Bob Dylan plays his first gig in Vietnam

The US rocker has inspired those seeking political change

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Legendary folk singer Bob Dylan, whose songs became anthems of the 1960s anti-Vietnam war movement, has played his first concert in the Communist country.

Dylan played a concert in Ho Chi Minh City - formerly Saigon - on Sunday evening.

Dylan, 69, jammed on stage playing guitar, harmonica and keyboard and singing hits including A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall and Highway 61 Revisited.

During the time of the Vietnam conflict, many of Dylan's protest songs defined the mood of a generation, with young Americans marching for peace followed by similar protests in the UK and other western countries.

Around half of the 8,000 seats at RMIT University were sold, to a mix of Vietnamese and foreigners, Associated Press reported.

Correspondents say many in youthful Vietnam have never heard of the man who wrote Blowin' in the Wind and The Times They Are A Changing.

About half of Vietnam's 87 million people are under 30, with no memory of the years of war with the US.

But Dylan remains important to those who were living in the country at the time.

"Bob Dylan's music opened up a path where music was used as a weapon to oppose the war in Vietnam and fight injustice and racism," Tran Long An, 67, vice-president of the Vietnam Composers' Association told AP.

Bob Dylan merchandise was on sale outside the venue just like at any other gig

"That was the big thing that he has done for music."

Another concert-goer said Dylan's music was a source of hope during the war.

"We listened to anything that spoke of peace. We called him the peace poet," said Stan Karber, 60, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971 and has lived in Ho Chi Minh City for the past 15 years.

Big-name concerts are still rare in Vietnam and the Communist government maintains a strict control over what is said in public.

Dylan's song list had to be approved in advance by the government, although the concert's promoter Rod Quinton said no restrictions had been imposed.

Chinese censors

The concert forms part of the musician's Asia-Pacific tour, marking 50 years since his first major performance.

He played in Shanghai on Friday after his debut China gig in Beijing on Wednesday.

After reportedly banning a concert by Dylan last year, Beijing agreed he could perform if his songs were vetted by censors.

The authorities have been wary of foreign performers, particularly since the Icelandic singer Bjork signalled her support for Tibetan independence at a concert in Shanghai in 2008.

Bob Dylan's two gigs had to be approved by the national ministry of culture and officials said the singer would have to abide by an agreed playlist.

The move was criticised by Human Rights Watch in the US, which said "Dylan should be ashamed of himself".

Brad Adams, executive director of the organisation's Asia division also said: "He has a historic chance to communicate a message of freedom and hope, but instead he is allowing censors to choose his playlist."

Dylan's next tour stop will be Hong Kong, followed by Singapore.

Two days later he will go to Australia and then on to Europe in June.

Vietnam fears for life of 'sacred' national turtle

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Pollution fear for Hanoi turtle

Veterinary experts in Vietnam are trying to save a sick giant turtle widely regarded as a national treasure.

The giant reptile, considered a symbol of the country's struggle for independence, has recently been spotted with open sores on its legs and neck.

Onlookers climbed trees at Hoan Kiem Lake near Hanoi, as divers tried to net the animal and treat it at a small island. But it eventually escaped.

It is feared that rubbish and pollution in the lake may have caused its wounds.

Another theory is that the sacred reptile, which weighs about 200kg (440 pounds), has been injured by fishermen's hooks and other smaller turtles over the course of several years.

Official Vietnamese media have said the turtle, known reverentially as "the great grandfather", may be as much as 300 years old, although experts estimate it is more likely 80-100 years old.

The attempt to treat the animal is made more urgent as it is one of the world's most endangered turtle species. It is thought to be one of only four left in the world.

The effort to move the turtle to a special man-made island within the lake continues.

Vietnam hauls in beloved turtle for medical treatment

The turtle evaded capture for months

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• Fears for Vietnam 'sacred' turtle

An ailing giant turtle revered as a symbol of Vietnam's independence has been captured for medical treatment.

Thousands of people crowded around a lake in the capital Hanoi as about 50 rescuers swam and used boats to pull nets around it.

The turtle, which is believed to be more than 100 years old, has open sores on its neck and legs.

Its plight has made headlines in Vietnam for several months but it evaded earlier rescue attempts.

It is feared that rubbish and pollution in Lake Hoan Kiem may have caused its wounds.

Another theory is that the sacred reptile, which weighs about 200kg (440 pounds), has been injured by fishermen's hooks and other smaller turtles over the course of several years.

'Fine and stable'

Three nets of varying sizes were used to finally bring the turtle under control.

Some rescuers swam with the netted reptile, leading it into a cage which was escorted by two boats to an island where the turtle's condition is to be assessed.

The giant turtle is said to be between 80 and 100 years old

"Generally, the turtle is fine and stable," said turtle expert Ha Dinh Duc.

Official Vietnamese media have said the turtle, known reverentially as "the great grandfather", may be as much as 300 years old, although experts estimate it is more likely 80-100 years old.

"You could say it is a representative of the country so bringing the turtle up for treatment is a necessity," said Luu Tien Xuan, 78, a Hanoi resident.

"The people are concerned. The leaders are concerned... It would be sad if Ho Guom [another name for the lake] didn't have the turtle in it anymore."

ASEAN leaders ink dispute resolution protocol

Southeast Asian ministers on Thursday fleshed out their vision of a rules-based regional community by signing a protocol to help member nations resolve conflicts.

Foreign ministers from the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states signed the agreement on dispute settlement mechanisms, ahead of a leaders' summit.

Focused on economic issues for most of its existence, ASEAN in 2008 adopted a charter committing it to tighter links. The group aims to form by 2015 a community of 600 million people with economic, political and social ties.

While the charter sets out the basic principles of ASEAN, Thursday's protocol and other documents are needed to more clearly define how the vast community will function as a legal entity.

The protocol said ASEAN leaders want to transform the bloc into "a rules-based organization with practical, efficient and credible mechanisms in place to resolve disputes in an effective and timely manner."

It added that efficient dispute settlement mechanisms would help the bloc prevent "festering conflicts and confrontation" among member states.

The protocol applies to disputes related to ASEAN's charter or other ASEAN documents.

It provides for a variety of means to settle disagreements, including consultation between parties, mediation, and arbitration. Unresolved disputes can be referred to the ASEAN summit.

Scarred by wars in the 1960s and 1970s, Southeast Asian nations have largely lived peacefully together for at least two decades, but smaller-scale conflicts persist.

Cambodia and Thailand have been locked in nationalist tensions and a troop standoff over a disputed temple on their border since July 2008. Soldiers have died on both sides.

There are also conflicting maritime sovereignty claims in the region, and other bilateral disagreements.

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo told reporters that the protocol "commits us politically to having a dispute settlement mechanism which will give our agreements concrete reality."

ASEAN secretary general Surin Pitsuwan said he hoped the "rather comprehensive" document would enhance stability and security in the region.

But it will be up to the parties themselves whether to bring an issue for resolution, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

"When all is said and done, the most important thing is the political will to use or not to use such a mechanism," he said.

Natalegawa said the protocol could not be used to deal with Myanmar, which has long been the bloc's most troublesome issue, because such mechanisms normally apply only between states.

"It won't apply to internal situations," he said.

ASEAN members are divided on how to deal with Myanmar, and its failure to heed calls to embrace democracy.

The military state is accused of widespread rights abuses and is subject to European Union and United States sanctions, but has always escaped formal censure from ASEAN which adheres to a principle of non-interference in members' internal affairs.

By AFP

Hanoi needs US$160 billion to become a metropolis

VietNamNet Bridge – To become a modern urban city with five satellite cities and per capita income of $12,000/person by 2030, Hanoi needs $160 billion within the next ten years.

Hanoi Party Committee on April 7 considered the strategy for social and economic development to 2030. According to estimates, Hanoi will have 8 million people by 2020, with urbanization rate of 54 percent; 9 million people by 2030, with urbanization rate of up to 70 percent.

The capital city will comprise a central city with five satellite cities, plus 13 towns. In addition, some urban areas will be developed within a radius of 50-60km around Hanoi to serve the capital’s development, including Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Phu Ly, Hoa Binh and Viet Tri.

Hanoi has set high economic growth targets from now to 2030, specifically annual gross domestic product (GDP) of 9-10 percent from 2011 through 2020 and 7.5 to 8.5 percent in 2021-2030. Per capita income is expected to reach $5300 by 2020 and $12000 by 2030 (per capita GDP in 2008 was only $1700 for Hanoi).

To realize these goals, Hanoi will need up to $60 billion for the 2011-2015 period and $97-98 billion for the 2016-2020 period. Hanoi authorities have introduced many measures to raise capital from non-state enterprises (48 percent), the state budget (16 percent) and state-owned enterprises (9-12 percent).

The city will issue policies to mobilize capital, such as investment incentives for hi-tech parks and luxury services, plus land management policy and raising investment capital from land.

Nguyen Xuan Chinh, chief of Hanoi Industrial – Export Processing Zone Management Board, noted that the city needs clear measures to raise capital for the ambitious plan. The city aims to finalize industrialization in the next five years, but now suffers from a shortage of capital for industry and construction. The pace of infrastructure development is also slow because it has to check hundreds of projects.

Nguyen Van Thanh, Party Chief of Long Bien district, observed that Hanoi must give top priority to developing technical infrastructure and carrying out administrative reforms to attract investors.

By Vietnamnet

Viet Nam to play clear role in nuclear non-proliferation

VietNamNet Bridge – Professor Gareth Evans, Australia's former Foreign Minister and the current co-chair of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, talks about its report on nuclear weapons and the potential for the development of civil nuclear energy programs in Viet Nam.

What is the main purpose of your visit?

The purpose of this visit was simply to make sure that senior Vietnamese policy makers were familiar with this report and consider this as an emergency issue to address.

I also want to encourage Viet Nam to play a constructive and helpful role in the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference.

What does your report focus on?

The point of this report of the international commission was to spell out a detailed road map of how visions could be actively achieved in the short term and in the next few years until 2012.

Our report has made major contributions to the debate in terms of a realistic way of moving a very grand vision forward.

There are two big themes running through the report.

The first one is the threats and risks from nuclear weapons are very real and serious and we can't ignore them. There are 22,300 warheads out there at this moment. 2,000 of them are at a very high alert; there is a risk of new countries coming into the weapons making business; a risk of terrorist non-state actors, who are determined to get their hands on weapons or nuclear materials. And there are also risks associated with a dramatic increase in civil nuclear energy if we don't put in place appropriate security safety arrangement.

The second theme of the report is meeting the threats or risks in the crucial way that we can do three things spontaneously: ensure serious movements towards disarmament, strengthen the measures against nuclear non-proliferation with new players coming into the game and we also address the peaceful use of nuclear energy that does not aggravate the risks.

How can you assess Viet Nam's role in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament?

It is important that the nuclear non-proliferation regime be strengthened in a variety of ways: improved inspection and monitoring arrangement, improved discipline to ensure that people comply with treaty obligations and strengthening IAEA.

It is very important that these measures will be agreed upon next month at the nuclear NPT Review conference. I think Viet Nam has a particularly important role to play in getting accessible outcome here because Viet Nam has their reputation as being a moderate and sensible member of the non-aligned movement. And it is very important that your voice will be heard.

Viet Nam also has an important role in the peaceful use of nuclear energy because you are one of the countries that are going to acquire nuclear energy capabilities for the first time soon.

And you have made it clear that you don't want to build uranium enrichment facilities or plutonium reprocessing facilities.

You made it clear that you don't want to get into the business of this very sensitive and dangerous nuclear technology.

That is an important message to send to other new countries getting into nuclear energy that is not necessary to have the very sensitive facilities or chemicals which create the materials that are used for nuclear weapons.

I would like to see Viet Nam moving to further ratify some of the important international instruments that are relevant here including and in particular the IAEA additional protocol. It sounds like something abstract, but what it is about is the current generation of inspection and monitoring arrangement which are quite intrusive and go along way further than the traditional safeguards.

What do you think about the plan of building the first nuclear power plant of Viet Nam in 2014?

Viet Nam is a rather sophisticated country when it comes to this kind of the project. You should be able to do that. With a relatively accelerated time, you need strong technological support from the supplying countries.

There are many countries out there with the capacity to build a complete package with proven technology.

Do you have any recommendations for the country when building this plant?

You must be alert to what we call the three Ss: safety, security and safeguard.

I am sure the government has been responsible about this.

Security is a kind of the issue that will be debated in Washington next week to ensure that no unauthorised people have access to nuclear facilities and to be able to get hold of nuclear materials for the wrong purposes.

Safeguards for international agreements ensure that everybody has confidence that your plant will be used entirely for peaceful purposes.

Is there any potential for Viet Nam and Australia to make co-operation in this issue?

Yes, there are because Australia has the biggest reserves of uranium in the world. That is one of the reasons why we have produced this report because we feel we have the moral responsibility to ensure that uranium is used just for peaceful purposes.

By VietNamNet

Hanoi’s Old Quarter looks untidy as millennial anniversary approaches

VietNamNet Bridge – There are hundreds of smeared and untidy houses in Hanoi’s Old Quarter that are awaiting repair for the city’s 1000^th anniversary.

With a population density of up to 84,000 persons per square kilometer, the Old Quarter is one of the most heavily populated areas in the world. According to authorities, the average space is only 1.5-2 square meters of land per person.

On Dinh Liet street, decayed buildings stand besides modern houses.

Hang Bac street is the most beautiful in the Old Quarter, but there are still some houses like this.

On the outside, this house (47 Hang Bac) seems to be one of the oldest in Hanoi. With a total area of over 100 square meters, this building houses 4 families with 20 people. They can’t repair the house because they don’t have the ownership certificate.

Many ancient houses are deformed after they are extended and repaired.

Banisters of many old houses have been extended to become toilets or warehouses.

Dirty houses also appear on modern streets like Nguyen Huu Huan or Ly Thai To.

by Vietnamnet

ASEAN determined to build community

VietNamNet Bridge – In his opening speech of the 16^th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi on April 8, Prime Minister proposed that ASEAN should improve the quality of its “unity in diversity” to achieve its goal of forming the ASEAN Community.

The ASEAN Summit attracts high-ranking officials of member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Secretary General of ASEAN, representatives of pan-governmental agencies, foreign diplomatic agencies and international organizations.

The Thai Prime Minister was not in attendance due to the state of emergency in Thailand.

ASEAN is looking forward to developing a strong community like the European Union by 2015, with a common charter. After decades, ASEAN is now a coherent politic-economic entity with ten members.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung, Chair of ASEAN 2010, said that ASEAN needs to exert more efforts to bring the ASEAN Charter to life. He also emphasized implementation of agreements to forge an ASEAN Community.

Economic recovery and sustainable development are among top priorities of ASEAN. The Chair stated that ASEAN should promote economic association, seek a suitable model of sustainable development and strengthen East Asian economic-financial cooperation.

PM Dung also emphasized the design of a comprehensive plan on ASEAN connections to create more close ties in terms of infrastructure, transportation and information technology, especially in the Greater sub-Mekong Region.

He suggested issuing a joint statement on recovery and sustainable development to show ASEAN’s commitments and action plans. He also called for cooperation to cope with climate change, environment regression, plus natural calamities and diseases, which directly threaten the lives of people in the region.

The Vietnamese PM also called for ASEAN to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in politics and security to promote peace and stability in Southeast Asia and in Asia-Pacific, as well as to boost cooperation within ASEAN and between ASEAN and its partners to confront non-traditional security challenges like terrorism, transnational crime and sea security.

Some pictures of 16^th ASEAN Summit:

Xuan Linh – Le Anh Dung (by vietnamnet)