Tears caused by exam season

News that several students committed suicide recently because they had failed their high school final exams or university entrance exams has stunned the public. Why did they kill themselves when they were still so young? The answer is that they were under excessive pressure in the exam season.

Trinh Cong Sy, an excellent student at the Le Khiet Gifted School in Quang Ngai province, thought he did not do well on his university entrance exams, and decided to kill himself at just 18-years-old.

In the suicide note which Sy’s parents found after his burial service, Sy wrote: “When you read these words, I am in another world, where there is no voice and smile. I once led a life with no joy, and now I fail the university entrance. I dare not confront tomorrow”.

Le Nam, a close friend of Sy, related that though Sy was majoring in mathematics, he was very good at all subjects. Sy registered to take both A (mathematics, physics and chemistry) and B-group (mathematics, chemistry and biology) exams, but he really wanted to study at the HCM City Medical University. Because Sy did not do well at the B-group exams, he was devastated and committed suicide.

Tran Dinh Voi, Deputy Headmaster at the Le Khiet Gifted School, where Sy studied, said the news about Sy’s death came as a shock to everyone. Voi said Sy was an excellent and obedient student, and no one could imagine that he would commit suicide.

Voi said that it is true that students at the Le Khiet gifted school have been under great pressure in exam season because they all want to pass the exams to be able to enroll at prestigious universities. Some students have failed the exams on their first try, but they usually attempt to repeat the exams the next year. None have taken the route Sy chose.

Tuoi tre newspaper tried to contact students at Le Khiet Gifted School and Sy’s friends to find out about the life of the students of the gifted school.

Passing university entrance exams is a must

Le Nguyen Khanh, a student in the mathematics major class, which enrolls 35 students, said all the pupils in his class worked very hard to pass the entrance exams. No one wanted to be inferior to friends, said Khanh. If someone gets lower marks than others, he would feel very discouraged.

Khanh said he has a very heavy academic workload. He goes to school in the morning, and then goes to extra classes in the afternoon.

“I always had to have my lunch on the way to extra classes. Sometimes I did not have time to have lunch and I had to learn on an empty stomach. I only went to bed at 11 pm.”

“We had to learn hard because we needed to pass the university entrance exams,” Khanh said.

Pressure from the neighborhood and families

Nguyen Quoc Cuong said he studies in a class where all his friends were excellent students, therefore, he learned very well.

Cuong said his parents did not set any requirements for him, but he personally felt he needed to study well, or he would disappoint his parents. In addition, neighbors and relatives all hoped Cuong would do well academically and continue his higher education at a university.

Cuong has an older brother who was an excellent student in his first 12 years at general school who is now a student at HCM City University of Technology. Cuong said he bears pressure from his brother, because Cuong feels he must not be inferior to him.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Le Xuan Hung also said he has two sisters who are also very good at learning, and he needs to perform well in school like his sisters. One of his two sisters has finished her studies at the HCM City Medical University, while the other is now a third year student at the HCM City Economics University.

Source: Tuoi tre

Most expensive phone numbers in Vietnam

Vietnamese believe that using good numbers they will be lucky in life and business. Based on this idea, many people pay billions of dong to own special phone numbers to get luck and to show off their “rank”.

A shop sellings SIM in Hanoi.

According to some online forums, a man recently paid $200,000 to buy the cell phone number 0903456789 (of MobiFone network). This number is expensive because 090 is the oldest network code and 3456789 is the best chain of forward numbers among ten-digit phone numbers. It is said that the price for this number is much higher now.

A SIM shop recently offered this number 01666666666 (of Viettel) at 2.5 billion dong ($132,000). This is a special phone number because 16 means luck in business, nine six numbers mean being luck forever.

VinaPhone’s number 0916888888 is fixed at 888 million dong ($46,700). It is explained that 091 is among the oldest network code in Vietnam, 168 means getting rich, and 888888 means good fortune.

People call this phone number as “Dream of Life”. It is forecast that the price of this phone number will exceed over 1 billion dong very soon.

At present, two of seven mobile networks in Vietnam have launched programs to sell “special phone numbers” to customers, Viettel and VinaPhone.

Geomancer Nguyen Tuan Kiet from the Vietnam Geomancy JS Company explained that each chain of numbers has a “soul” like the name of a person. According to geomancy, the names or numbers have influences in terms of Yin and Yang and five basic elements to the owner’s life.

He recommended people choose phone numbers based on geomancy. At present, numbers 8, 9 and 1 are considered good ones and Kiet recommended numbers with 8, 9 and 1 at the bottom.

According to Kiet, numbers that benefit users must be fit the users in terms of five basic elements. For example, if a person was born in 1978, he belongs to element fire so his phone number should not include number 1.

Therefore, good numbers depend on the user’s basic element.

PV

Forbes calls Vinamilk an ‘udder success’

In its current issue, the American business magazine, Forbes, lists its choices for the ‘best Asian companies worth under $1 billion.’ One of them is Vietnam’s Vinamilk, which is profiled in a Forbes story by Lan Anh Nguyen.

Vietnam Dairy Products, known as Vinamilk, is the sector leader in a young and rapidly growing market of 86 million people. With revenues doubled and net profit up fourfold in the last four years, it is the most successful of Vietnam’s privatized state-owned enterprises.

The nation’s dairy products market, estimated at $1.5 billion in 2009, is expected to grow 25% this year. Holding a one-third market share, Vinamilk had net profit jump 67% to $90 million and revenue climb by half to $389 million through the first half of 2010. “Vinamilk has been successful in the competition with foreign brands. It has created a very strong Vietnamese brand, a solid footing in the local market, and it has been able to tap into the rising demand for nutrition products,” said Trinh Hoai Giang, chief operating official of HSC Securities, one of Vietnam’s three biggest brokerage houses.

Vinamilk is Vietnam’s first entry on the Forbes Best Under A Billion list and outside the usual mold. It is still 48% government-held, and the state’s share is represented by its chairwoman, 57-year-old Mai Kieu Lien. But Lien, in guiding the Ho Chi Minh City company since 1993, has established her own credentials.

Born in France to physician parents who heeded President Ho’s call to return, she was raised in Hanoi and sent off to learn meat and dairy processing in Moscow. She returned in 1976, joining the Southern Milk & Café Co., a state collective of dairy factories from the prewar south. Later she got economics training at Leningrad University and was made general director of the operation, now called Vinamilk. Her moment to shine came as Vietnam began its “equitization” process of state firms a decade ago.

For many years Vinamilk mostly produced condensed milk, cookies and candies. It was not considered a cash cow when the government decided to privatize it in 2003. Many Vinamilk employees didn’t buy shares then. Lien took only a 0.12% stake but used her new authority to hire a professional branding and marketing team, at multinational-level salaries. Also, Vinamilk broadened its product offerings to include yogurt, powdered milk and baby formula. It had a domestic competitor, Dutch Lady, but Vinamilk got the jump on its rival with fresh milk in 2007.

The management team, led by Tran Bao Minh, has aimed at higher margins. And indeed Vinamilk’s operating margin has increased to 20% from 10% in 2006. Its wares no longer suffer by comparison with imports. “We have been pursuing a strategy of brand development, distribution renovation and expansion, as well as controlling and enhancing product quality,” Lien explains.

Success has brought challenges: Minh and his team left Vinamilk suddenly last year amid talk that their pay demands had become a rub. He joined a new rival, TH Milk, also captained by a woman, Thai Huong, chairman of North Asia, a Vietnamese bank. TH Milk’s ramp-up calls for importing 28,000 cows, with fresh-milk production to start next year. (Vinamilk mostly still relies on imports from New Zealand.) According to Minh, import costs are 15% lower than using fresh milk, but he maintains that with demand soaring, “If we don’t raise cows in Asia, we won’t have milk.”

Vinamilk is responding. In August it started on a $120 million dairy plant near Ho Chi Minh City that is expected to be the biggest in Southeast Asia. Vinamilk owns five farms in Vietnam but is also looking to invest in more overseas sourcing. “Competition and material sources are the main challenge,” says Lien.

Foreign investors don’t appear spooked. They hold their maximum allowable 49% stake under Vietnamese law, but Vinamilk shares rarely trade. According to HSC Securities, these holders seldom want to sell. The departed Minh pays tribute to Lien: “She is very sharp, very decisive and determined. If she left the company, the leadership crisis would be a significant blow.”

Source: Forbes

Child hurt as wild bull attacks coastal village

This wild bull has frequently appeared in Bac Ai District, destroying crops and scaring people.

Residents of a Raglai ethnic minority village in coastal Ninh Thuan Province have reported frequent visits by a wild black bull that have left crops destroyed and one child injured.

“This bull butted a breeding ox to death and severely injured Pinang Tem [the name of the child] while he was tending oxen,” said Pinang Hoang, chairman of the People’s Committee of Phuoc Binh Commune, Bac Ai District.

Hoang said the bull had left damage in his wake at several farms in Bac Ray 2 Village and scared the local population.

“That black animal comes down from the mountain every single day. It’s huge and aggressive,” said villager Pinang Quang.

“One day, after ravaging the area, it roamed around the village then slept in a local field rather than going back to the mountain. In fear, we had to lock up our house and go down to Bac Ray 1 Village to sleep,” he said.

Deputy director of Phuoc Binh National Park Pham Ngoc Hoan said the bull became very aggressive after it split from its herd.

Meanwhile, many locals said the bull had been flirting with their cows. A cow reportedly gave birth to a calf much bigger than normal. It had a very short tail, black feet and no mane, which were specific traits of the trespassing bull, they said.

Three herds of wild cattle, 40 individuals in total, lived in the area, Binh said.

Chief of police in Phuoc Binh Commune, BoBi, said about 100 heads of wild cattle lived in the border area between Lam Dong Province’s Phuoc Binh National Park and Ninh Thuan Province’s Khanh Vinh District.

Attacks by these wild animals on humans and domesticated cattle were first reported in April 2009 and had recently become more serious, he said.

Source: VNS

For electricity users, no pain, no gain

An advisor to the Prime Minister emphasizes that to accelerate and sustain development of the power sector, there’s no alternative to higher electricity prices.

Thai Phung Ne, a former Minister of Energy, now serves as the Prime Minister’s special envoy for electricity projects

EVN proposes four options for electricity price increases

Industry promises big jump in power prices will end outages
Expert says 10 percent electricity price increase is unreasonable

Thai Phung Ne, a former Minister of Energy, now serves as the Prime Minister’s special envoy for electricity projects. He talked with the investment journal Dau Tu about the relationship between electricity prices and sustainable development of the power sector.

Dau tu: The two reports you make every year after visiting power projects include many suggestions aimed at speeding up the investment. Why have these power projects been so very slow in implementation?

Thai Phung Ne: There are three major difficulties: a capital shortage, slow site clearance and the lack of urgency in the project implementation.

The capital shortage has become serious. I think the best solution to the question is to stimulate development by setting power prices at a level that will induce investments. The state budget can’t mobilize the huge amounts that are needed to build enough power plants, so we must accept price increases.

There are difficulties in site clearance. In some localities, it takes several years, even though only a few households are holding out. The property owners aren’t dumb – they can see that compensation policies are constantly changing.

And then, it’s a fact that investors and contractors lack determination.

Dau tu: Two years ago, you told the Government that if people at the top are not put on notice, it will be very difficult to speed up the implementation of power projects. Can you see any progress in that regard?

Ne: After the Prime Minister got personally engages, the responsible parties became more active. However, here we can see the character of Vietnamese people: they do not follow strict discipline. When projects go slowly, they always blame that on objective reasons, such as the capital shortage and the tardiness in site clearance.

Dau tu: You have talked about “feeding the power industry with higher electricity prices.” What’s your view of the proposal by the Energy Association (VEA) proposal to raise the electricity price to eight US cents per kilowatt/hour?

Ne: The VEA’s proposal aims to ensure a reasonable payback for power investors, that is, profit of at least 10 percent per year on invested capital. Foreign investors have been demanding a payback rate of 15 percent. Only when investors can see a reasonable profit will they be able to arrange financing for these projects.

Dau tu: It seems that the power monopoly, EVN, is seeking bank financing to start some power projects, and thus free up funds for operating expenses?

Ne: That would lead to capital imbalance. Investors need to put up at least 20-30 percent of capital needed for the projects from their own resources, and they need to repay loans from electricity sales. Only if we make that possible will Vietnam be able to attract investment in the power sector.

For the last 15 years, not one foreign investor has invested in the sector, because the electricity price is not attractive.

Dau tu: Yes, but public opinion is really upset with the VEA proposal to raise the electricity price. . . .

Ne: We need to look around us. In China, the current retail electricity price is eight US cents per kilowatt, and it has developed a dynamic industrial sector including many supporting industries.

If we want to grow in the same way, we would be crazy to continue to hold down power prices. The VEA proposal would be implemented over a three year period.

Source: Dau tu

POLITICS IN BRIEF 1/9

Mozambique PM arrives in Ha Noi

Mozambican Prime Minister Aires Bonifacio Baptista Ali arrived in Viet Nam yesterday on a week-long official friendship visit to the country at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The Mozambican PM is accompanied by ministers of labour, fisheries, and veterans’ affairs and deputy ministers of finance and agriculture, plus several other officials.

State President congratulates teachers and pupils

State President Nguyen Minh Triet has sent a letter of congratulation to teachers, lecturers, parents, students and pupils across the country to mark the new academic year.

Photo: VOV

In his letter dated August 31, President Triet wrote that in the 2009-2010 academic year, the education sector has made many major achievements by expanding the catchment areas for education and training, improving the quality of education and paying more attention to teaching morals and the laws. The sector has also invested in upgrading schools and information technology (IT) infrastructure.

After ten years of implementing the educational development strategy, every province and city now provides compulsory education for high school and primary school pupils. The qualifications of teaching staff have been improved and many pupils have won top prizes at international and domestic contests. He also highlighted the efforts and achievements made by the education sector, especially collectives and individuals who have taken lead in emulation movements, as well as teachers who work in remote, border, and island areas.

2010-2011 is the first academic year that the resolution adopted at the ninth National Party Congress will be implemented at all levels. He called on the education and training sector to improve teaching methods and the quality of education. He also asked the sector to put into action every education project that has been approved by the government.

Mr. Triet said he is very proud of Professor Ngo Bao Chau becoming the first Vietnamese to receive the Fields Medal – the world’s most prestigious award for mathematics. He expressed his hope that students and pupils will follow the shining examples set by their predecessors, especially Professor Ngo Bao Chau to bring honour to the nation.

He also asked local administrations and social organizations to pay more attention to providing adequate conditions for students to study.

He also asked every teacher and student to chalk up even greater achievements in the new school year.

Party and State leaders pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Delegates from the Party Central Committee, State, National Assembly, Government and the Fatherland Front of Vietnam paid tribute at the President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum on September 1 for the 65th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day.

The delegation included Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, State President Nguyen Minh Triet, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, National Assembly chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, Huynh Dam, former Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu, former State President Tran Duc Luong, former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, former National Assembly chairman Nguyen Van An, members of the Political Bureau, the State Vice President, Deputy Prime Ministers, National Assembly vice chairmen and revolutionary veterans.

The delegation laid a wreath at the monument to Vietnamese martyrs who gave their lives for the independence and freedom of the nation.

Also during the morning, delegations from the Ministries of Defence, Public Security and Foreign Affairs, and Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee, Party’s Committee and Fatherland Front also paid floral tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh and the monument to Vietnamese martyrs.

UN Secretary General sends congratulation on Vietnam’s National Day

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon extended his warmest congratulations to President Nguyen Minh Triet on the occasion of the 65th National Day of Vietnam (September 2).

In his message, the UN leader affirmed that "With your support, we can meet the threats of our time and build a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable world for all."

He also expressed his hope that all the UN members will mobilise their collective energies to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

”The UN can rely on Vietnam’s support in its endeavours,” he said.

HCM City to facilitate int’l cooperation

Ho Chi Minh City leaders have pledged to exert more efforts to provide the most favourable conditions for further exchange and cooperation with international and foreign agencies, organisations and businesses.

The municipal People’s Committee and People’s Council Chairpersons, Le Hoang Quan and Pham Phuong Thao, made the commitment to representatives of diplomatic corps, foreign businesses and organisations and non-government organisations in the city at a party on August 31 marking Vietnam’s National Day (September 2).

Quan praised effective contributions by foreign and international businesses and organisations to the city’s development in recent years and expressed his hope that the city would continue to receive their support and active cooperation.

VNN

World leaders congratulate Vietnam on National Day

Leaders of foreign countries from around the world sent congratulations to Vietnam's Party, State, Government and National Assembly leaders on the 65th anniversary of the country's National Day (September 2).

Grand meeting marks 65th anniversary of August Revolution and National Day

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Chinese President Hu Jintao, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Wu Bangguo and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao respectively sent congratulatory messages to their Vietnamese counterparts.

The Vietnamese leaders include General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nong Duc Manh, President Nguyen Minh Triet, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

They also expressed their belief that under the CPV’s resilient leadership, Vietnamese people will build Vietnam into a prosperous, socialist nation with wealthy people and an equal, democratic and civilised society.

In a congratulatory message sent by the Lao leaders, they said they were delighted at Vietnam’s increasing prestige and position in the region and on international arena. “Vietnam has completed its heavy responsibility at the United Nations forum and is successfully undertaking the role of the ASEAN Chair as well as other international conferences,” they wrote.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni extended his best wishes and congratulations to the Vietnamese people on Vietnam’s National Day.

In his message, Cambodian PM Hun Sen confirmed his country’s wish to further promote the friendship and close cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam.

Second Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of the State of Council and the Council of Ministers Raul Castro Ruz expressed the determination to further enhance the friendship, cooperation and solidarity between Cuba and Vietnam.

In his message to his Vietnamese counterpart, US President Barack Obama said bilateral relations between Vietnam and the US have been developing. He said he and the Vietnamese leader would do further to enhance bilateral ties in the years to come.

Russian President D. Medvedev wrote “The Vietnamese people’s achievements in State building and national economic modernisation have left good impressions. Vietnam’s international prestige has been unceasingly increased.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he was happy at the efficiency and mutual benefits of the Russia-Vietnam strategic partnership.

He expressed his belief in the continued consolidation of bilateral ties in politics, economics, science-technology, culture and other fields that will meet the basic interest of the two peoples for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.

The other well-wishers include:

Indian President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh;

Brunei Darussalam’s King Haji Hassanal Bolkiah;

Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) of the Union of Myanmar Senior General Than Shwe, SPDC Vice President Vice Senior General Maung Aye and Prime Minister U Thein Sein;

Japanese King Akihito;

Thai King B humibol Adulyadej and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva;

Singaporean President S. R. Nathan, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Banquet celebrates 65th National Day anniversary

State President Nguyen Minh Triet has expressed his gratitude to elder generations, President Ho Chi Minh, revolutionary veterans, heroic mothers, martyrs, war invalids and the entire people who fought for independence and freedom of the nation.

During a banquet held to celebrate the 65th anniversary of National Day at the International Conference Centre in Hanoi on September 1, the State leader went on to say, “We are grateful to the people of friendly countries around the world who supported and assisted the Vietnamese people over the past 65 years.”

He recalled never forgotten memories on the two resistance wars in the 20th century, saying that the Vietnamese people had to experience a long struggle and sacrifice for independence, freedom and their wish to live in peace to build and develop the country.

He said under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, a new style state – the state of the people, by the people and for the people – was established for the first time in Vietnam’s history on September 2, 1945.

“This was a landmark event, opening a radiant new stage of history, a new change for the nation and each citizen of Vietnam,” he said.

Moroccan Ambassador to Vietnam El Houcine Fardan, head of the diplomatic mission, hailed efforts made by the Vietnamese government and people in its national construction.

Vietnam succeeded in building a knowledge-based economy and is increasing its integration into the global economy, he said.

Ambassador El Houcine Fardan reaffirmed his resolve and wish to develop and promote relations between Vietnam and other nations and international organisations through cooperation for common benefit, saying he believed that Vietnam will continue its efforts to develop the country for a brighter future.

The banquet was given by leaders of the Party, State, Government, National Assembly and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.

Source: VOV/VNA