amendment of the 1992 Constitution. The prime minister rated high the re-structuring of State-owned enterprises including the equitisation and socialisation of activities in the fields of public health, education, training, science, and technology. The government's Board for Organisation and Personnel was asked to co-ordinate with the Finance Ministry and the State Committee for Minority Groups and Mountainous Regions in devising a number of policies on granting privileges to some groups of people, including heads of communes in mountainous and remote areas. (VNA) **** Vietnam's Trade Union delegation pays working visit to Denmark A delegation of the Confederation of Labour (VCL), headed by Deputy President Nguyen Dinh Thang paid a working visit to Denmark from May 26-June 2 at the invitation of the Danish Federation of General Workers (SID). The delegation had a working session with SID officials on a co-operation programme between the two trade union organisations in the coming time. They learned experience in SID launched movements when they called at several establishments in Denmark. (VNA) **** Myanmar delegation visits A delegation of the Myanmar Solidarity and Development Council led by permanent member of the council and deputy information minister, U Thien Sein, visited Vietnam from May 25-30. The delegation had working sessions with the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, the Foreign Ministry, the Culture and Information Ministry, and VUFO chapters of Hanoi and Quang Ninh province. They were received by Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Vu Khoan. They visited some cultural and historic sites in the country. (VNA) **** Vietnamese, Indian Trade Unions strengthen friendship Leaders of the Vietnamese and Indian trade union organisations, discussed measures to further strengthen the traditional solidarity and friendship between the two organisations. The discussion was made during a visit from June 3-10, by a delegation of the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), led by its President J Chitharanjan. The AITUC delegation held talks with a delegation of the Vietnam Confederation of Labour (VCL) led by President Cu Thi Hau. The two sides exchanged views on trade union movements in their countries. The Indian delegation held working sessions with trade union organisations representing people from industry, railway, agriculture and rural development services, Labour newspaper and the Vietnam Trade Union College. (VNA) **** Activities mark World Environment Day World Environment Day marked in Hue and Hanoi. Activities to raise people's awareness of environmental protection have been organised nationwide in response to the World Environment Day's message "Connect to the World Wide Web of Life." This year, Hue city was chosen by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as one of four cities in the world hosting events to celebrate the day (June 5). The Thua Thien-Hue Science, Technology and Environment Department marked the occasion by setting up a website named 'Hue Xanh' (Green Hue), on which environment-related information is provided by domestic and international environmental organisations. The website will highlight the natural resources of Thua Thien-Hue province, the existing environmental situation, pollution control efforts, and the community's environmental protection activities. With a population of 300,000, about 43,000 of them living on boats, and half a million tourists visiting a year, the ancient city of Hue is focusing on keeping its environment clean and beautiful. The city has carried out projects to upgrade urban infrastructure, dredge rivers, and strengthen river banks. About 1,500 volunteers have joined in green groups to encourage people to take part in the environmental protection movement. Thua Thien-Hue province with Nam Dinh in the north and Ba Ria-Vung Tau in the south, will take part in a project on coastline management with the support from the SNV, a non-governmental organisation of the Netherlands. A total of US $2 million for its first phase, lasting until 2003, will focus on strengthening the coastline, especially the lagoon area, of Thua Thien-Hue. The provincial educational sector joined hands in the movement to raise knowledge and awareness of environmental protection for people, particularly students. The provincial Education and Training Department held a seminar on environmental education in schools yesterday, June 4. Now environmental education is included in the curricula of schools at all levels. The province has set up centres with documents and schooling aid in its localities and nature reserves to help teachers and students obtain more knowledge about the environment. Besides, a seminar on environmental protection education has been held in Hue city with the participation of 60 universities, colleges, and research institutes nationwide. In Hanoi, a seminar between Hanoians and environmental workers joining in the movement 'For Clean-Green-Beautiful Environment in the Capital,' initiated in 1996, was held on June 4. The movement has helped improve Hanoians' awareness of environmental hygiene. In Ho Chi Minh City, young people attended the 37th Green Sunday, initiated by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. They removed waste and planted trees along canals in the city. Earlier, many young people attended a meeting with environmentalists and were introduced to a Green Initiative contest with a total prize money of VND 56 million, granted by the Sony company. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment has announced that this week it will present awards to four organisations and nine individuals for their contributions to safe-guarding the environment. The awards are the first of their kind in Vietnam abd seek to encourage every individual and organisation of the country to participate actively in environmental protection. The prize-winners were picked from 116 environmental activists nationwide. (VNA) **** Vietnam, RoK boost Trade Union co-operation The Vietnam Confederation of Labour (VCL) and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), have discussed measures to strengthen the relationship between the two organisations. They also discussed ways of working together to better protect the rights and interests of Vietnamese guest workers in the Republic of Korea (RoK). The discussions took place in Hanoi on June 5, at VGCL President Cu Thi Hau's reception to a visiting FKTU delegation. The FKTU delegation, led by President Li Nam Sun, has been in Vietnam since June 4, for a six-day working visit. It plans to have working sessions with the Vietnam Trade Unions of Public Employees, the Orion-Hanel electronics joint venture, and the Vietnam Posts Trade Unions, where it will inquire into labour relationships in RoK-invested enterprises. (VNA) **** Water levels in rivers on the rise Water levels in the Hong River and Thai Binh River systems, the two largest in the north, have been rising quickly in recent days due to heavy rains. The water level in the Hong River in Hanoi was measured at 8.64 metres at 7:00am of June 5 and is likely to rise to 9.5 metres (first-degree warning level) tonight. Meanwhile, the water level of the Thai Binh River was 3.47 metres at Pha Lai (the first-degree warning level) at 7 am and is likely to reach 3.8-4.0 metres at night. (VNA) **** Earth tremor shakes Lai Chau An earth tremor shook Muong Nhe in northern mountainous Lai Chau province at 14:02 hour on June 4, according to the Global Physics Institute. The tremor measured 4.7 on the Richter scale. No casualties have been reported so far. (VNA) **** Floods hit Yen Bai The water level in the Red River delta receded nearly one metre to the third degree flood warning level in Yen Bai township at 9 am on June 5. The highest water level in the province in decades has submerged communes along the river banks from Van Yen district to Yen Bai township. More than 360 hectares of rice and subsidiary food crops and 131 houses were flooded. Total losses are estimated at VND 3 billion (US $205,500). (VNA) **** French frigate visits Vietnam The French frigate 'Vendemiaire' called at Haiphong port on June 3, beginning a week-long visit to Vietnam. The frigate's captain and sailors were greeted at the port by the military attache and a second secretary of the French embassy in Hanoi, senior officials of Haiphong City, and high-ranking officers of Vietnam's Naval Command and Defence Ministry. During their stay, French officers and sailors are expected to have contacts and cultural exchanges with young people and military personnel of Haiphong to boost friendship and co-operation between Vietnam and France. (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] __________________________________________________
