Longest held vietnam prisoner war

Children's representatives from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia take part in the ceremony of dove release pigeons to show the spirit of peace and solidarity. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – A festival for children from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia began on August 10 in Ho Chi Minh City, hosted by the Central Committee of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU). The five-day event draws the participation of 185 children and 34 officials from the three countries. This is an activity to celebrate the “Vietnam- Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022,” the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Laos, 45 years of the signing of the Vietnam - Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, the "Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Year 2022" and the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic relations. festival has been held. The event is organised every two years since 2010. Last year, it was postponed due to the … [Read more...] about Festival held for children of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia

With the peak summer travel season drawing to a close, Vietnam’s international tourism segment still faces bottlenecks on its route to full recovery. Within the framework of a program early this week to discuss the current state of the Vietnamese tourism sector, representatives from businesses and organizations across the country voiced doubts that Vietnam will meet its goal of welcoming five million foreign tourists by the end of the year if regulations governing visa policies, infrastructure, and personnel are not relaxed. Incomplete recovery According to Cao Thi Tuyet Lan, sales manager at Viettours Incentives & Events Co. Ltd., foreign tourists still find it difficult to enter the country despite Vietnam having fully reopened its borders. “What's more, it is hard to apply for visas for business travelers who work with domestic enterprises," Lan said. “[The domestic partner] first has to register [the foreign partner] with the Immigration Department, then wait for a … [Read more...] about Vietnam still struggles to welcome back int’l tourists

The Institute for Studies of Society, Economy, and Environment (iSEE), in collaboration with Vietnam-based LGBT+ rights group ICS Center, re-launched the LGBTI+ campaign Toi Dong Y (I Do) 2022 in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday in the hope of garnering social support for same-sex marriage in Vietnam. Under the theme Hon nhan khong khuon mau (Marriage without model), the campaign will host activities from August to September with the aim of boosting public support for same-sex marriage in Vietnam. The first iteration of the campaign was held in 2013 and was considered a resounding success, culminating in the abolishment of Vietnam’s ban on same-sex marriage in 2014 – a landmark event owed, in part, to a 12,000-signature petition submitted by Toi Dong Y to Vietnam’s National Assembly. Vietnam neither prohibits nor recognizes same-sex marriage now. In addition to hosting discussions at ten universities across the country about gender equality, publishing the first book … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s LGBTI+ campaign to support same-sex marriage reboots after nearly a decade

The miscellanea “Doc duong” by Nguyen Ngoc (Photo: thethaovanhoa.vn ) Hanoi (VNA) – A seminar on the Vietnam – France culture interference from the perspective of writer Nguyen Ngoc will be held by the French Institute in Vietnam and Nha Nam Culture and Communications Company on August 13. In his miscellanea “Doc duong”, including 34 articles and literary notes recently released, the writer highlights the culture interference between Vietnam and France in the early 20th century, and prominent intellectual figures of Vietnam in the period. The early 2 0th century was a period of important historical movements, which witnessed the strong culture interference between France and Vietnam, and the coming into being of a generation of outstanding intellectuals such as Phan Boi Chau, Phan Chau Trinh, and Huynh Thuc Khang who approached both Eastern and Western culture s. Ngoc's work features articles related to his literary and cultural activities, and excerpts from … [Read more...] about Seminar to spotlight Vietnam – France culture interference

Over the past time, in the spirit of “forgetting the past, looking to the future,” Vietnam and the U.S. have taken various effective and practical measures to heal the wounds of war. However, experts have evaluated that those efforts are not enough as around 3 million Vietnamese people are still being affected by AO/dioxin, and next generations of the Vietnamese people are being affected by the consequences of the disaster. In recent article posted on usip.org, Dr. Andrew Wells-Dang, who leads the Vietnam War Legacies and Reconciliation Initiative at United States Institute of Peace (USIP), evaluated that AO and other toxic chemicals that the U.S. sprayed over Southern Vietnam have left long-term and severe consequences on the Vietnamese people. From 1961 to 1971, the U.S. troops sprayed 80 million liters of AO, which contained about 400 kg of dioxin, over more than 3 million hectares of forest in South Vietnam. More than 4,8 million people were directly exposed to toxic chemicals, … [Read more...] about Overcoming war legacy by practical deeds

Police officers on May 18, 2009 announced a decision to deport Viet Tan member Nguyen Van Be, a Vietnamese in Australia. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Viet Tan terrorist organization has made use of the internet, especially social media, to conduct propaganda and entice people to join its disguised groups on the internet. Under the cover of making social criticism and struggling for democracy, national sovereignty and territorial integrity, those groups in fact spread distorted information on the Party and State’s policies and guidelines in order to spur the hostile attitude among a part of the people. Making use of East Sea situation to undermine the administration Recently, using the complicated developments in the East Sea after China brought its survey vessels into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, Viet Tan coordinated with other reactionary groups and associations to hold a series of demonstrations in many countries in order to incite its members and political … [Read more...] about What’s new in Viet Tan’s schemes?

At the “International experience on blockchain technology development and recommendations for Vietnam” conference held last Friday, Michael R. DiGregorio, the Asia Foundation’s country representative in Vietnam, suggested that the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) should allow businesses to experimentally approach areas that are not clearly regulated by laws, such as blockchain. Legalities in way of blockchain progress, illustration photo The Asian Foundation is collaborating with Vietnam Blockchain Corporation and jupviec.vn to pilot the application of blockchain. After the blockchain platform is successfully integrated into jupviec.vn, the system will connect about 2,000 domestic helpers with potential customers through the website and mobile application. This creates favourable conditions for workers when looking for a job, helping to increase their ability to negotiate salaries and other benefits related to their work records and professional … [Read more...] about Legalities in way of blockchain progress

At the ceremony (Photo: VNA) Phnom Penh (VNA) – A Vietnamese cultural week was kicked off in Cambodia at a ceremony held in the capital Phnom Penh on August 10. As part of the activities marking the 55th anniversary of Vietnam – Cambodia diplomatic relations, the event runs in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap until 14. Its opening ceremony featured songs and traditional dances performed by Vietnamese and Cambodian art troupes. In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong highlighted the nations’ solidarity, traditional friendship and cooperation, and good neighbourliness. The bilateral ties have grown robustly over the past more than five decades, bringing about important political, socio-economic, cultural, and educational outcomes and practical benefits for the two peoples, he affirmed. Their regular organisation of cultural programmes is key to increasing the countries’ solidarity, friendship, mutual understanding and … [Read more...] about Vietnamese cultural week underway in Cambodia

Mai Phan Loi at court (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The High-Level People’s Court of Hanoi has reduced the prison sentence handed down to Mai Phan Loi , Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Centre for Media in Educating Community (MEC), by three months in an appeal trial on August 11. Accordingly, Loi will spend 45 months in prison for tax evasion instead of 48 months in the first-instance verdict. His accomplice Bach Hung Duong, MEC Director, also received a revised sentence of 27 months, down from 30 months. MEC was founded in 2012 under a decision by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations. It is funded mostly by grants and donations from domestic and foreign organisations. As a stakeholder, Chairman of the Founding Board and Chairman of the Scientific Council of MEC, Loi directed MEC’s all activities. From 2012 to March 2021, MEC recorded funding of over 19 billion VND (826,000 USD), but whenever MEC received financial support, Loi … [Read more...] about Mai Phan Loi has jail term reduced by three months

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (standing) chairs the meeting in Hanoi on August 11. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Standing members of the steering committee in charge of a project to draft a strategy for building and completing a law-governed socialist state of Vietnam by 2030, with a vision to 2045, held a meeting with the Central Theoretical Council in Hanoi on August 11. Members of the council showed their support for the draft strategy, which they said has been prepared in a methodological, democratic and scientific manner that guarantees the Party’s comprehensive and absolute leadership, firmly maintains the socialist orientation , and doesn’t include loopholes for hostile forces to take advantage of to sabotage the Party, State or regime. The draft has selectively absorbed international experience, inherited and brought into play the achievements in building the law-governed socialist state of Vietnam after over 35 years of reforms, identified breakthroughs, set … [Read more...] about Steering committee meets theoretical council to discuss law-governed state