Vietnam Morning Monitor: Gov't drops proposal for under-18 organ donors, four arrested for beating Chinese man over debt

| SOCIETY

-- Vietnam's revised draft law on organ and tissue donation and transplantation has removed a provision allowing people under 18 to register as donors. In a November 1 report to National Assembly deputies, the government said the revised draft would allow only people aged 18 and above to express their wishes and register to donate their organs, body tissues or bodies after death. The previous proposal, submitted to the legislature on October 21, would have allowed minors to register as donors, subject to consent from their legal representatives.

-- Police in Da Nang City, central Vietnam, have prosecuted and detained four suspects for allegedly unlawfully detaining a Chinese man and extorting money from him after he lost US$44,000 borrowed to gamble at a casino. The suspects allegedly beat him and made a video call to his girlfriend to show the assault in an attempt to force her to repay the debt.

-- Hanoi will conduct annual surveys to measure residents' happiness from 2026 to 2030, using 50 criteria across five pillars, including economic well-being, employment, development opportunities, as well as family, community and social relationships, among others. The index aims to assess quality of life based on residents' actual experiences and provide a basis for policymaking and more effective urban governance, the Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) reported.

| ECONOMY

-- Sun Group, in coordination with maritime authorities, border guard forces, the coast guard and relevant agencies, on Sunday officially launched operations at An Thoi Port, commercially known as Sun Harbour Phu Quoc. The port can accommodate vessels of up to 3,000 DWT and is equipped with storage facilities, yards and supporting infrastructure, Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper reported.

| VIETNAM LIFE

-- Vietnam has launched a digital cultural map platform, CMAP, providing information on heritage sites, museums, cultural institutions, festivals, arts events and tourist attractions across all 34 provinces and cities. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism unveiled the platform at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi on Sunday evening, with the aim of serving the public, tourists, businesses and state management agencies, Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper reported.

-- Ten content creators from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and South Korea, together with five Vietnamese artists and creative figures, will explore Hue as part of "The Hue Creators". The multinational reality TV show under the direction and guidance of the Hue People's Committee, connects cultural heritage, creators and markets. The first season is scheduled to air on VTV3 in June 2027.

| SPORTS

-- The 2026 Pink Hat Festival, organized by the Breast Cancer Network Vietnam (BCNV) under the theme “A Day for Those I Love,” took place in Ho Chi Minh City on October 31 and November 1, bringing the community together through sports, health care and support activities for breast cancer patients. The event attracted more than 6,000 visitors, with over 4,000 people joining the Pink Run, nearly 1,400 hair donations and more than 500 free breast health screenings and consultations.

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