PANO - The Committee for National Defence and Security of the National Assembly (Tenure 13) on December 4th held a workshop in Military Zone 2 on the amended military service bill. Nguyen Kim Khoa, Chairman of the committee chaired the meeting. Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty, Standing Member of the Central Military Commission, Chief of the General Staff, Deputy Defence Minister, and other representatives attended the workshop.

Chairman of the Committee on National Defence and Security of the National Assembly (Tenure 13) Nguyen Kim Khoa (2nd from the right) concluding the workshop

The workshop reviewed the implementation of the Military Law that had been amended three times in 1990, 1994, and 2005 respectively. After more than 30 years, the law has been serving as the legal basis for citizens to exercise their rights and obligations towards the fatherland and to ensure the legitimate rights and interests for the servicemen in the army, contributing to building a revolutionary, elite, regular and modernized Vietnam People's Army, capable of completing all the assigned tasks.

However, in the new context, with new requirements, the law has shown some inadequacies, causing difficulties and affecting the quality of force building. On the other hand, the 2013 revised Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam concluded new provisions on the rights and obligations of citizens in national safeguarding and military service. This requires amendments and supplements to the current law on military service as well.

The presentations at the workshop focused on clarifying a number of issues including fairness in the implementation of military service among citizens, the enlistment and management of military service and medical examination of the would-be recruits, the duration of military service, enlistment age, etc.

Concluding the workshop, Nguyen Kim Khoa appreciated the constructive opinions contributed to the bill. Drawn from practices of agencies, units, and localities, the opinions at the workshop are significant to the amendment and supplement of the law to be submitted to the National Assembly for approval in May 2015.

Translated by Huu Duong