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In Sa Pa, ethnic children forced to peddle on streets in bitterly cold night

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As the mercury of the highland tourist hub of Sa Pa approaches zero, child street vendors of ethnic minorities were still seen roaming through the shivering cold to pursue the remaining tourists.

Despite the effort of Sa Pa authorities to discourage purchasing goods from child street vendors, children of the upland city, the majority being Hmong, are still pushed to the streets to peddle in the cold.

According to Ngoc Anh from the Sa Pa Town law enforcement, families seem to have cooperated and keep their children home after discussing with local authorities, but there is still a street vending group harassing tourists in the town.

The group is organized by parents who gather their kids at specific spots and let the bigger children carry the smaller ones on their back to take advantage of tourists’ pity.

Officials use a loudspeaker to call for visitors not to buy goods from child vendors in Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. Video: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

If a tourist buys from one of them, the others will quickly swarm around and paster them to purchase more.

“We have imposed a penalty on many cases and led the kids to a social support center, but they jump the wall to escape and resume vending jobs the very next day,” Anh said.

The sight of children braving the cold to sell souvenirs is too heart-wrenching, said Tran Thinh, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City.

“I can do charity work at other places, not just situations like these. The parents are using these kids to sell stuff, which makes me feel like my goodwill is being abused,” Thinh remarked.

A child vendor sells souvenirs to tourists in Sa Pa Township. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

A child vendor sells souvenirs to tourists in Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

Hoang Thi Vuong, head of Sa Pa’s bureau of culture and information, said local authorities have stepped in to address the issue of street vendors harassing tourists for several years, but their efforts have not paid off.

According to Vuong, officials in the town have implemented a long-term strategy, with the promotion of sustainable business practices to ethnic minority communities being the bottom line.

“We are listening to the wishes of each household. If they want to do retail, we will provide them with locations and capacity training. We will also build policy to support other households who wish to get livelihoods from brocade weaving, artisanal crafts, and tourism,” Vuong revealed.

Child vendors surround a tourist to sell souvenirs in Sa Pa Township. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

Child vendors surround a tourist to sell souvenirs in Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

A child vendor sells souvenirs on a street of Sa Pa Township. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

A child vendor sells souvenirs on a street of Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

A child vendor sells souvenirs to a tourist in Sa Pa Township. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

A child vendor sells souvenirs to a tourist in Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

Child vendors surrounds tourists to sell souvenirs in Sa Pa Township. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

Child vendors surround tourists to sell souvenirs in Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

Parents of child vendors is seen in Sa Pa Township. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

Parents of child vendors is pictured in Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

Child vendors sells foods to tourists in Sa Pa Township. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

Child vendors sell foods to tourists in Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

Child vendors surrounds tourists to sell souvenirs in Sa Pa Township. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

Child vendors surround tourists to sell souvenirs in Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tien Phong

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20210110/in-sa-pa-ethnic-children-forced-to-peddle-on-streets-in-bitterly-cold-night/58711.html

Society

Police detain 2 drivers for 3 months to probe apparently intentional crash in southern Vietnam

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Two Vietnamese drivers who were accused of purposely crashing their cars into each other last week in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam will be kept in custody for three more months pending an investigation, a local police official confirmed on Wednesday morning.

The drivers were identified as Nguyen Dinh Ky, a 41-year-old from Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam, and Phan Hoang Bich Tien, 31, a native of Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Nguyen Dinh Ky, a 41-year-old from Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam, who drove the Lexus in the intentional car collision, is seen at the police station. Photo: Xuan Truong / Tien Phong

Nguyen Dinh Ky, a 41-year-old from Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam, who drove a Lexus in an allegedly intentional car collision, is seen at the police station. Photo: Xuan Truong / Tien Phong

Phan Hoang Bich Tien, a 31-year-old native of Dong Nai Province, the driver of the VinFast in the car crash, is seen at the police station. Photo: Xuan Truong / Tien Phong

Phan Hoang Bich Tien, a 31-year-old native of Dong Nai Province, the driver of a VinFast car in the car crash, is seen at the police station. Photo: Xuan Truong / Tien Phong

Police accused these drivers of intentionally crashing their cars into each other due to their conflict.

They were detained pending an investigation into their ‘knowingly destroying each other’s property.’

The supposedly deliberate collision involving a VinFast and a Lexus took place at Nguyen Huu Tho – Nguyen Van Linh Intersection in the province’s Ba Ria City on November 20 evening, according to police.

The VinFast driven by Tien rear-ended the Lexus steered by Ky. After that, Ky turned his Lexus around and crashed head-on into the VinFast twice.

Consequently, the front of the cars were badly damaged.

The city’s police arrived at the scene of the deliberate crash in the same evening and issued an urgent arrest warrant for the two drivers on November 21.

In the following days, police officers extended the detention of the drivers and waited for a car damage assessment report before deciding to keep them in custody for three more months to probe their acts.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20231129/police-detain-2-drivers-for-3-months-to-probe-apparently-intentional-crash-in-southern-vietnam/77004.html

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Society

Hue’s immense Chuon Lagoon

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Chuon Lagoon is located in the northeast reaches of Phu An commune in Phu Vang district, approximately 12 km from the downtown area of Hue city in Thua Thien-Hue province. It is a spacious brackish-water lagoon, spanning over 100 hectares, and is part of the Tam Giang Lagoon system, which is known as the largest brackish water lagoon in Southeast Asia.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/hues-immense-chuon-lagoon/271962.vnp

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Japanese economic expert sees potential surge in Vietnam’s per capita income

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Japanese Professor Fukunari Kimura, chief economist for the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), has affirmed that Vietnam is among the most potential nations to shift from a middle-income to high-income economy amid the globalization era.

A report on policy consultancy covering recommendations to help Vietnam become a high-income nation by 2045 was tabled by the ERIA representative during a meeting with Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Tokyo on Monday.

Vietnam aims to be a developed nation with a high per capita income by 2045, when the country celebrates 100 years of the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Over 20 years is left for the nation to speed up efforts to reach the target.

State President Thuong’s ongoing Japan visit through Thursday is part of Vietnam’s bid to fulfill the goal. 

In a joint statement issued on Monday on the elevation of the Japan-Vietnam relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world, the Japanese side underlined that Japan will keep backing Vietnam’s efforts in 2045.

Japan will provide the Southeast Asian nation with advisory services on policies and resources, as well as the report with over 630 pages called ‘Vietnam 2045.’

Prof. Kimura told Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper that the report was prepared by several prestigious experts in Japan and Vietnam. They have researched Vietnam’s economic development for ages.

He is co-author of the report’s Chapter 8: ‘New Waves of Digitalization, the Industry 4.0 Era, and Creativity.’

“Vietnam has successfully utilized the driving forces of globalization by accelerating its international economic integration and dealing with challenges to spur industrial development,” said Kimura.

The report includes Vietnam’s achievements, economic status, and future orientations in all fields to offer appropriate recommendations.

Besides, it also encompasses obstacles facing the country during its energy transition and sustainability journey to move toward a comprehensive developed economy.

Professor Fukunari Kimura, chief economist for the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). Photo: Foreign Press Center Japan

Professor Fukunari Kimura, chief economist for the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). Photo: Foreign Press Center Japan

Prof. Kimura said that in the past, some countries succeeded in leaping to the high-income level from an upper middle income such as Japan and South Korea.

“However, they had made these great strides before the globalization era in the 1990s,” he said.

Now, to make such a great leap is tough, he added.

The biggest challenge encountering developing nations like Vietnam is not the middle per capita income level, he underscored.

It is the fact that no countries have jumped from an upper middle-income economy to a high-income economy to become a developed nation.

“However, Vietnam is one of the potential nations to do it,” he affirmed.

“We believe that Vietnam can make great strides and prove that it is a typical model of rapid development. Japan is always a friend and partner of Vietnam.”

As part of the top Vietnamese official’s visit to Japan, State President Thuong and his spouse had a meeting with Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday (local time).

Speaking at the reception for President Thuong, Emperor Naruhito said that their traditional friendship and cultural similarities have strengthened the Vietnam – Japan ties as well as boosted bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong, his spouse and other top Vietnamese and Japanese officials savor banh mi, a Vietnamese baguette filled with pate, cold cuts, herbs, cucumber, chili sauce, and pickles. Photo: Nguyen Hong / Tien Phong

Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong, his spouse, and other top Vietnamese and Japanese officials savor ‘banh mi,’ a Vietnamese baguette filled with pate, cold cuts, herbs, cucumber, chili sauce, and pickles. Photo: Nguyen Hong / Tien Phong

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20231129/japanese-economic-expert-sees-potential-surge-in-vietnams-per-capita-income/77006.html

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