I am an attorney in the Washington DC area, with a Doctor of Law in the US, attended the master program at the National School of Administration of Việt Nam, and graduated from Sài Gòn University Law School. I aso studied philosophy at the School of Letters in Sài Gòn.
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I have worked as an anti-trust attorney for Federal Trade Commission and a litigator for a fortune-100 telecom company in Washington DC.
I have taught law courses for legal professionals in Việt Nam and still counsel VN government agencies on legal matters.
I have founded and managed businesses for me and my family, both law and non-law.
I have published many articles on national newspapers and radio stations in Việt Nam.
In 1989 I was one of the founding members of US-VN Trade Council, working to re-establish US-VN relationship.
Since the early 90's, I have established and managed VNFORUM and VNBIZ forum on VN-related matters; these forums are the subject of a PhD thesis by Dr. Caroline Valverde at UC-Berkeley and her book Transnationalizing Viet Nam.
I translate poetry and my translation of "A Request at Đồng Lộc Cemetery" is now engraved on a stone memorial at Đồng Lộc National Shrine in VN.
I study and teach the Bible and Buddhism. In 2009 I founded and still manage dotchuoinon.com on positive thinking and two other blogs on Buddhism.
In 2015 a group of friends and I founded website CVD - Conversations on Vietnam Development (cvdvn.net).
I study the art of leadership with many friends who are religious, business and government leaders from many countries.
I have written these books, published by Phu Nu Publishing House in Hanoi:
"Positive Thinking to Change Your Life", in Vietnamese (TƯ DUY TÍCH CỰC Thay Đổi Cuộc Sống) (Oct. 2011)
"10 Core Values for Success" (10 Giá trị cốt lõi của thành công) (Dec. 2013)
"Live a Life Worth Living" (Sống Một Cuộc Đời Đáng Sống) (Oct. 2023)
I practice Jiu Jitsu and Tai Chi for health, and play guitar as a hobby, usually accompanying my wife Trần Lê Túy Phượng, aka singer Linh Phượng.
Vietnamese American author Nguyen Thanh Viet is seen in a photo uploaded to his personal website vietnguyen.info.
Vietnamese American 2016 Pulitzer winner Nguyen Thanh Viet has been selected as the newest member of the Pulitzer Prize Board, according to an announcement on the award’s official website.
The selection was announced on September 8.
“It’s an honor to join the #Pulitzer Board, especially as its first Vietnamese American and Asian American member,” Viet wrote in a tweet on September 9.
“As someone fortunate enough to be a recipient of the prize, I know the impact that the prize has on a writer’s career and on the perceptions of readers. I’m delighted to join in the Board’s crucial work,” Viet told the Pulitzer.
French photographer Pierre Dieulefils documented Vietnamese landmarks like Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, Ha Long Bay and Ban Gioc Waterfall in the late 19th century.
The 2.29-kilometer Long Bien Bridge, which connects the downtown district of Hoan Kiem with Long Bien District, was built between 1898 and 1902 by the French during their colonial rule. It was initially called Doumer Bridge after Paul Doumer, a French governor-general of Indochina. At the time of construction it was one of the world’s longest bridges. After the country’s liberation it was renamed Long Bien Bridge. Pierre Dieulefils was a soldier in Indochina before returning to Vietnam in 1888 to follow his passion for photography. A total 261 of his photos, taken across Vietnam, were printed in the book “Beautiful and Magnificent Indochina” released last August.
An aerial view of Nam Dinh Town’s center. The town is now capital of Nam Dinh Province in northern Vietnam, nearly 90 km from Hanoi.
Ha Long Bay more than a century ago. In 1994, the bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh was recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage, earning it global fame.
Ban Gioc is considered Vietnam’s most beautiful waterfall, one of the largest natural waterfalls in Southeast Asia, and also the fourth largest in the world amongst those located on an international border. Ban Gioc Waterfall is in Trung Khanh District of Cao Bang Province on the border with China, around 340 km (225 miles) to the north of Hanoi.
The area outside the Hue Imperial Citadel in Hue Town, central Vietnam. The relic was built under the reigns of Kings Gia Long and Minh Mang, to the north of Huong (Perfume) River. It combines traditional Vietnamese architecture, the eastern philosophy of yin and yang, and Western military architecture. Gia Long was the first emperor (ruling 1802-1820) of the Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam’s last royal family (1802-1945), while Minh Mang was the second emperor (ruling 1820-1841).
Mossy stone steps at Thieu Tri Mausoleum, the tomb of Emperor Thieu Tri, the third Nguyen Dynasty king (ruling 1841-1847). This area is now part of the Hue Monuments Complex recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage in 1993. Today, the mausoleum is located in Cu Chanh Village of Huong Thuy Town in Hue.
Ninedynastic urns stand in front of The Mieu Temple in the Hue Imperial Citadel. Construction on these nine urns started in 1835 and completed in 1837 under the reign of King Minh Mang. Each urn was decorated with 17 bas-reliefs and named in accordance with the posthumous titles of Nguyen emperors worshipped at The Mieu Temple.
Binh Loi Bridge in Saigon. Stretching 276 m with six spans, Binh Loi was the first bridge to cross Saigon River and part of the initial phase of the Saigon-Nha Trang railway line. It was built by Levallois-Perret, a construction company formed out of the former Maison Eiffel, founded by legendary engineer Gustave Eiffel. Last June, the bridge was dismantled because of deterioration after more than 100 years.
Boats in front of a factory in Cho Lon area, formed between the 17th and 19th centuries when ethnic Chinese and their relatives settled here and built a bustling area. In the French colonial time, Cho Lon was a town distinct from Saigon. The two were combined in 1956. Currently, the Cho Lon area is in Saigon’s Districts 5 and 6.
The Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral did not have two bell towers when inaugurated in 1880. They were later added in 1985, to include a total of six large bronze bells, with two crosses at the top, 60.5 m above ground. Located in a tourist precinct that includes the historic Central Post Office in District 1, the 140-year-old cathedral is popular among foreign and local visitors, especially during holiday season.
Pierre Dieulefils (1862-1937) joined the army in 1883 and was later assigned to Indochina in 1885. Two years later, he was discharged and returned to France. In 1888, he returned to northern Vietnam and became a professional photographer and postcard publisher. In 1909, he gathered a set of photos on Indochina and published a photo book entitled “Indo-chine Pittoresque & Monumentale: Annam – Tonkin”. The work earned him a gold medal at the Brussels International Exposition of 1910.
The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced that a single infusion of its monoclonal antibody treatment was shown to drastically lower levels of the coronavirus in newly infected patients and lower the likelihood of requiring hospitalization. It is the first potential treatment for patients with mild or moderate Covid-19. (The two other treatments that have proved helpful, the antiviral remdesivir and the steroid dexamethasone, are only for the seriously ill.) Scientists used blood plasma from Covid-19 survivors, isolating and testing their antibodies to find the most powerful ones. They then manufactured vats of antibodies to make the drug. In a trial of more than 450 newly diagnosed Covid-19 patients, Eli Lilly said, only about 1.7 percent of those who received the drug ended up in the hospital, compared with 6 percent who were given a placebo — a 72 percent risk reduction. Those treated with the drug reportedly also had fewer symptoms, and the levels of virus in their bodies plummeted. Other companies are also working on treatments with monoclonal antibodies, but they are difficult and expensive to make. A single dose could cost thousands of dollars. They offer only a temporary solution, with the antibodies lasting about a month. But without a vaccine — the only way to elicit a lasting immune response — the treatment could give doctors another weapon in an arsenal with few options. The study will eventually enroll 800 patients in the U.S. of all ages and risk categories, including people in nursing homes. Eli Lilly has already started manufacturing 10,000 doses in hopes that these interim results, which have not yet been peer reviewed, will bear out.
The company plans to discuss the state of the trial with the Food and Drug Administration, as well as the possibility of emergency use authorization to market the drug. Here’s our treatment tracker.
By Viet Anh September 16, 2020 | 10:02 am GMT+7 vnexpressThe Xayaburi dam in the lower Mekong River in Laos. Photo by CK Power/Handout via AFP.
Germany has provided equipment to the Mekong River Commission to monitor the environmental impacts of two mainstream dams on the lower reaches of the Mekong River.
The equipment, worth around $600,000, meant to help monitor the impacts of Laos’s Xayaburi and Don Sahong dams, was handed over on Tuesday as part of the German government’s support for the MRC’s Joint Environment Monitoring of Mekong Mainstream Hydropower Projects (JEM) program, which is now in the pilot stage.
The Supreme People’s Procuracy on Monday issued an indictment to prosecute former Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang and his accomplices for their involvement in a violation case related to the land plot at 2-4-6 Hai Ba Trung Street, HCMC.
Former Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang. — VNA/VNS Photo
Former Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Light Industry Department Phan Chi Dung, Former Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Nguyen Huu Tin, former Director of the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment Dao Anh Kiet, and six others will also face prosecution.
File photo of a H-6 bomber of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force flying near a Taiwan F-16 in this Feb 10, 2020 handout photo. (Photo: Reuters)
The measure is unlikely to have much of an immediate effect because of the city’s coronavirus restrictions, but it could worsen fraying U.S.-China ties.
Police officers confronting protesters in Hong Kong this month. Dozens of people in the city have been arrested under a new security law.Credit…Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
The State Department advisory warned that the security law, which came into force in June, could subject Americans who have been publicly critical of China “to a heightened risk of arrest, detention, expulsion, or prosecution.”
The security law targets what it deems acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign elements, but critics say the broad wording also gives the authorities wide-ranging powers to target voices of dissent. Dozens of people in Hong Kong have already been arrested under the law, including Jimmy Lai, a prominent pro-democracy media tycoon.
The State Department has previously warned about the risk of arbitrary detention in mainland China and about the use of exit bans that cannot be readily challenged in court to keep Americans in the country.
Hong Kong, a semiautonomous territory of China, has its own legal system that is more independent and transparent than the Communist Party-controlled courts in the mainland. But the U.S. travel advisory suggests the risk of arbitrary enforcement is increasing in Hong Kong as well.
Americans traveling in mainland China or Hong Kong “may be detained without access to U.S. consular services or information about their alleged crime,” the advisory said. “U.S. citizens may be subjected to prolonged interrogations and extended detention without due process of law.”
Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticized the new travel warning on Tuesday, saying China was one of the safest places on earth and the mainland had recorded no local transmission of the coronavirus for a month.
Last year, the State Department warned of the risk of “confrontational” demonstrations in Hong Kong, as mass pro-democracy rallies evolved into an increasingly violent push against Chinese rule. Several other countries issued similar warnings.
The United States has penalized Hong Kong and Chinese officials, and Beijing has responded with similar measures against American lawmakers and heads of nongovernmental organizations.
The warning on Hong Kong came as the United States improved its assessment of the coronavirus risk in China, where the spread of the virus is largely controlled, by changing its advisory level to “reconsider travel” from “do not travel.”
Austin Ramzy is a Hong Kong reporter, focusing on coverage of the city and also of regional and breaking news. He previously covered major events around Asia from Taipei and Beijing. @austinramzy
The Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Hanoi authorities to check reports in local newspapers about 300 pending or abandoned real estate projects in the city.
The Hanoi Planning and Investment Department has released a decision to stop a housing project in Me Tri ward of Nam Tu Liem district. The investment certificate was given in June 2008 to Vietnam Trade Union Tourism Co Ltd.
The company has to give back the land plot allocated to it before implementing the project, because the investor did not start the project within 12 months as stipulated in the 2014 Investment Law.
Hotels for sale is reaching a record number in a decade in Vietnam.
The number of hotels for sale is reaching a record high in a decade in Vietnam as the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown the local tourism industry in abyss, according to real estate brokers.
Every day, dozens of hotels in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and coastal cities are for sale, but the number of properties hitting the market far outstrips that of buyers.
A hotel in Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi. Photo: Saigondautu
In Hanoi, the Old Quarter is home to many hotels for sale due to the impacts of the second wave of Covid-19 infections. Located on Hue Street, a 200m2 hotel is offered at VND300 million (US$12,930) per m2. Also, a 5-story hotel on Hang Be street with 16 rooms and 5.5m main side is asking for VND69 billion (US$3 million).
HCM City plans to turn Can Gio District into an ecological urban area as part of efforts to urbanise it and improve the quality of life for locals.
The famous Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve Area. HCM City plans to turn Can Gio District into an ecological urban area. Photo courtesy of the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve Area
With Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc calling on HCM City to “urbanise the district while preserving its mangrove forests,” the city plans to solicit investment in the district, especially in major projects like the Can Gio Sea Encroachment project, Can Gio Bridge, an upgrade of the Rung Sac route, and building a ferry port.
‘Phat Oil’ in Hai Phong, ‘Son Iron’ in Thanh Hoa, and Trinh Suong in Soc Trang, well-known characters in their specific worlds, have been arrested for producing and trading counterfeit petrol, smuggling and buying smuggled petrol, and illegal trading of VAT invoices.
Ngo Van Phat
* On the evening of September 8, the Hai Phong Police began legal proceedings against Ngo Van Phat, born in 1964 residing in Hai An District in Hai Phong City, and put him into temporary detention.
The Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission on September 14 announced the results of its 48th meeting in Hanoi from September 9 to 11.
At the 48th meeting of the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission (Photo: VNA)
Chaired by Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the commission Tran Cam Tu, the meeting considered reports from the Standing Board of the Central Military Commission on disciplinary actions against several Party members.
Regarding the East Sea issue, all countries attending the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) shared the spirit of making a contribution to dialogue and cooperation, said Director of the Foreign Ministry’s ASEAN Affairs Department Vu Ho.
Director General of the ASEAN Affairs Department Vu Ho. Photo: Pham Hai
Two death sentences and one life imprisonment have been handed down to those involved in the murder of three policemen in Dong Tam commune of Hanoi’s My Duc district earlier this year.
Defendants at the court (Source: VNA)
The People’s Court of Hanoi on September 14 sentenced Le Dinh Cong and Le Dinh Chuc to death while Le Dinh Doanh was given life behind bars.
The Xayaburi dam in the lower Mekong River in Laos. Photo by CK Power/Handout via AFP.
CVD 
