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Zhanjiang Port operator Zhanjiang Port Zhanjiang Port Group Co., Ltd, decided to suspend imports of frozen food, mostly seafood, from Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Mongolia from June 20 to July 15.

Vietnam’s National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD) said: “Suspension of imports of frozen products from 11 Asian countries is a decision by the port operator. No such decision has been made by Guangdong Province or the Chinese government.”

The port’s cargo loading capacity has been affected by pandemic prevention measures for staff and workers, it said. Due to a surge in Covid in Guangdong since late May, many cities in the province, including Zhanjiang, have strengthened Covid-19 prevention measures at ports, it said.

It urged seafood processing and exporting firms to keep in touch with importers there to keep abreast of the situation.

It also called on the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers to notify its members of the port’s frozen food ban.

Vietnam exported US$2.49 billion worth of seafood in the first four months of 2021, up 11.6 percent year-on-year, according to the General Statistic Office.

Exports to China were worth $253 million.

Jeremy Douglas, Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Photo Courtesy of UNODC

Jeremy Douglas, Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific talked to Việt Nam News reporter Bích Hường about crime prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What do you think about the opinion that the COVID-19 pandemic has left many millions of people more vulnerable to crime, exploitation and violence?

This is true. As economies have slowed and in many places slipped into recession people have become more vulnerable to crime and exploitation, or participation in crime to make money. COVID has had some profoundly negative social impacts that have exacerbated vulnerabilities.

Can you briefly tell about the major impacts of the COVID-19 on crime prevention and control since the pandemic started? In the complicated development of the COVID-19 in Việt Nam and some neighbouring countries, does crime prevention and control face more difficulties, particularly drug crimes, human trafficking or smuggling?

COVID-19 has impacted crimes differently. For example, we have witnessed a significant increase in synthetic drug production and trafficking during the pandemic in the Mekong region, but at the same time, we have seen a drop in transnational environmental crimes. The fact is demand patterns are different and some crimes are more resilient or persistent than others.

A report titled “Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia: latest developments and challenges 2021” that UNODC launched on June 10 reveals that methamphetamine seizures increased substantially despite COVID-19. Organised crime groups have been able to continue the expansion of the regional synthetic drug trade – in particular in the upper Mekong and the Shan State of Myanmar – by maintaining a steady supply of chemicals into production areas despite border restrictions that have impacted legitimate cross border trade.

While the pandemic has caused the global economy to slow down, criminal syndicates that dominate the region have quickly adapted and capitalised. They have continued to aggressively push supply in a conscious effort to build the market and demand.

Seizures of methamphetamine in the region amounted to approximately 170 tons of the drug last year, a 19 per cent increase over the 142 tons seized in 2019. At the same time, there were notable changes in trafficking routes reported with significant volumes of methamphetamine being trafficked through Lao PDR to Thailand and Việt Nam for both market distribution and transhipment, and an extremely high concentration of supply within the Lower Mekong countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Việt Nam where 71 per cent of the East and Southeast total was seized.

Are you working with the Vietnamese government to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 on crime prevention and control?

UNODC and the Government of Việt Nam have a very strong relationship, and we do a lot together in the country and at a regional level to understand and try to prevent transnational and other crimes, and to improve access to justice and necessary services including community-based treatment for drug users.

I would specifically highlight that we work with Việt Nam to counter drug and transnational crime challenges in the Mekong and larger ASEAN regions including on border liaison offices, and in the country, we are working with police and law enforcement on capacity building and in training academies, and with prosecutors and justice officials on reforms and different types of capacity.

Early this year, Việt Nam’s Ministry of Health approved a plan to offer take-home methadone doses. The initiative has been supported by UNODC and UNAIDS.  What do you think about the initiative?

The methadone initiative is very important and we are proud to partner with UNAIDS to move it forward. We very much believe in a balanced and evidence-based approach to addressing drug use and dependence, and prescribing methadone is an important medically proven method to ease people away from the injection of heroin which can lead to HIV transmission.

As many countries around the world have started COVID-19 vaccination drives, the demand for vaccines against COVID-19 is high. What do you think about the possible increase of fake vaccines? Do you have any preparation to curb the threat?

Falsified medicines were a problem before COVID-19 and vaccines are no exception. Vaccines to counter the pandemic are an enormous business. It is one of the largest and most quickly established medical supply chains ever. So COVID-19 vaccines were bound to be seen as an opportunity by criminals.

There are numerous reports of fake vaccines circulating, and it is possible to purchase COVID-19 vaccines in illegal dark web marketplaces – if they are legitimate or not is unclear. To help out, we are training authorities in Asia on dark web and cybercrime investigations, and we are working with anti-corruption authorities on related efforts. VNS

Vientiane is deserted in many places because of social distancing days. —VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Kiên

Khánh Dương

VIENTIANE — Nguyễn Trung Đồng, a Vietnamese engineer working in Vientiane, Laos, received the first shot of Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine two weeks ago.

With the help of local authorities, he became one of almost 700,000 people in Laos who have been given at least one inoculation.

Twenty-eight days after the first shot, Đồng will get the second. He said “I went for it because I think protecting myself helps me feel safe.”

There are many Vietnamese in Laos being vaccinated. Anyone in the country who wants to be vaccinated can register with authorities.

Although the Lao Government extended the social distancing order until June 19, the number of daily cases has fallen in recent days.

Đồng added: “The situation was not as bad as the period between April 18 and 22 when the country logged nearly 100 cases per day. Now there are just a few cases each day.”

When the country applied social distancing measures in mid-April, a lot of Vietnamese expats suffered.

Dương Văn Đủ, another Vietnamese engineer in Vientiane, said most of Vietnamese in Laos had their work interrupted by the pandemic. Those who run shops had to close their businesses. Many workers became unemployed but still had rent to pay.

Many landlords were not sympathetic to unemployed tenants and did not reduce rent prices.

“I am among the lucky ones who did not lose their job but still I face difficulties,” he said.

During the social distancing period, only small markets are allowed to open. Supermarkets are closed during the peak time of the pandemic. Now supermarkets are open but only between 8am and 5pm.

“If I want to leave my living area, I have to show documents such as my passport at the COVID-19 checkpoints so that they can control my traveling,” he said.

Despite these difficulties, Đủ said the Vietnamese community had responded calmly to the pandemic, even during its peak in April. The Vietnamese Embassy in Laos had offered support and created good conditions for the Vietnamese community.

Đủ added: “Some Vietnamese people I know bought ginger, lemongrass and lemon for self prevention. They don’t want to be put in quarantine.

“I hope that the Vietnamese embassy will continue to help unemployed workers go back to Việt Nam.”

According to Lê Anh Đức, vice president of Association of Vietnamese people in Vientiane, many Vietnamese who live in Laos do not know the local language so the association has offered support to help them make health declaration forms.

Facebook groups of Vietnamese people in Laos are posting news updates which call on everyone to stay calm, keep distance in public spaces and advise people not to rush back to Việt Nam.

Fear of virus return in Cambodia

Trần Vũ Thu Hằng, a Vietnamese banker in Phnom Penh, said although the lockdown order was lifted on May 6, she feared there could be another lockdown as cases were hitting 800 per day.

“Curfews are still imposed in yellow and orange zones from 8pm to 3am. Areas at high risks are zoned off as ‘red areas’,” she said.

“Lockdown or not, I and my family members still strictly follow COVID-19 protocols, wear face masks when going out as well as keep a safe distance.

“My husband and I have received two shots of vaccine each so we feel safer,” she told Việt Nam News .

Cambodia is ranked the second in Southeast Asia in terms of vaccination coverage. Almost 2.8 million people have had at least one shot in Cambodia, covering 17 per cent of its population, according to Our World in Data.

Among those, more than 2.3 million people have received two shots.

A medical worker gives a COVID-19 vaccine shot to a resident in Phnom Penh capital of Cambodia. — AFP/VNA Photo

Vũ Hào, another banker in Phnom Penh, said he signed up for vaccination through the local bank association. The registration process was quick and he was vaccinated soon after.

Hào said: “In spite of being vaccinated, I still follow local authorities’ guidelines to protect myself.

“Although the number of cases is increasing, I feel optimistic Cambodia will soon be able to control the pandemic thanks to the government’s plan of giving vaccine shots to as many people as they can to obtain herd immunity by year end.”

Vũ Quang Minh, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia, said Vietnamese people in 10 provinces and cities had registered for vaccinations.

He added: “We encourage Vietnamese people to sign up for vaccination. If their turns come, they will receive the shots and do not have to worry about anything.

“Vaccines are safe and very few people reacted adversely. All staff of the embassy, the consulate and their family members have been vaccinated.”

Meanwhile, Thailand still grapples with more than 2,000 cases per day but many Vietnamese there have responded to the outbreak in a calm manner.

Nguyễn Ngọc Linh Thảo, a master’s student in Phayao, northern Thailand, said although the pandemic in Phayao was not as worse as the situation in Bangkok, she and her friends still strictly follow preventive measures.

Thảo said” “As the pandemic has been controlled in Phayao, local authorities have eased social distancing. But to prevent the pandemic, not so many stores are open like before the pandemic.

“Some food and drink stalls only offer takeaway services. Food stalls and restaurants are not allowed to serve alcohol drinks. People are warned to not gather in large crowds.

“Since the outbreak, I have to be more careful when going out, limit going out as much as possible, as well as having to self-isolate for two weeks if I go back to school from another province.

“I always have to check in and check out when leaving or entering public places, as well as have body temperature taken. Classes and meetings are now online.

“Now I can’t take a short trip to Việt Nam to visit home as easily as before.”

Thailand launched its COVID-19 immunisation programme on June 7 and aims to vaccinate 70 per cent of its population by the end of this year. Thảo hopes the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand will create conditions for expats to receive inoculations. — VNS

Quang Tri is has proposed adding Cam Lo-ao Bao Expressway to the national highway planning during 2021-2025

The province seeks the prime minister’s approval to add Cam Lo-Lao Bao Expressway to the planning on highway construction for the 2021-2025 period with a vision to 2030.

It is expected that the expressway will have a length of 70km, a 4-lane highway standard, a 17m-wide roadbed, invested under the public-private partnership (PPP) method. The total investment capital is estimated at VND7.7 trillion($334.8 million), with the central budget contributing 28.31 per cent with a payback period of 19 years.

Quang Tri is located at the beginning of the East-West Economic Corridor connecting Vietnam with Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. At present, National Highway No.9 is considered one of the important bridges linking Cam Lo with Lao Bao International Border Gate.

The problem is that vehicle traffic on Highway No.9 is increasing, including container trucks transporting goods to Laos and vice versa, causing overload, traffic jams, road hazards and endanger commercial activities. This necessitates the development of Cam Lo-Lao Bao Expressway.

Completing roadway infrastructure is a key target in highway planning in 2021-2025 with a vision to 2030.

Notably, by 2030, the country will focus on developing expressways, including the Eastern Cluster of the North-South Expressway, expressways connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and expressways in the Northwest Region, the Central Highlands, and the Mekong Delta Region.

Until 2025, priority expressway projects connect to the North-South Expressway (VND243.8 trillion or $10.6 billion), Halong-Mong Cai (VND12.66 trillion or $550.43 million), Lang Son-Cao Bang (VND10.5 trillion or $456.5 million), Dau Giay-Lien Khuong (VND6.18 trillion or $268.7 million), and Bien Hoa-Vung Tau (VND14.9 trillion or $647.83 million).

By Ha Vy