Truth and lies about Spratly, Paracel

By Dr. Nguyen Nha. Nha’s Phd dissertation’s title is “The process of asserting sovereignty of Vietnam over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa”. He is the first Vietnamese to earn a Phd on this topic.

Vietnamese navy officers looking at maps proving
Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa at a museum in Da Nang on April 29

East Sea issues are escalating in intensity, worrying international scholars at many East Sea conferences who fear a tragedy could occur in Asia, like one that happened to Europe in World War II.
The world nowadays does not know or deliberately refuses to know that it is the sovereignty dispute over islands wherein involved parties or party pay(s) no heed to historical truths and to international law that causes intensity to escalate.
During a recent international conference in Quang Ngai, one scholar from a university in Hong Kong said that historical facts about Vietnamese sovereignty are propagandized in a very limited manner to the world. I have recently demanded for more heed to the historical truth about sovereignty over Paracel (Hoang Sa) and Spratly (Truong Sa).
The “ownerless land” declaration
Let’s pay attention to what actually happened in 1909. In that year, China started to claim sovereignty in the East Sea. The Guangdong  government reasoned that Paracel was an “ownerless land” and started to carry out its occupation via western means like ordering a warship to fire 21 shots, flag planting, erecting border lines in Paracel and renaming it Xisha.
Or let’s focus on the event in 1898 when a British insurance company demanded compensation from the Hainan government for the looting by Hainan residents of the Bellona ship (Germany) that sank in 1895 and of the Unofi Maru ship (Japan) that sank in 1896 in Paracel. The Hainan government then denied that Paracel belonged to China.
Vietnam has so much evidence to prove that Paracel belongs to Vietnam, from imperial court documents of the Nguyen dynasty, local government papers, court historical archives, monographs, and maps to Western documents, and maps drawn by the West and even documents and maps published in China.
Western documents like Gutzlaff (1849) or the Great Annam Map clearly wrote that Paracel is Yellow Sands or Hoang Sa.
Vietnam possesses the sovereignty truth on a continuous and peaceful basis through many eras with the Hoang Sa militia, the Bac Hai team travelling to Hoang Sa and Truong Sa for fish and for cast-away products as far back as the early 17th century, or with the navy planting landmarks, and erecting sovereignty steles from 1816-1836. Such activities have become an annual routine.
As China once announced Paracel was ownerless and did not belong to China, all other evidence surfaced thereafter was just fabrications or far-fetched deductions that are valueless and go against the historical truth.
The uncut history
In April, 1956, taking advantage of the French army withdrawing from Indochina, Taiwan occupied the largest island -- Itu Aba, i.e Ba Binh island, of Truong Sa (China renamed it Taiping Island to commemorate the Taiping warship that occupied it at the end of 1946); China occupied the largest island of Hoang Sa archipelago and taking advantage of new relations with the US after the Shanghai Communiqué (1972), occupied the whole Hoang Sa archipelago on January, 19, 1974.
From that time on (compared to the years before 1949), China started to pay more attention to the claim that China has exercised sovereignty over Hoang Sa for a long time with ample ahistorical evidence. China has been trying to collect, selectively use and manipulate data and if necessary, distort information, being helped by a number of scholars who reason on the premise that “islands in the South China Sea from time immemorial are part of China’s territory”, “they were discovered by the Chinese people the earliest”, “the Chinese carried out businesses there earliest”, or “managed by Chinese dynasties the earliest”. (Guangming Daily, November, 24, 1975).
After that, on January 30, 1980, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China released diplomatic documents that officialized claims as set out in the aforementioned newspaper article and in 1988, released a sizable compilation penned by Han Zhenhua and his associates.
But the information therein is very vague and not verified while most of the ancient documents that China cited are books written about foreign countries (Zhu Fan i.e the books did not discuss Chinese matters) such as Yi Wu Zhi (Exotic things) by Yang Fu and Zhu Fan Zhi (Notes on foreign countries) by Zhao Juguo.
As there is no truth in such rhetoric, with maps drawn by China and the West telling a different story, and since the Guangdong government once asserted Paracel ownerless, it is very easy to deny such claims, especially considering the international legal system at the end of the 19th century under which sovereignty was established only on the basis of effective, continuous and peaceful occupation on the state level.
If we want to invalidate China’s nine-dotted line declaration in 2009, it is also easy. Just rely on the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea – UNCLOS 1982, especially when China used hazy and unacceptable data.
Nowadays, most people in China brush aside the 1909 event when Guangdong government declared Paracel an “ownerless land”. Almost everyone there presumes something like “islands in the South China Sea from time immemorial belong to China; if we further consult ancient Chinese texts, this is apparent, nothing to suspect”… Such presumptions are widely propagandized among Chinese people. But the truth is that if we consult ancient texts, there will be nothing, just wild inferences.
To avoid a tragedy in Asia as many have feared, and for the sake of justice, stability, peace, and sustainable cooperation, there is no way but to respect the historical truth, respect international law; and struggle for a win-win solution. Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's.

Source tuoitrenews.vn

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Posted in: Asia,Vietnam

Facebook U-turn after charities criticise decapitation videos

By Leo Kelion Technology reporter 
 Facebook has said it will delete videos of people being decapitated which had been spread on its site.
"We will remove instances of these videos that are reported to us while we evaluate our policy and approach to this type of content," it said.

Charities warn that watching the video clips
could cause long-lasting psychological damage

The news came less than two hours after the BBC revealed a member of Facebook's own safety advisory board had criticised its stance.
The social network had previously refused to ban the clips.

It had said people had a right to depict the "world in which we live".
But the US's Family Online Safety Institute (Fosi) said the violent nature of the material had "crossed a line".
"Personally and professionally I feel that Facebook has got this call wrong," said Stephen Balkam, the organisation's chief executive, ahead of the U-turn.
Charities in the UK had also called on the social network to reconsider its stance saying the material could cause long-term psychological damage.
Graphic violence The warnings came after a one-minute long video was uploaded to the site last week showing a woman being beheaded by a masked man.
A voice heard on the footage suggests that it was filmed in Mexico.
A second video clip showing the execution of two men has also been shared on the network after being posted last Wednesday. The victims say they are drug smugglers for a Mexican cartel before being attacked with a chainsaw and knife.
Ryan L, a student at Belfast University, contacted the BBC after one of the clips spread around his friends' news feeds.

"This is just wrong at every level” John Carr UK Council for Child Internet Safety

He said he had flagged the material with Facebook as being inappropriate, but was sent the following reply.

"Thanks for your report. We reviewed the video you reported, but found it doesn't violate Facebook's Community Standard on graphic violence, which includes depicting harm to someone or something, threats to the public's safety, or theft and vandalism."
Facebook initially confirmed it had opted to leave such material online.
In reference to the video showing the woman's murder, it issued the following statement:
"People are sharing this video on Facebook to condemn it. Just as TV news programmes often show upsetting images of atrocities, people can share upsetting videos on Facebook to raise awareness of actions or causes.
"While this video is shocking, our approach is designed to preserve people's rights to describe, depict and comment on the world in which we live."
Safety advisers 
For the past three years Facebook has consulted Fosi and four other organisations in North America and Europe to discuss its online safety policies.

Although the group was not scheduled to meet until September, Fosi's head said he planned to raise the issue during an "extraordinary" phone conference.
"Where it gets grey is: what is in the public interest? Is it in the public interest to know what is going on with the drug lords in Mexico?" asked Mr Balkam.
"But given that not only are teenagers accessing this, but consumer reports estimate that seven and a half million under-13s in the US are on Facebook, you've just got to consider: would this go out on daytime television news?
"I don't think it would, even with a warning saying this is something you may want to avoid. It crosses a line."

Mr Balkam said that Facebook had "got this call wrong"

He added that one of the videos had been shared among his daughter's schoolmates via Facebook earlier this week.
Psychological damage 
UK child safety campaigners had also condemned Facebook's policy.
"Facebook must have taken leave of their senses," said John Carr, who sits on the executive board of the UK government's Council on Child Internet Safety.
"I hate to think how an unsuspecting youngster might react if they saw it through their news feed or in any other way."
Decapitation videos can be accessed through sites found via search engines and other popular video clip sites.
However, Dr Arthur Cassidy - a former psychologist who runs a branch of the suicide prevention charity Yellow Ribbon - said Facebook's social nature made it particularly problematic.
He added that he had seen the videos in question and warned they could cause long-lasting psychological damage.
"We know from evidence that [watching] such material can influence self-esteem in a very negative way," he said.
"It can also cause flashbacks, nightmares and sleep disturbance. If that is prolonged it can transfer into many other negative effects in a child and adults as well such as anxiety-related disorders and panic attacks.
"The other problem is some people, in their innocence, might share this with friends to say how abhorrent it is, and we are concerned about the profound and uncontrollable impact this can have on an entire community."
Possible compromise 
 An online petition calling for Facebook to remove decapitation videos had attracted 289 "likes" at time of writing.

Facebook says it has more than one billion members

One person who supported the campaign wrote: "The video appeared twice on my news feed. I cannot imagine the impact it will have on a younger person. Facebook needs to create some kind of filter to block these images from appearing in the news feed."
Facebook confirmed that its current privacy tools allowed users to block posts by particular people, but not specific types of content.
Mr Balkam said that finding a way to block the spread of such clips to those who had not opted into receiving them was one idea that could be explored.
"If they are going to host this kind of graphic violence how then can we best prevent those videos getting into the hands of folks who really don't want to see these, including children?" he asked.


Source BBC

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Posted in: Facebook,Technology

Smoking kills 100 people in Vietnam every day

Smoking-related diseases kill over 40,000 people in Vietnam each year and if no measure is taken, nearly 10 percent of the Vietnamese population will have died from smoking-related diseases by 2030, the Ho Chi Minh City Health Education and Communication Center warned.

A young man smokes at a café in Vietnam

The warning, based on the estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO), was released by the Ho Chi Minh City Health Education and Communication Center to mark the date the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms took effect - May 1.

Smoking is one the leading causes of death in Vietnam, with more than 100 people dead from tobacco-related diseases per day, four times higher than the death toll of road traffic accidents.

Vietnam is among the countries having the highest rates of male tobacco smokers in the world, and is also one of the countries where smoking in public places are popular, affecting the health of non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smokes, according to WHO.

According to the 2010 global adult tobacco survey, out of two Vietnamese people over 15 years old, one is addicted to tobacco.

Smoking-related fatal diseases like stroke, coronary artery, lung cancer are the leading causes of death for both men and women in Vietnam.

Vietnam, with a population of nearly 89 million now, is one of the 15 countries having the highest rates of tobacco users in the world, particularly men, said Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen at a conference on April 23.

About 11 percent of male deaths have been caused by smoking, according to a survey by the Health Strategy and Policy Institute.

WHO warns that the number of deaths would rise to 70,000 cases in 2030 if there are no effective measures in response to smoking in Vietnam.

47 million second-hand smokers at home in Vietnam

In Vietnam, according to the above-mentioned global adult tobacco survey, about 8 million workers suffer from passive smoking at working places, and as many as 47 million people are regularly exposed to smoking at home.

Tobacco kills nearly six million people in the world each year, of whom more than 5 million are users and ex users and more than 600,000 are nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke, according to WHO.

Unless urgent action is taken, the annual death toll could rise to more than ten million by 2030, and 70 percent of which will be in developing countries, WHO said.

In adults, second-hand smoke causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. In infants, it causes sudden death. In pregnant women, it causes low birth weight.
A cigarette shortens life span by 5.5 minutes

Meanwhile, scientists warn that smoking a cigarette causes a loss of 5.5 minutes of life expectancy. The average life span of smokers is 5-8 years shorter than non-smokers.

In women, smoking may cause infertility, premature menopause, ectopic pregnancy, pre-birth fetal death, miscarriage, and cervix cancer. Smoking when in pregnancy may lead to underweight of newborns, premature birth, and after-birth hemorrhage.

In men, smoking may increase their risk of impotence by twice, reduce the ability to produce sperms, cause deformity of sperms, and decrease the ability of sperm movement.

Source tuoitrenews.vn

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Posted in: Health,Vietnam

Vietnam welcomes waves of Russian tourists

While the number of tourists from other European countries has been on a decline, common tourism spots around Vietnam are being flooded by Russian holidaymakers.

A Russian tourist is seen shopping at Nha Trang Center in Nha Trang April 29, 2013

Around 130,550 Russian tourists visited Mui Ne last year, accounting for 36.7 percent of the total number of foreign holidaymakers, according to Binh Thuan Province’s tourism department.
“People usually think Russian tourists tend to practice thrift during their tours, but they in fact can spend up to VND2 million a day, so long as the services are of good quality,” said Nguyen Quoc Khanh, owner of a restaurant at Mui Ne, where groups of Russian-speaking travelers were spotted on April 30.
There are so many Russians in the area that many restaurants, ticket agents, cafés, and massage parlors have their menus written in Russian, Khanh said.
Mui Ne has emerged as a peaceful and low-cost relaxing destination for Russian holidaymakers, according to Alexandre and his wife, Cawa, a couple from Irkutsk.
Ton That Hung, who works at Coco Café, a tour organizer, said Russians account for nearly 30 percent of the company’s total customers.
Meanwhile, Tran Anh Thi, managing director of Seahorse hotel, said 45 percent of the facility’s current customers are Russian.
“However, while Russian tourists want to enjoy more than just beach bathing and eating seafood, local services fail to meet their demand,” he noted.
1,000 arrivals per day
Similarly, Russian tourists also flood foreigners’ quarters in Nha Trang these days.
Ngo Vo Bach Viet, head of the Nha Trang representative office of Anh Duong Travel Co, said his company is bringing some 1,000 Russian tourists to the coastal city on a daily basis via 19 direct flights between the area and 22 cities in the Eurasian country.
Russian travelers topped the list of foreign tourists to Nha Trang over the last two years, according to Khanh Hoa Province’s tourism department. The coastal city welcomed around 100,000 Russian tourists last year, the department said.
“There are three to five Russian tourism delegations, or 300 tourists, shopping at Nha Trang Center everyday,” said Nguyen Thi Gia Thao, chief of human resources of the commercial center.
Russian holidaymakers account for 70 percent of total foreign customers, and 50 percent of the total revenues, according to Nguyen Huu Nghia, deputy CEO of the Hoan Cau Khanh Hoa Co Ltd, the operator of the shopping center.
More Russian-speaking tour guides
Although the number of Russian tourists to Vietnam has constantly risen, the figure is still modest compared to the 45 million exits from Russia for overseas holiday every year, according to tourism experts.
Vietnam thus has to continue to boost the tourism promotion to lure more customers, and investing more on the training of Russian-speaking tour guides, they said.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has recently approved a VND6.3 billion program for Khanh Hoa to have a well-trained force of Russian-speaking tour guides.
“Russian tourists will be the main market of Nha Trang in the future, and we are considering organizing new cultural activities and increasing the quality of local services to serve them,” said Truong Dang Tuyen, director of Khanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Source: tuoitrenews.vn

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Posted in: Business,Tour in Vietnam

US Charges Three With Hindering Boston Bombing Investigation

Courtroom sketch shows defendants Dias Kadyrbayev, left, and Azamat Tazhayakov appearing in front of Federal Magistrate Marianne Bowler at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston, May 1, 2013.

U.S. authorities have arrested and charged three more men in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing investigation.  The suspects are accused of aiding one of the Boston bombers, Dzohkhar Tsarnaev, after the attack by conspiring to obstruct the investigation. 

 

Three newly-arrested suspects appeared in a Boston federal courtroom briefly Wednesday afternoon.  Two of them, Dias Kadyrbayev, 19 years old and Azamat Tazhayakov, also 19 years old, are both nationals of Kazakhstan who entered the United States on student visas.

 

The two are charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice by conspiring to destroy, conceal and cover-up a laptop and a backpack containing empty fireworks belonging to the suspected bomber who is in police custody, Dhokhar Tsarnaev. 

 

The two men could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

 

An attorney for Dias Kadyrbayev,  Robert Stahl,  told reporters that his client is not guilty and has been assisting Federal Bureau of Investigation officials.

 

"He is just as shocked  and horrified by the violence in Boston that took place as the rest of the community is. He did not know that this individual was involved in the bombing.  His first inkling came much later," he said. 

 

A third suspect,  Robel Phillipos, 19 years old, is charged with willfully making materially false statements to federal law enforcement officials during a terrorism investigation.   Phillipos, a U.S. citizen, could face a maximum of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

 

Media reports say the three men attended the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth with the younger brother suspected in the Boston bombing, Dzokhar Tsarnaev, and have now admitted that they removed a backpack and a laptop from Tsarnaev’s dorm room and and did not inform authorities.

 

No evidence has been released at this time that would indicate that the newly charged suspects aided the two Tsarnaev brothers before the Boston bombings, and Boston police say there is no threat to the public.

 

The older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police.

 

White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama is briefed on the Boston bombing investigation regularly.  Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, President Obama expressed confidence in the job U.S. intelligence officials are doing, and said it is very hard to prevent smaller attacks planned by individuals.

 

“One of the dangers we now face are self-radicalized individuals who are already here in the U.S. and in some cases, might not be part of any network," he said. 

 

U.S. lawmakers were briefed last week by intelligence officials and told reporters afterwards that they were told that the Tsarnaev brothers likely learned bomb-making from jihadist websites.

 

Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California said it may be that the face of the terrorist threat is changing.

 

"Well, you know probably the most profound question that has been raised by this is, 'has the nature of the threat changed?'  Is it a situation where we are now facing more what Europe has faced, with a alienation of part of the immigrant population, self-radicalization?  That is a different challenge than those that are trained overseas or receive material support from overseas and come here to attack us," he said. 

 

The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing next week on the Boston bombings and the implications for U.S. national security.

 

Source VOANEWS.com

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Posted in: USA,violence

Mississippi Man Arrested in Poison Letter Case

Everett Dutschke works on his mini-van in his driveway in Tupelo, Mississippi, Apr. 26, 2013.

VOA news - Federal authorities have formally charged a Mississippi man with sending poisoned letters to President Barack Obama, a U.S. senator, and a judge.

The FBI says 41-year-old Everett Dutschke was charged with attempting to use a biological weapon just hours after he was arrested Saturday. He will make his first court appearance Monday and could face life in prison if convicted.

Dutschke allegedly sent letters laced with the deadly poison ricin to President Obama, Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and Mississippi state judge Sadie Holland. Mail handling facilities near Washington intercepted the Obama and Wicker letters.

Agents arrested and later freed another suspect earlier this week after finding no evidence he was involved.

Ricin is made from castor beans and can be deadly if inhaled, swallowed, or injected.


Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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Posted in: USA,violence

Lawmaker: Boston Bombing Probe Pursuing 'Persons of Interest' in US

Visitors pause at a makeshift memorial in Copley Square for victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, Apr. 27, 2013, in Boston, Mass.

VOA news - U.S. lawmakers say federal investigators probing the Boston Marathon bombings are pursuing "persons of interest" in the United States who may have links to the attacks.

Speaking Sunday on ABC television, House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Rogers did not provide details. But he said better cooperation is needed with Russia to probe the movements of two suspects with ties to the southern Russian republics of Chechnya and Dagestan.

New details have emerged with reports that now-deceased suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev spoke to his mother about jihad in a 2011 telephone call to the region that was secretly recorded by Russian authorities. CBS News reported that U.S. investigators only learned about the telephone call in the past several days.

Elsewhere Sunday, House Homeland Security Committee chair Michael McCaul said he believes Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his suspect brother, Dzhokhar, got training in explosives, considering the "level of sophistication" of the bombs that ripped through crowds viewing the April 15 marathon. McCaul spoke on "Fox News Sunday."

Investigators say 26-year-old Tamerlan and 19-year-old Dzhokhar planted two bombs near the finish line of the race, killing three spectators and wounding more than 260 others. Tamerlan was later killed in a shootout with police, and Dzhokar - captured four days after the bombings - has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction.

U.S. investigators have since questioned the suspects' parents in Dagestan to determine if Tamerlan had contact with Islamic extremists during a 2012 visit. Tamerlan was placed on a U.S. terrorism alert list in late 2011, after Russian authorities contacted the CIA with concerns that he may have become a radical.

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Posted in: USA,violence

WWI prisoner of war postcard found

The postcard was sent from Limburg an der Lahn in Germany on April 30 1918

A postcard sent home by a captured WWI soldier has come to light 95 years after it was sent from a German prisoner of war camp.

Charles Jeffries sent the card from Limburg an der Lahn on April 30 1918 to let his family in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, know he had been taken prisoner.
His granddaughter, Pat Nicholls, 78, of Shepreth, Cambridgeshire, had the card in a file of family memorabilia.
She is trying to find out more about the role he played in the conflict.
The card gives Mr Jeffries' regiment as the Royal Naval Division but does not indicate whether he was wounded.
It has been stamped in German and Mr Jeffries - born in 1890 - wrote his personal details and home address in pencil.
The card, which Mrs Nicholls has handed over to historians in Shepreth, is printed in a mixture of German and English and headed "I am a prisoner of war in Germany."
'Not talked about' Mrs Nicholls said she was a teenager when Mr Jeffries died of lung cancer in 1953.
"I remember him well. I wish I'd asked him about the war. But people didn't talk about it," she said.
"He was a waterworks inspector and worked for the Southend Waterworks Company.
"I know that when he was taken prisoner the shock paralysed by grandmother, Mabel.
"I've checked the handwriting on the card. It's definitely his."

Source BBC

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Posted in: Entertainment,Society,war

Japan marks 'return of sovereignty' day

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko gave added weight to the event

Japan has for the first time marked the anniversary of the end of the allied occupation, which followed its defeat in World War II.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the "restoration of sovereignty day" would give Japan hope for the future and help it become "strong and resolute".
The event is seen as part of Mr Abe's nationalist campaign.
He is also pushing for a revision of Japan's pacifist constitution to ease tight restrictions on the armed forces.
It was during last year's election campaign that Mr Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) proposed the event to mark the day in 1952 when the San Francisco Peace Treaty took effect, formally ending WWII and the allied occupation.
"I want to make this a day when we can renew our sense of hope and determination for the future," the 58-year-old said in front of officials gathered in Tokyo.
"We have a responsibility to make Japan a strong and resolute country that others across the world can rely on," he said.
Protests It was the latest in a series of events and remarks that have angered Japan's Asian neighbours.

Mr Abe infuriated China and South Korea when he suggested he may no longer stand by the wording of an apology issued in 1995 for Japan's war-time aggression, saying the definition of "aggression" was hard to establish.

China also strongly objected to the visits by several cabinet members and 170 MPs this month to the Yasukuni war shrine, which is seen as a symbol of Japan's imperialistic aggression.
Sunday's ceremony was also controversial with some Japanese. Thousands of people on the southern island of Okinawa took to the streets to denounce the event as a betrayal.
Okinawa was invaded by US marines in 1945 and was not returned to Japan until 1972.
Nearly three-quarters of US troops stationed in Japan under a bilateral treaty are based in Okinawa.

SOURCE BBC

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Posted in: Asia,war