Tieng Viet lovers club

[intoxicated316]

Originally Posted by yummyymym

How do we say I am still doing something and I got something to do

A con Dang lam do?
A Co Mot do Phai lam?

Just cannot get this sentence figured out

A van dang lam mot so viec~ I am still doing something

A co mot so viec phai lam~ I got something to do

[jackbl]

Workers scared to report sexual harassment
================================================== ==============
VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Ha Lan*, a resident of HCM City, recalls the incident that made her leave her job as a tour guide, a profession that she was once passionate about.

During a trip to Phan Thiet City in southeastern Binh Thuan Province, she was forced to stay in the same hotel room with a driver and another staff member to save money for the company she was working for at the time.

At night, when the group were lying together, the driver rested his foot on hers and tried to touch her, causing Lan to kick out at him to defend herself.

After the trip, Lan decided to stop working as a tour guide, a job she had been doing for three years and had trained to do at university for four.

"I loved working as a tour guide, but I don't find myself suitable for the job any more," Lan says, adding that sexual harassment is rife in the tourism industry and many of her friends have been harassed by either their male co-workers or tourists while working as guides during trips.

Lan's statement is supported by Nguyen Thi Binh, a veteran tour guide in HCM City who says many female guides decide to leave their jobs after experiencing sexual harassment.

Binh says if a tour guide complained to her company about harassment she may be seen as a worker failing to deal with the normal pressures of work. This means that most of the time tour guides choose only to share their stories among themselves and seek support from co-workers.

For office workers, the situation might seem less common, but it is still happening.

Tran Thuy Linh, who formerly worked for a construction company in Hai Phong City, says that she used to be harassed by her married boss as he constantly attempted to gain her affection.

"He frequently gave gifts to me, tried to seduce me with his sweet talk and one day, when he was drunk, he touched me," Linh says.

She refuses to describe further how she was harassed, but says that the actions of her boss put her under a lot of pressure and negatively affected her work.

To get a better idea of how common the situation is, Viet Nam News contacted counsellors on several support hotlines for women, but all responded by saying that they do not receive any complaints from women about being sexually harassed at work.

A counsellor on the 1900 8088 hotline said this is not because it does not happen, but because women are unwilling to share these sensitive stories.

Sandra Polaski, executive director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 's Social Dialogue Sector says that sometimes a victim of sexual harassment does not report it out of fear that people may misunderstand and criticise her, or gossip about her story.

"Very often the victims don't complain because they feel embarrassed and humiliated," Polaski adds.

Her opinion is shared by Hoang Tu Anh, director of the Ha Noi–based Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population.

She says that if a women claimed she had been sexually harassed, her personality would be questioned and people would say "there is no smoke without fire".

"People will ask: "Why did it happen to her, but not to other women? There must be something about her," and so they will judge her behaviour, her clothes and the ways she talks."

Nguyen Kim Lan, National Programme co-ordinator in Gender and Employment at ILO's Office in Viet Nam says there is a "culture of silence" preventing women from complaining about being harassed.

Lan believes that women harassed at work are often subordinates between the ages of 18 to 35.

"They don't know who to turn to for advice, because the legislation on sexual harassment is not clear enough making it difficult to make a complaint or prosecute someone."

Lan says that in the few past cases where harassers have been publicly accused, they were only punished by their workplace or trade union and not the law.

Only when a victim is sexually abused is the case taken seriously and brought to court.

Tu Anh lays the blame on a culture than is dominated by males, along with the long-rooted habit of touching people to express affection.

"There is a thin line between caring, teasing and harassing, and in many cases sexual harassment is tolerated in the name of culture," she says, adding that it is common in Vietnamese culture for people to affectionately touch each other even in private places.

"If people do anything that isn't sexual intercourse, it is not considered a big deal; the feelings or mental health of the victim are ignored," she adds, pointing out that in the criminal code, there is an article on rape and forced sex, but not sexual harassment.

Lan from ILO believes that the common understanding in Viet Nam of what defines harassment needs to change.

"Sexual harassment refers to any physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature and other conduct based on sex affecting the dignity of women and men, which is unwelcome, unreasonable and offensive to the recipient."

A revised Labour Code including some specific provisions on the issue will come into effect in May next year; a move the ILO have praised as a significant step by authorities towards addressing the problem in Viet Nam.

The revised law specifically features an article prohibiting sexual harassment at work, and making it illegal for companies to turn a blind eye to complaints.

The law will also give workers the right to terminate their labour contract at their will in cases of sexual harassment.
Lan, however, remains cautious, pointing out that the new Labour Code does still not provide any clear definition of the crime to promote law enforcement, and does not fully explain the phase "at the workplace."

"If a woman is sexually harassed when she has dinner at a restaurant with her company's business partners to discuss business issues, will it count as sexual harassment at work?"

ILO are set to make several proposals, including ones about a more extensive definition, at a future workshop on sexual harassment attended by policy makers. They are also co-operating with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to develop a set of guidelines for companies and social organisations to adopt.

Polaski says that it is essential to have a safe mechanism in place allowing victims to complain about sexual harassers without being afraid that their personal affairs could become widely known. This mechanism could be created by the Government, the employer, or the trade union.

She is hopeful that through widespread public campaigns raising awareness, progress can be made in Viet Nam, just as there has been positive change on the issue in the US, her home country.

"No culture is immutable, cultures can change."

VietNamNet/VNS

[STi-]

Hey Bros,

What does "Lai len mang ah" means?

[forgotoldnick]

Originally Posted by STi-

Hey Bros,

What does "Lai len mang ah" means?

It could means, come online ah???.......usually asking u a question.....

Lai--come
len mang--go online, play internet.
ah-???

[jackbl]

Young sex
======================
Morning after morning, the urban fisherman of Hanoi give each other plenty of space along the concrete banks of Ho Tay, or West Lake, the better to avoid tangled lines. With long bamboo poles they cast far into the murky waters.


Hours after nightfall, the fishermen are gone and young couples give each other space where the road bends around the lotus ponds to become Lovers' Lane. These couples, teenagers and young adults, are engaged in a different sort of fishing – for affection, love, perhaps a later visit to a nhà nghỉ.

But now we interrupt this romantic reverie for a public service announcement: A recent survey about the sexual behavior of Vietnamese teenagers "indicates an urgent demand for sex education for children aged 15 and under,” says Pham Vu Thien, director of the Hanoi-based Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP). “All the participants admitted that their schools and parents had not educated them on any precautionary methods.”

And so among sexually active teens, only one-tenth of the female participants brought condoms to a rendezvous while one-third of their partners did so.

The CCIHP surveyed of 762 Vietnamese teenagers and disclosed the findings at a recent workshop on reproductive health. The survey found that about nearly half of teenagers had engaged in sexual intercourse, including about one-third of 16- and 17-year-olds.

What troubled Thien is that so many teens did little to safeguard themselves against unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. One-third of the young people said they did not take any safe sex precautions when they were in a relationship, simply because they did not see any risks.

“The most common guidance parents often give their children is a 'warning' rather than detailed information on advisable responses to insecure situations," Thien said.

Adolescents are easily left in the dark, he said, because parents tend to avoid discussing sexual matters with them.

Sexual mores vary considerably between cultures. Some, no doubt, would be scandalized by such a survey. But even in the more progressive cultures I suspect parents wrestle with when and how to talk about a very private matter. I hope to learn from the example from my parents – the bad example, that is, since I was clueless after the hormones kicked in. (Please do as I say kids, and not as I did.)

In this regard, I suspect that Vietnamese teenagers (and their parents) aren't much different from their peers in much of the world.

While Thien found aspects of the survey troubling – and some parents may be shocked – a comparison to some studies of American teens leave the impression that the Vietnamese teens are a bit more innocent and romantic than their American and European peers.

One recent survey, for example, found that American youth, on average, lose their virginity (to use an old-fashioned expression) at age 17 – a bit later than American teens did in the 1990s. The comparison also suggests that American teens are more likely than Vietnamese to engage in casual sex – to be, as the euphemistic phrase puts it, "friends with benefits."

Tuoi Tre reported that about 8 percent of the teenagers who had sexual experience "revealed that they had sex even when they were not in love." By contrast, the American survey found that 16 percent of females and 28 percent of males reported first having sex with someone they had just met or simply a friend.

Funny how when it comes to sexual matters, innocence and ignorance tend to mean the same thing. That's the parental dilemma – the fear that sex education will inspire experimentation and a loss of innocence. Sex, after all, is ultimately something that can't be explained – it has to be experienced, like love. And, better yet, both together… with proper precautions.

[STi-]

Originally Posted by forgotoldnick

It could means, come online ah???.......usually asking u a question.....

Lai--come
len mang--go online, play internet.
ah-???

Bro forgotoldnick, thanks for the help!

[forgotoldnick]

Originally Posted by STi-

Bro forgotoldnick, thanks for the help!

Thanks for the generous uppsss, bro sti.
At least my reputation looks better now.

[dingding75]

Hi bros,
need help here "Ben day thi ok, tiem c ngay nao cung co khach het.. moi ngay boss co 1ngan may gan 2ngan. Nen hnao vang khach thi 500 la it" what it mean thanks

[volcano]

Originally Posted by dingding75

Hi bros,
need help here "Ben day thi ok, tiem c ngay nao cung co khach het.. moi ngay boss co 1ngan may gan 2ngan. Nen hnao vang khach thi 500 la it" what it mean thanks

over here is ok..shop everyday also has customer.everyday boss has 1k+ to almost 2k.when shop has little customer 500 is little.

[jackbl]

Green grass on the other side
=================================================
A couple of weeks ago I went on a little trip to Cambodia. From moment One I was amazed by beauty. The buildings are an architectural must-see and the countryside has Zen written all over. The exploration delighted more than just my eyes. The warmth offered by the locals was seductive. Honest smiles, innocent greetings. And yes, I was struck by their proficiency in the English language.


Vietnam has a long way to go to compete with its neighbors in that aspect. For four days my senses were relishing. To be honest, after being settled in Bien Hoa for 7 months, this was a welcoming change. I blamed myself for not discovering Cambodia earlier. With every encounter I would make up the balance and Cambodia would overpower Vietnam. My travel-mate strengthened those thoughts. He travelled through Vietnam for a month, but was just as overwhelmed by the new encounter.

Hold on for a moment, if you think this post will blossom with dazzles about my little side-trip, you’re wrong. This one is about the bigger picture.

If you’re accustomed to certain things, there will come a point in which you will be met by boredom and annoyance. Familiarity aligns with comfort, security, easiness. But doesn’t it lie in our nature to wonder how it would feel to step out of our comfort zone, to explore the unknown? For most of us it stays with questioning and creating imaginary thoughts, but I don’t want to expatiate on that aspect. An unfamiliar touch will stimulate your curiosity. You will be tempted to compare. Sorry, to burst your bubble here, but we compare all the time. Lifestyles, prices, moments, people, work, knowledge, flavors, colors…

If the balance shows you’re pulling the weight, it gives you a pleasant, satisfying feeling, a boost in your self-esteem. When the unfamiliar opens up a new world that overthrows you with positivity, you are reluctant to appreciate what you had before. It will accentuate the boredom and annoyance that was underlying your comfort. I have to confess that this progression I experienced during my short trip. I saw all the negative sides of Vietnam at once: the struggles to get something across due to the language barrier, the endless polluting by littering and burning rubbish, the all-around annoying hooting, the rudeness in the staring, spitting and nose picking, the laziness and inefficiency.

Aspects that I didn’t come across during my trip to Cambodia and that made me yearn for the other side. The feeling built up during four days, but it collapsed in exactly 17 minutes, the time it took me to cross the Cambodian border to the Vietnamese side. Vietnamese authorities aren’t exactly known for their kindness, but while they were checking my passport I muttered some Vietnamese words. They looked at each other and gave me a familiar smile. It sprouted a feeling inside me, saying ‘Hey, I’m back home’. It felt absolute great.

I love the challenge to get something across; it definitely improved my body language. Somebody up for charades!? I’m hooting my way around, even developed different rhythms for ‘Overtaking’, ‘Crossing, without giving priority’, ‘Arrrggghh!’ Their slow beat tempo makes being aware to take it easy once in a while. And, come on, you have to give them some credit for staring, spitting, nose picking en public without remorse. The littering is a different story of course. But I hope you get my point. I truly love Vietnam, with all her colors. I love how the women and children wear their pajamas in the daytime, how the men effortlessly align their body with their motorbike for a powernap, how they master karaoke, their perseverance in selling something, their top notch cuisine, their endless respect for family, their gratefulness for what is, their smiles and authenticity…

Sometimes you just need to go away, to appreciate what you have

[jackbl]

Three Vietnamese hotels listed in world top 500
================================================== =====================

VietNamNet Bridge – Three hotels in Vietnam have been named in the 2012 T+L 500 list following the selection of readers of the Travel + Leisure magazine, the biggest tourism publication published globally.

They are Hanoi-based Sofitel Legend Metropole, Ho Chi Minh City-based Park Hyatt and The Nam Hai in central Hoi An City.

This marks The Nam Hai resort’s first entry in the list, which considers the quality of accommodation, services, location, cuisine and values of nominated hotels for selection.

The 12-page covered full list, which is topped by Singita Grumeti Reserves Hotel of Tanzania, will be issued in January, 2013.

Source: Vietnam Plus

[jackbl]

Christmas celebrations in town
=============================================

*Caravelle Hotel (19 Lam Son Square, District 1, HCMC)

The Lobby Lounge will be beautifully decorated in the entranceway with the sound of classic carols performed by the Saigon Children’s Charity Choir ringing out in the hotel lobby every afternoon between tomorrow, Dec 21, and Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Early each morning, the kitchen will fire up the ovens to bake a mouth-watering selection of Christmas goodies, while the Lobby Lounge will serve special Christmas Teas with sweet and savory treats each afternoon until Sunday.

Nineteen Restaurant is presenting festive Christmas Eve and Christmas Day gala dinners while the fine-dining Reflections Restaurant on Christmas Eve will set the tables for a five-course menu by Chef Darren Watson. For more information, call 3824 7155.

*Hotel Equatorial HCMC (242 Tran Binh Trong Street, District 5, HCMC)

A Christmas Tree and Christmas Goodies Counter are waiting for guests at the lobby.

Diners can celebrate their Christmas dining at Chit Chat @ The Cafe and Orientica to experience mouth-watering dishes especially designed for Christmas by an award-wining culinary team.

Chit Chat @ The Cafe Restaurant offers Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner at VND1.39 million++ per person (5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.) and VND1.64 million ++ per person (8 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.). Christmas Day Buffet Brunch is
VND890,000++ per person (11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.) and VND890,000++ per person (6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.).

Orientica Restaurant offers Christmas Dinner on Monday and Tuesday for VND1.2 million ++ per person (6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.). For reservations, contact the hotel on (08) 3839 7777 ext. 8333 (Orientica Restaurant), 8000 (Chit Chat).

*InterContinental Asiana Saigon (corner of Le Duan Boulevard and Hai Ba Trung Street, District 1, HCMC)

Market 39, Yu Chu and Basilico restaurants have special programs for this festive season. The Library on the ground floor offers freshly baked sweets and cakes for guests to enjoy in a festive mood. It offers signature spa services, specialty treatment and wellness recommendations that combine cutting-edge techniques with local traditional ingredients. For more information, contact (08) 3520 9099.

*New World Saigon Hotel (76 Le Lai Street, District 1, HCMC)

The Parkview Restaurant on the ground floor offers Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. for VND2.05 million per person and Christmas Day Brunch Buffet on from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at VND1.5 million per person. There are Christmas Eve Chinese Set Menu and Christmas Day Chinese Set Menu at Dynasty Restaurant from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. atVND1.36 million per person. All prices exclude government tax and service charge and include live entertainment at Parkview as well as a special gift for each diner.

*Legend Hotel Saigon (2A-4A Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1, HCMC)

A Christmas Eve gala buffet dinner will be held at the Poolside with a free flow of selected beverages, variety entertainment and live performance by a Filipino Band. The band will take things up a notch, playing a medley of popular hits and festive favorites into the early hours. Santa will give gifts to your kids at Christmas.

The renowned Atrium Cafe will have a Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner and a buffet brunch on Christmas Day. Tickets are available for sale at the hotel lobby counter. For reservations, please call (08) 3823 3333 ext. 180.

Yoshino Japanese Restaurant will serve Christmas Set Dinner (Christmas Omakase) from Dec. 20 to 25. For reservations, call (08) 3823 2738.

*Lion Restaurant

Lion restaurant launches its Christmas Party on Monday featuring a fabulous buffet dinner with Western and Asian Food Fusion. For tickets tel: (08) 3823 8514 or cellphone: 0909 650 480 (Ms Tam)

*ParkRoyal Saigon (309B-311 Nguyen Van Troi Street, Tan Binh District, HCMC)

A fabulous Christmas Eve Dinner at the Garden Brasserie will be accompanied with fabulous live music. Children will be thrilled to find out that Santa Claus has again especially prepared surprise gifts for them. The dinner from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. is priced at VND1.28 million net per adult and half price for kids aged between 5 and 12 years old. The hotel also offers gift vouchers for overnight stays or meals at the Garden Brasserie restaurant. For reservations, call (08) 3 8421111, extension 1.

*Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon (8-15 Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1, HCMC)

Riverside Cafe on the ground floor offers an enchanting Christmas Eve for VND1.7 million++ per person and a Christmas Day Brunch at VND1.2 million++ per person. The Poolside on level 21 is where people can enjoy the panoramic view of the city and Saigon River with a savory dinner on Christmas Eve for VND1.7 million ++ per person with a free flow of champagne, house wine, beer and soft drinks.

*Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers (88 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, HCMC)

There is a festive season desk and life-sized gingerbread house in the hotel lobby offering a variety of luxurious gift certificates and Christmas treats and roast turkey for your party at home. Festive tickets will be sold for December 23, 24, 25, 31 & January 1. Customers can contact the hotel at (08) 3827 2828 or come to Festive Season Desk to buy tickets for this festive season from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

*Sofitel Saigon Plaza (17 Le Duan Boulevard, District 1, HCMC)

On Christmas Eve, Cafe Rivoli treats diners to a vast array of fresh seafood available either chilled or cooked at the grill station, a selection of lobster dishes, foie gras and oysters, and a carving station at VND 2.1 million++ per person, including free-flowing Bordeaux, soft drinks, beer and champagne.

At L’Olivier, a cozy Christmas Eve dinner features a traditional five-course set menu such as amuse bouche, cream of Jerusalem artichoke with lobster custard and winter vegetables, beef tenderloin with Perigueux sauce, zite gratin and bone marrow. It is priced at VND 1.45 million ++ per person including one glass of champagne.

*StarCity Saigon Hotel (144 Nguyen Van Troi St., Phu Nhuan District)

For only VND860,000 net per person, you can enjoy an abundant Seafood Dinner Buffet with unlimited drinks except wine and juices at the four-star StarCity Saigon Hotel’s La Mezzanine Restaurant on Monday. Kids from 5 to 13 years old enjoy a 50% discount. For bookings, call (08) 3999 8888.

*Sunrise Hoi An Beach Resort

The five-star resort in Quang Nam Province offers great deals for Christmas and New Year with the holiday traditions of carol singing and Santa Claus gift-giving for kids.

Choices are available for the festivity from traditional lavish buffet that opens at 6 p.m. on Monday. Christmas Day brunch buffet and luxury tea-party at Givral Bar are open at 10 a.m. till late.

Prices start from VND728,000++.per person. For those who prefer to celebrate Christmas at home, Sunrise Hoi An also offers an array of mouth-watering Christmas takeaways including succulent roast turkey, beef, honey glazed hams and freshly baked cakes.

For further details tel (0510) 393 7777.

Source: SGT

[jackbl]

Stealing to keep mistress, Japanese man jailed
================================================== ===============

A court in Dong Nai southern province Tuesday sentenced 62-year-old Nishimura Setsuo to 20 years in prison for embezzling nearly US$7 million from his company to maintain a mistress 32 years younger than him.

Prosecutors said Nishimura - who was Sanyo Di Solutions Vietnam’s HR and finance director - withdrew US$530,000 and VND132.5 billion ($6.35 million) from many banks in Ho Chi Minh City’s district 1 and in Bien Hoa town of Dong Nai province where his company is headquartered.

At the trial on Dec. 18, the Japanese man told the court that he spent most of the money on opening bars for his mistress and gambling together with her at casinos in Macau.

However, 30-year-old Duong Thi Thanh Nhan, the mistress, told the court she received a mere VND19.4 billion ($930,000) from him.

Nishumura had earlier admitted he gave her $500,000 from his own pockets to help Nhan open a restaurant.

He added that Nhan wanted more money afterwards, so he decided to steal money from his company.

After successfully withdrawing money from banks, Nishimura lent Nhan VND30.4 billion ($1.46 million) of which she later returned VND11.9 billion ($571,000). After their wrongdoings were found, Nhan and Nishimura fled the country but were arrested later.

Nishimuara told the court: “I gave the money that I withdrew from my company’s banks to her and her relatives. I did not use the money for other purposes. If she needs money today, I will give it to her tomorrow.”

Nhan said that she got to know Nishimura in 2005 when she was a student and doing a part-time job as a receptionist at a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.

Going abroad 212 times

To prove that she did not receive all the money that Nishimura misappropriated, Nhan said that she had a wealthy boyfriend in South Korea during the time she was going out with the Japanese man.

Nhan explained she handled some accounting job for her Korean boyfriend’s business and from that, received a monthly salary of $10,000.

The woman also claimed she earned from VND20 million to VND30 million ($1,439 to $960) a month from tips as a receptionist in Vietnam.

During the time she maintained relationship with Nishimura, she went abroad for a total of 212 times.

“Nishimura did know that I had a boyfriend. Even if I get married, I will tell him,” she told the court.

[jackbl]

The controversial provisions issued in 2012
================================================== ===============

VietNamNet Bridge - ID cards with the name of parents, wedding party with less than 300 guests, VND5 million fine on those who use cell phones at gas stations, meat must be sold within 8 hours after slaughtering are the most controversial provisions in 2012.



Motorbike registration

Decree71/CP sets out fines of VND800,000-1.2 million (US$38-57) for those who possess motorbikes for which they failed to complete change of ownership procedures. These are eight times higher than the previous fines of VND100,000-200,000 ($4.7-9.2).

Automobile owners who make the same mistake will be fined between VND6-10 million ($285-476). Formerly they only had to pay between VND1-2 million ($47-95).

This provision makes hundreds of thousands of people anxious because they are using vehicles in the names of others and in many cases, they cannot find the owner because some vehicles are passed around to so many people.

More than 40 per cent of vehicles currently on the road lack proper transfer of ownership documents, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Many expressed concern that the new regulations are irrational.

Ms. Le Thi Nga, Deputy Director of the Justice Committee of the National Assembly affirmed that the Decree is "wrong and unfeasible," adding that the too high fines make people have extreme reaction against the state policy.

Director of the Legislative Studies Institute, Mr. Dinh Xuan Thao, said the decree should be suspended for 6 months or 1 year and the fees for changing the ownership should be slashed.

Before the reaction of the public opinion, the government asked the Ministry of Public Security to soon prepare a guiding circular and while waiting for the circular, the police are not allow to fine vehicles of this type. The relevant agencies are also working to reduce the fees for ownership change to 1 percent.



Dogs and cats must be registered, too

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) approved a plan to control and eliminate rabies. Accordingly, those who raise dogs and cats will have to register with commune and ward-level authorities to get a pet code. The local veterinary agencies will have to monitor the number of dogs and cats in their districts and provinces. Commune-level veterinary stations will have to make statistics on the number of dogs, cats and the owners of dogs and cats in their communes.

The People's Committees at all levels will establish specialized teams to capture wandering dogs and cats in urban areas, populated areas or dogs and cats that are suspected of being rabid. Veterinary stations will take care of captured dogs and cats. After three days, if no one comes to take the pets, they will be killed.

The plan also specifies the target as 80 percent of the dogs are under management and get vaccinations; deaths due to rabies down by 30 percent from 2011, etc. Most of the contents in this plan were mentioned in a document issued by the MARD in 2009.

However, as well as three years ago, the above provisions received mixed reactions from people. Some people agreed with the new regulations, reasoning that dogs and cats should also have "identity cards."

Meanwhile, many others proved embarrassing and that the new regulations are annoying and impractical. For example, a family raises two dogs and seven cats (just born), they must take all the dogs and cats to the local people’s committee for registration?

According to a veterinarian, the new decision of the MARD is to continue the implementation of the objectives of raising awareness of the people and the quality of the supervisory veterinary authorities at all levels of rabies, not a legal document. The decision, thus, also does not prescribe sanctions, such as a fine on the pet owners who are in the absence of registration.



ID cards with parent names

Circular 27/2012 of the Ministry of Public Security on ID cards took effect on July 1, 2012. Accordingly, the new ID card is a plastic card. The front side has the basic information of the citizen such as name, date of birth, gender, ethnicity and native place of residence. The back side has two-dimensional barcode, fingerprints of the left and right index fingers, identity, and the parents’ names.

When the circular was implemented, it caused a lot of controversy, even the opposition from the legal authorities.

The Ministry of Justice has finalized a report to the Prime Minister on the issuance of controversial new ID cards.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, from now until the end of 2013, the ministry will continue to issue new IDs cards with the full name of the card bearer’s parents in Hanoi and some Northern provinces. However, the Ministry of Justice will ask the Prime Minister to reconsider this provision.

An official of the Ministry of Justice said the ministry’s leaders had assigned relevant departments to make study on the legality and rationality of Decree 170/2007/ND-CP on ID cards. If the Ministry is found to make mistakes in the evaluation of the decree, which results in omitting the provision on noting the ID bearer’s parent names, the Ministry will not deny its responsibility.

"However, this provision was issued more than ten years ago so it is necessary to have a thorough review. The viewpoint of the Ministry of Justice is to ask the Prime Ministers to reconsider a provision that causes the reaction from the public as well as from the law-makers," the official said.

According to Dr. Le Hong Son, Director of the By-law Inspection Department, the department has found out that the above provision is contrary to the Civil Code and the International Convention on the Rights of Children to which Vietnam was a signatory since 1989.

Moreover, Article 38 of the Civil Code 2005 on the right to privacy, the mother has the right to keep secret about the father and if administrative procedures require parents named on the ID card, it would violate the right of privacy.

Article 16 of the International Convention on the Rights of Children says: "No child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference in privacy, family, home or correspondence, as well as the illegal attack on their honor and reputation."

Item 2 of Article 759 of the Civil Code specifies: "In the case of international treaties which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party contains provisions that are different from the provisions of this law, it shall apply to the provisions of international treaties."

Lawyer Pham Quoc Anh, Chairman of the Vietnam Lawyers' Association, said the addition of parents name on the ID card is clearly unnecessary because the current information on the ID card is pretty full.

"The new ID card only needs to be printed by modern technology to enhance its security and durability," the lawyer expressed.

Dr. Nguyen Dinh Loc, former Minister of Justice, said that putting parent names on the ID card is unnecessary and must be stopped immediately.

The introduction of human origin to ID cards is very emotional and it can cause psychological effects on those whose parents died or those who do not know about their parents. Though the Ministry of Public Security said in these cases, the parent names can be ignored but these people will feel unhappy, shame when they show their ID cards for others to see.

"My point of view is that this provision must not be implemented. Now it is still in the pilot period, the Government should be able to stop it like it did to the Ministry of Public Security’s decision on imposing fine on those who use vehicles not being registered under their names," Dr. Le Hong Son said.


To be continue......

[jackbl]

The controversial provisions issued in 2012
================================================== ===============


Restaurants only host weddings with marriage registration

In early December, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ho Chi Minh City collected opinions of more than 60 restaurants that offer wedding service in the inner districts about how to implement "standards on restaurants with cultural wedding services in 2012 - 2015 ". The standards for being recognized as a restaurant with cultural wedding services consist of the contents: "restaurants only organize wedding for clients who can show the marriage certificate."

This "standard" has been criticized by a lot of people because wedding is wedding and marriage is marriage. Restaurant managers said that a restaurant is the place to hold weddings, not a state management agency to have the right to ask the customer to submit a certificate of marriage.

According to an official of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the organization of a legal wedding is necessary. Many customers are willing to accept a few conditions to have their weddings held at good restaurants. However, the standard is voluntary, not mandatory.



Hanoi set restriction on the number of wedding party guests

To realize a civilized lifestyle in organizing weddings, the Hanoi Party Committee in October issued regulations on culture in organizing wedding parties. Accordingly, the maximum number of guests that officials and Party members are allowed to invite to their or their relatives’ wedding parties is fixed at 300. If the two families hold a joint wedding party, the total number of guests must not exceed 600 people.

Also, officials and Party members are not allowed to organize weddings many times, in many days and at 5-star hotels or luxury resorts. They are encouraged to send wedding announcement cards instead of organizing wedding parties.

The Hanoi Party Committee also assigned the Inspection Commission to supervise the implementation of the instruction among officials and party members.

This provision has received mixed opinions. Some said that this provision is to practice thrift while others said that it interferes too deeply into personal lives and it is unfeasible to count the number of guests at wedding parties.



Selling meat within 8 hours after slaughter

According to a circular of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, from September 3, raw meat preserved at room temperature is only allowed to be sold within eight hours of the time of slaughtering. In case the meat is preserved under 0 – 5 degrees Celsius, the time limit is 72 hours.

Food by-products such as pig’s tripe and stomach should be sold within 24 hours after slaughtering, and no preservative chemicals are allowed to be used on fresh meat.

In Vietnam, it is common for pig and poultry products to be sold on street stands. In some areas they are sold from early morning to late in the afternoon, with almost no adequate preservation methods used.

Immediately after the circular was issued, the public questioned about its feasibility. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had to cancel the circular.

"In terms of science and international standards, this provision may be appropriate, but in the actual conditions in Vietnam it is inappropriate," admitted Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat.



Mobile phone users at gas stations to be fined

According to a new regulation that took effect on August 5, users of cell phones at petrol stations will be fined up to VND5 million (US$250,) 10 times higher than the previous provision.

Fire-fighting police will be in charge of catching "red-handed" violators and imposing the fines.

Whatever fine is necessary, the new provision is doubted about its feasibility. Shortly after the regulations took effect, Dr. Le Hong Son, Director of the By-law Document Checking Department of the Ministry of Justice proposed the Ministry of Justice to review the reasonableness and possibility of the regulations.

Compiled by Tran Cham