Open Letter To American in Support for Agent Orange Victím

                                                                                                      Unofficial translation

TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE VIETNAM ASSOCIATION FOR VICTIMS OF AGENT ORANGE/DIOXIN

Hanoi, 6 Aug, 2004

Dear American friends,

Agent Orange victims send 3,000 petitions to the US

The Vietnam Society for Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims have sent nearly 3,000 letters of petitions written by Agent Orange victims nationwide to American Professor Kenneth J. Herrmann, Director of the SUNY Brockport Vietnam Programme.

The professor will take the petitions to the US to call for public support for Vietnamese Agent Orange victims, and especially for their lawsuit against US chemical companies that produced and supplied the toxic chemicals used by US troops during the war in Vietnam.

United Airlines Starts Vietnam Service

Chicago, July 22, 2004 -- United Airlines today announced that it will begin daily San Francisco-Ho Chi Minh City service via Hong Kong effective December 9, 2004, following completion of the application process with the government of Vietnam. The first flight will arrive in Ho Chi Minh City on December 10, 2004, the third anniversary of the U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement. “We are very excited by this historic opportunity to be the first U.S. carrier to provide direct service to Vietnam in almost 30 years.

Law maker denounces US Human Rights Acts

Ha Noi (VNA) – The Viet Nam Human Rights Acts (H.R 1587), approved by the US House of Representatives on July 14, runs counter to the general development trend in the relationship between Viet Nam and the US, Ton Nu Thi Ninh, vice chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Commission for External Relations, told the daily Tuoi Tre newspaper on Wednesday.

Vietnam Protests and Rejects Human Right Act

In response to journalists' requests for a comment on the approval of the Vietnam Human Rights Act by the US House of Representatives on July 19, 2004, Mr. Le Dzung, the Spokesman of the Ministry Foreign Affairs of Vietnam stresses:

A step backwards for US - Viet Nam relations

07/20/2004 -- 17:45(GMT+7)

Ha Noi, July 20 (VNA) - Some US parliamentarians and politicians have, for years now, hindered the normalisation of bilateral relations between the US and Viet Nam by cooperating with anti-Viet Nam elements among the overseas Vietnamese community in the US in mobilising and arranging with the US Congress and Government to pass legislations and moves against Viet Nam.

US Congressmen say no to Vietnam Human Rights Bill

Dear Friends:

The Vietnam Human Rights bill (HR-1587) was debated at the House of Representatives on July 13, 2003 and will be brought for a vote on Monday, July 19.

As a number of US Congressmen said in their statements, approving this bill will risk damaging relationship with Vietnam and bring about unexpected and unwanted consequences.

We urge you act in your capacity to prevent the approval of this bill.

Please find bellow statements of the Congressmen who rose in opposition to the bill.

Thank you very much for your support and friendship.

Representative Robert Simmons Remarks on Vietnam Human Rights Act

(House of Representatives - July 14, 2004)

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I will place in the RECORD the text of U.S. Ambassador Raymond Burghardt's March 4 speech on U.S.-Vietnam relations, a letter from the American Chamber of Commerce Hanoi, and an article from the National Catholic Reporter following my remarks.

PM seeks more US investment in VN

HA NOI — US businesses should lift investment in Viet Nam in the coming years, said Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on Tuesday.

Khai told the president of the US-ASEAN Business Council, Charles R. Williamson, that trade between the two countries had progressed since the signing of the Bilateral Trade Agreement in 2000, although it did not yet meet potential.

The Prime Minister said Viet Nam considers the US one of its important partners and wishes to develop multi-faceted and long-term co-operation for the benefit of both nations.

Vietnamese paintings displayed in US

07/13/2004 -- 16:29(GMT+7)

Washington (VNA) - More than 30 paintings by 15 modern Vietnamese painters are on show at the Vietnamese Embassy in the US on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of the establishment of the Viet Nam-US diplomatic ties (July 12).

Present at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, which is entitled "Tradition and change: Current Vietnamese art", were hundreds of foreign diplomats, American people interested in Viet Nam's culture and arts, and overseas Vietnamese living in the states of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington.

Pages