VNA
Zimbabwe president starts visit Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe arrived in Hanoi on September 28 to begin a four-day official friendship visit to Vietnam. The visit is being made at the invitation of President Tran Duc Luong. The Zimbabwe president is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Doctor Stan Mudenge, deputy secretary general of the Presidential Office, Zimbabwe ambassador responsible for Vietnam and other senior officials. **** President sends letter to flood-affected people Tran Duc Luong sent a letter to people in the flood-hit areas on September 27, urging them to cope with the situation and sharing the sorrow with families of flood victims. Local authorities should take measures to protect people, particularly children, from the floods and carry out aid work well to provide shelter and food in time for people, said the letter. The president also asked local authorities to act against epidemic diseases, keep the environment clean, restore production and stabilise people�s life after the floods. **** Vietnam-Chile relationship to be further expanded National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An expressed his hope that Vietnam and Chile would further expand the relationship between the two national assemblies and governments as well as economic and trade co-operation. This was while receiving Vice President of the Chilean Senate Mario Rios in Hanoi on September 27. Vice President Rios, who has been on a working visit to Vietnam since September 26, expressed his delight at the results of the working session with the Vietnamese NA delegation. He said he hoped that the two legislatures would further promote their relationship and that each legislature would establish its own Parliamentarians' Friendship Group. As president of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians' Alliance (APPA), Mr Rios spoke highly of the Vietnamese National Assembly's contributions to the APPA. He said he hoped that Vietnam would make more contributions to peace, friendship, co-operation, and development in the region and the world at large. Mr Rios expressed his admiration for Vietnam's developments on his second visit as well as his wish for Vietnam's success in its renovation process. Chairman An welcomed Vice President Rios' positive ideas, saying that they would help take Vietnam-Chile relations to a new height. He said that, being members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum and the regional and world Parliamentarians' organisations, Vietnam and Chile should promote their co-operative relations for mutual benefit and for peace, stability, and development. He expressed his appreciation of Chile's role in the Asia-Pacific region and his support for the establishment of a Parliamentarians' Friendship Group in each legislative body. Vietnam will take part in regional and international activities, thus contributing to regional as well as world peace and stability. Earlier in the morning, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for External Relations Do Van Tai held a working session with Vice President of the Chilean Senate Rios. (VNA) **** NA Standing Committee meets The Standing Committee of the National Assembly (NA) gave its opinion on the preparations for the coming 10th session of the 10th National Assembly at its meeting held in Hanoi from September 21-27 under the chairmanship of NA Chairman Nguyen Van An. The NA Standing Committee heard a report on the outcome of the 22nd meeting of the General Assembly of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation held from September 2-7 in Bangkok. The participants also heard a report on the initial collection of people's opinions on the amendment and supplementation of a number of articles in the 1992 Constitution. The committee gave comments to the draft Law on Government Organisation (revised), a planned programme on law making in 2002 and a draft Ordinance on Religion. The NA Standing Committee unanimously passed a resolution on the appropriate dress of people's jurors of the People's Court. (VNA) **** Government discusses challenges to meet yearly targets The government met in Hanoi on September 26-27 to discuss whether or not Vietnam was on course to achieve its targets in economic and social development for 2001, focusing on challenges that might hinder the country's achievement of some of these targets. During the meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, it was reported that agricultural production was badly affected by natural disasters and unfavourable fluctuations in international market prices. Consequently, some of this year's agricultural targets might not be fulfilled. However, major progress has been made in the restructuring of the crop cultivation and animal husbandry sectors to make them more suitable to each locality's natural conditions. Achievements have been made in some areas such as fisheries, with yearly growth expected at 21%, industrial production with an estimated yearly growth of 14.5% which is more than planned, and export revenue increasing an estimated 14.2%. However, Vietnam-made products still have a low competitive edge. The cabinet's assessment was shared by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. He instructed cabinet members to help localities tackle those difficulties as soon as possible so that they can produce more products and invest in key areas. He called for immediate 'localisation' of products as much as possible, from raw materials and equipment to finished products, laying stress on the principle of not importing what the country can produce. He also suggested that the 2002 master-plan be geared to global integration, saying it meant dealing with fierce competition. Mr Khai went on to say that attention should be paid to the application of advanced technology in production to improve product quality and cut production costs, thus reducing product prices. The prime minister also drew attention to socio-cultural issues for the 2002 plan, especially the unacceptably high rate of child malnutrition. The cabinet also passed the Statistics Bill to submit it to the National Assembly for consideration. (VNA) **** Mid-autumn festival for disadvantaged children Efforts are being made to help disadvantaged children enjoy the upcoming mid-Autumn festival which falls on the fifteenth day of the lunar August (Monday October 1). Nhan Dan newspaper collected VND 20 million from the two days' wage of all its staff and welfare fund to present it to children in four flood-hit Mekong river delta provinces of Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang and Can Tho. The Lua Viet Picnic Company in Ho Chi Minh City held a mid-Autumn Festival Week for 11,000 underprivileged children in provinces of Soc Trang, Can Tho, Lam Dong, Binh Thuan, Ba Ria - Vung Tau and districts of Can Gio and No 5 in Ho Chi Minh City. During the festival, the children have been provided with free medical check ups and medicine, mid-Autumn presents, clothes and eight sets of drums for schools with a total capital of VND 140 million. This is the sixth consecutive year the company has held a mid-Autumn festival for poor children in Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces. A get-together for poor children was also held in Nhat Quang commune, Hung Yen northern province. A meeting for 700 disabled children was held at the Reunification Hall in Ho Chi Minh City for the mid-Autumn festival. The southern province of Dong Nai organised a 'Lovely Moon Night' with the participation of 2,000 children. Many activities were also held for children in Hanoi at the Vietnam Culture and Art Exhibition Centre, Children's Palace and Cultural Houses on the occasion. **** More protests against Vietnam Human Rights Act Organisations and individuals have come out strongly against the so-called �Vietnam Human Rights Act� passed by the US House of Representatives on September 11. * Steven J Lux, Representative of Population and Development International (PDI)-Asia, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Vietnam, said that PDI would never work in collaboration with any US government authority in the manner described in the so-called Human Rights Act (HR 2833). In his letter dated September 20, and sent to Vietnamese partners and colleagues within the NGO community, Mr Lux also called on American citizens who are friends of Vietnam to "make concerted efforts to stop this legislation from passing or from harming relations between our two countries if it is passed." "PDI will not request any funds earmarked for this act and when allowed within the limits of US law, and will be willing to collaborate with any Vietnamese citizen wishing to learn more about how the US $ 2 million allocated within the bill is disbursed," the PDI representative said. Mr Lux added that when he sat in Hanoi, he pumped out emails to his elected officials and implored friends to contact their elected officials in an effort to get the Senate to scrap the act, because he regarded the passing of the act as "having stolen the thunder of celebrations that should be coming along with the imminent passage of our countries' bilateral trade agreement." "This act represents the view of a vocal minority of Americans with whom the American NGO community shares no affinity," he stressed. "The sponsor of this bill - Mr Smith from New Jersey - is the arch-enemy of improved relations between the US and Vietnam with a decade old record of obstructing the spirited efforts of Vietnamese and Americans to heal the wounds from the American-Vietnam war," Mr Lux elaborated. The PDI representative continued: "Smith represents the worst of those politicians taking zealous positions on sensitive issues unwilling to open his mind to new ideas. He cares nothing about the friendships that have been made between the citizens of our two countries. He knows nothing about the reform efforts made in Vietnam." "He also knows nothing of his own hypocrisy when at one moment he sponsors legislation that presents information about child labour in Vietnam (taken out of context from a UNICEF report) while forgetting that child abuse in the US is certainly not a rare occurrence," Mr Lux also said. * An American veteran of the Vietnam War has sent a letter to US Senator Max Cleland to urge the US Senate to annul HR2833, the so-called �Vietnam Human Rights Act�. In his letter, Chuck Searcy, who has been living and working in Vietnam for more than six years and directing humanitarian programmes for US veterans' organisations, wrote: "This piece of legislation (the act) is not only mislabelled regarding 'human rights,' but it is clearly designed to drive a wedge between the improving relationship between the US and Vietnam and the significant progress that has been made in Vietnam toward greater openness, freedom, and accountability as a result of our mutual co-operation. "The 'Findings' (Section 101) on which this legislation is based consists almost entirely of reports coming from Vietnamese activist groups based in the US These 'findings' are unsubstantiated, misleading, and often simply untrue." He continued: "This bill was written by, and supports the agenda of, some Vietnamese Americans who want to see instability, insecurity, and isolation for Vietnam still today. Some of them may be terrorist cells, based in California and North Carolina, whose stated mission is to bring down the present government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which is a government the US recognises as totally legitimate and with which we have full diplomatic relations. "This bill is mean-spirited, the language is provocative and inflammatory, and it singles Vietnam out for extraordinary punishment not inflicted on other countries with far worse 'human rights abuses." He stressed: "If this bill is passed into law, the National Assembly of Vietnam will find it very difficult to ratify the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement. This agreement forms the cornerstone of current US-Vietnam relations, and is the result of five years of arduous negotiations. "If this bill is passed by the Senate, it will destroy five years of hard work and reconciliation generated by Ambassador Pete Peterson, as well as the work of hundreds of American business people, diplomats and NGO workers in Vietnam." The American veteran concluded his letter: "As a Vietnam veteran who is trying to rebuild from the terrible past legacy of war here - and believe me, we do not wish to revisit the human rights violations of that war, or the US will have some serious explaining to do - I strongly ask you, and urge you, to vote NO on HR2833." * The Border Guard Command in Ho Chi Minh City held a meeting on September 27 to protest against the �Vietnam Human Rights Act� of the US House of Representatives. The Vietnam border guards strongly condemned and rejected the act and requested the US Senate not to pass the wrongful act. * Nearly 500 trade union cadres representing 120,000 workers in Quang Ninh province on September 27, held a meeting to protest against the so-called Vietnam Human Rights Act of the US. Quang Ninh workers expressed their dissatisfaction and asked the US House of Representative to abrogate the wrongful act. * Haiphong city�s Fatherland Front and Border Guard Command held a meeting to protest against �Vietnam Human Rights Act� on September 27. * The Fatherland Front chapter in Nam Dinh province held a meeting to condemn the act. The Fatherland Front chapter issued a statement to protest against the act and called upon world people, including American people, to protest and prevent the approval of the act. **** Central highlands unrest leader sentenced to 12 years in prison The leader of this February's civil unrest in the town of Pleiku was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment on September 26 after standing trial in the People's Court of Gia Lai. The sentenced man, named Bome, is a 45 year-old resident of Dak Doa district in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai. His two chief accomplices, Ksor Kroih, 39, in Pleiku town, and Ksor Poih, 41, in Dak Doa district, Gia Lai province, were given 11 and 10 years' imprisonment, respectively, on the same charge. All three men will have to serve five years of probation after finishing their jail terms. Sentences for the remaining four accomplices ranged from six years to eight years in prison and three years' probation each. The court verdict found Bome guilty of organising illegal activities in Gia Lai province for establishing a so-called 'De Ga Independent State' and inciting locals to cause social disorder and instability. He was found chairing a founding ceremony of an illegal organisation at Ksor Kroih's home on September 22, 2000. The court verdict also proved that Bome and the other six offenders, incited by hostile forces abroad, had lured locals into causing social instability and joining anti-government activities which culminated in the February 2 unrest in Pleiku town. They admitted to attempting to break the national unity and preparing for the establishment of the illegal 'De Ga Independent State.' All the seven defendants pleaded guilty, saying they had blindly followed the reactionary forces to conduct activities against their own people and homeland. They all begged for clemency. (VNA) **** Downpour inundates parts of HCM City A two-hour long downpour in Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon of September 27, inundated many parts in the inner city. Many roads in districts 5, 6, 10 and 11 were heavily flooded. The water is half of a motorbike wheel deep in Nguyen Thi Nho road and Cay Go crossroad, causing traffic jams. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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