Over 2,400 arrested in one-week immigration crackdown

reuters.com

View Original Source:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/21/us-crime-immigration-idUSTRE75K4C620110621

(Reuters) – More than 2,400 convicted foreign nationals were arrested by officials during a nationwide seven-day operation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on Tuesday.

The “Cross Check” enforcement operation, conducted in May, detained individuals convicted for crimes such as armed robbery, drug trafficking, child abuse, sexual crimes against minors, aggravated assault, theft, forgery and DUI, an ICE statement said.

“The results of this operation underscore ICE’s ongoing focus on arresting those convicted criminal aliens who prey upon our communities, and tracking down fugitives who game our nation’s immigration system,” ICE Director John Morton said in the statement.

Twenty-two percent of those taken into custody were immigration fugitives who had already had outstanding orders of deportation.

ICE has removed a record number of criminal foreign nationals this year, according to the agency: more than 109,700 in fiscal year 2011.

(Reporting by Wendell Marsh and Molly O’Toole; Editing by Jerry Norton)

Japan further grants over US$3 million for Lao human resource

www.mcot.net

 

View Original Source:  http://www.mcot.net/cfcustom/cache_page/226660.html

6/21/2011

VIENTIANE, June 21 (KPL)- Japanese Government has further provided US$ 3 million to the human resource development of Laos in the year of 2012.

Exchange note ceremony was held at the Ministry of Planning and Investment on 20 June.

The financial support is under theme of Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) in 2011-15 periods.

Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship has been implemented by the government of Lao PDR with financial support from government of Japan.

The note was signed between Director General of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Mr. Somchit Inthamith and Chief Representative of Japanese International Cooperation Agency to Laos, Mr. Masato Togawa in the presence of relevant officials.

Mr. Somchit highlighted the objective of this project is to support the Lao government in its efforts to implement its national plan for human resource development, especially aiming at capacity and building institutional strengthening which will contribute to the overall effort for both short and long term.

The areas of the courses are focus on seven train sections ranging from law, public policy, administration, economics, public finance, agriculture, rural development, education to engineering.

Lao students and government officials will be awarded for more than 20 scholarships of master decrees to study in Japan.

Since 1999, 235 young scholars have studied in Japan under the JDS, 195 of whom have obtained their degree and returned to Laos.

They have now been working in both government and private sectors assuming many important positions.

This further demonstrates Japan’s strong support for Lao human resource development effort as well as for the overall socio-economic development of Lao PDR, Mr Somchit said at signing ceremony.

Since 2008 the said programme aimed to support young government officers (exclusively for public sector) who hold prospectus potentials to play leadership roles in their work specialties after return home to their country.

“As the result I strongly believe that this project is of great help as it directly support the Lao Government to meet its current development needs while contributing to ensuring future prosperity, he continued.

This agreement between the Lao government and Japan government to implement the project for Human Resource Development Scholarship for the year 2012 is of great importance for the Lao PDR as it will support one of the priority areas listed under the National Social Economic Development Plan for 2011-2015, particularly human resource development and capacity for government officials. (KPL)

Biz Buzz: Handmade bags crafted in Laos go to L.A. gala guests, via Iowan

 

desmoinesregister.com

View Original Source:  http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110621/BUSINESS03/106210333/0/ENT02/?odyssey=nav|head

Written by

LYNN HICKS & DAVID ELBERT

Iowa native Bill Newbrough is pictured with residents of a village in Laos who make bags for Nature Bag. The products are made from jungle vine fiber that grows naturally and prolifically in northern Laos. / Bounsou Keoamphone/Special to the Register

Guests at Saturday’s Beastly Ball for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association received Nature Bags imported from remote villages in Laos by Iowan Bill Newbrough.

Actress Betty White, who is the zoo association’s new chairman, presided at the L.A. fundraiser where the focus was on a new Elephants of Asia exhibit. The annual ball is touted as one of L.A.’s biggest and most popular events. Tickets are $1,000 each, and last year, the ball raised more than $1.2 million.

The organic Nature Bags were a premium for guests that tied in nicely with the Asian theme of this year’s ball, Newbrough said.

The bags are handmade by the Khmu people in northern Laos from the roots of local vines that are a tropical form of kudzu. Newbrough began working with the Khmu to develop a market for the bag in 2006 after he discovered the bags during a visit in 2004.

His goal is to create a source of income for the rural Khmu people. Newbrough has spent the past few years working with the Khmu to create color and size standards for the bags, which traditionally varied depending on the needs and artistic inclination of the people who weave them.

“The Khmu harvest the thin white ribbon inside the stems of the jungle vines and use their hands and feet to spin it into cord that is amazingly strong,” Newbrough said. “Because the jungle vine fiber grows naturally and prolifically in northern Laos and the Khmu make the bags from their homes, no agriculture, no manufacturing, no chemicals, no petroleum and no irrigation is involved,” he said.

The bags were a premium for guests at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association's fundraiser. Nature Bag/Special to the Register

Newbrough sells the bags online at NatureBag.org and at selected retail outlets, including several stores in the Des Moines area that are listed on the website.

Much of Nature Bag’s marketing has been though word of mouth and social media.

Newbrough was pleasantly surprised early this year when he received an unsolicited inquiry from the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association. He had no idea how the group found out about the bag, but he wound up sending 700 bags to the Beastly Ball.

The bags range in price from about $15 to about $30, with some specialized bags costing more, Newbrough said.

VNA interviewed Lao Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Foreign Affairs about Viet Nam – Laos tie

 

 

View Original Source:  http://www.mofa.gov.vn/en/nr040807104143/nr040807105001/ns110620104401#CTaA0uzN5S8U

(VNA – 19/6/2011) – Party General Secretary and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong’s upcoming visit is expected to bring the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Viet Nam to a new height.

Lao Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, who is also Head of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations and Minister of Foreign Affairs, made the remark in an interview granted to the Viet Nam News Agency before Trong’s visit from June 20-22 at the invitation of Party General Secretary and State President of Laos Choummaly Sayasone.

Sisoulith noted that this will be the first visit to Laos made by Trong since he was elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee early this year, adding that Laos is also the first country the new Party General Secretary of Viet Nam chooses to visit.

According to the Lao Deputy PM, the visit will be of importance significance at a time when Viet Nam successfully organised the 11 th National CPV Congress and the election of the 13 th National Assembly and Laos just completed the 9 th National LPRP Congress and the election of the 7 th National Assembly.

The visit offers an opportunity for the leaders of the two Parties and the two nations to exchange views on many issues, including international and regional situations and Laos-Viet Nam bilateral cooperation, he noted.

Regarding the Viet Nam-Laos special relationship, Sisoulith said Laos and Viet Nam are close neighbours which stood side by side in their long-term struggle against invaders to win national independence in the past as well as work together in their current national construction and defence.

The Lao people are pleased to find that the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Viet Nam , built up by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane and fostered by successive generations of the two Parties, two States and two peoples, have been continuously consolidated and developed, he said.

Most worthy of note was the joint project to compile the “History of Laos-Viet Nam Speical Relations” and the regular organisation of high-ranking meetings.

Bilateral cooperation in national defence, security and external relations continues to be strengthened, as is bilateral cooperation in economics, culture, education, science and technology.

According to a report delivered at the 33 rd session of the Laos-Viet Nam Inter-governmental Committee in Hanoi on April 2011, Viet Nam remains one of the leading investors in Laos and the two countries’ import-export turnover reached 490 million USD in 2010, up 17.2 percent against the previous year.

Regarding border development cooperation, the two sides have been working together to implement a project on planting more border marks and upgrading existing ones since 2008, Sisoulith said, adding that the project has been deployed on schedule.

The cooperation and mutual assistance between the two countries’ Party, Government and National Assembly agencies, mass organisations, social organisations and localities have been expanded, he added.

The Lao Deputy PM affirmed Laos’ wish to continue protecting and developing the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Viet Nam to a new level, considering it the rule of development, an important factor for the success of the revolutionary cause in each country, and a valuable heritage of the two Parties and two nations to be passed on to next generations./.

Related news:

• Vietnamese Party, State and National Assembly leaders sent messages of congratulations to newly elected Lao counterparts  (20-06-2011)
• Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to visit Laos   (17-06-2011)
• Senior Vietnamese Party officials visit Laos   (08-06-2011)
• Viet Nam, Laos present joint history works   (08-06-2011)
• Viet Nam, Laos friendship associations bolster ties   (07-06-2011)

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Promoting Vietnam-Lao special relationship

(VOV) – It is rare for any nations in the world like Vietnam and Laos, which have long maintained their traditional ties of special, loyal and pure fraternal friendship.

General Secretary and Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Phu Trong visited Laos from June 20-22 at the invitation of Party General Secretary and State President of Laos Choummaly Sayasone.

This is the first time Laos has welcomed a foreign leader after the success of the 9^th  National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP).

The visit is of great significance, showing the two parties and states’ wish to bring the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos to a new height.

The socio-economic achievements made by the Lao people during the renewal process have helped the country raise its international and regional status.

In terms of socio-economic development, Laos has surpassed its set targets over the past five years. In 2010, Laos’ GDP reached 7.9 percent with per capita income of US$1,069 and its inflation rate of 5.98 percent.

Attention is also given to poverty reduction in Laos with the current poverty rate dropping to 20 percent. In the first half of this year, the country’s GDP rose 8.5 percent and its export-import turnover hit nearly US$2 billion.

Laos is striving to shed its status as an underdeveloped nation by 2020 and reach a GDP growth rate of 7.5-8 percent with per capital income of US$1,800.

Concerning external relations, Laos continues to persist with the external policy of peace, independence, friendship, cooperation, openness, multilateralisation and diversification of relations with countries and territories on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Laos has so far had relations with more than 100 political parties and established diplomatic ties with 131 countries around the world. The country has opened its embassy in 25 countries, five consulates general and two regional and international representative offices.

Laos is proposing for its entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The country’s successful organization of major international conferences and events has earned international acclaim.

The 11^th National Congress of the Vietnam Communist Party (CPV) and the 9^th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) continue to affirm their policies of strengthening the friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, considering it an invaluable asset of the two peoples, an important factor behind national development and construction.

Over the past few years, cooperation in politics, security and national defence has been enhanced through regular exchange of visits by senior leaders and representatives from ministries and sectors.

The two sides have maintained a mechanism for sharing first-hand information and experience in the renewal process and Party building. They have recently completed scholarly works on Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam special relationship.

In terms of economic cooperation, Vietnam is one of the three biggest foreign investors in Laos with 248 projects worth US$ 3.1 billion.

Two-way trade turnover between the two countries has reached nearly US$500 million and is expected to hit US$2 billion by 2015.

Party and State leaders have also paid special attention to education, training and human resource development. As many as 4,700 Lao students and cadres are studying in Vietnam and 420 Vietnamese cadres and post graduates are studying at Laos National University.

Vietnam and Laos have signed cooperation documents such as a cooperation strategy for the 2011-2020 period, a 2011-2015 cooperation agreement and a cooperation agreement for 2011. Both countries have compared notes  and closely coordinated in dealing with international and regional issues at multilateral forums of ASEAN+3, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and the United Nations.

The official friendship visit to Laos by General Secretary and Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Phu Trong once again demonstrate Vietnam’s unswerving policy of promoting the friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

There is high hope that the visit will be very successful, raising the Vietnam-Laos relationship to a higher level.