Vietnam issues rules on conscription in war times
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On June 13, the Vietnamese government issued ordinance 42/2011/NĐ-CP to list eight circumstances in which male citizens under conscription age are exempt from joining the military in times of war.
According to the online Vietnamese-language newspaper of the government at baodientu.chinhphu.vn, people enjoying exemption are those falling under the following 8 circumstances:
1) Citizens at key positions at state agencies, Communist Party organs, social-political organizations at local and central levels, economic agencies that hire many employees or those having large impacts on the economy of a certain region, of an industry, or of an economic sector.
2) Citizens zoned for national defense purposes during times of war.
3) Citizens holding key positions at key national projects like currency printing, those working at hydro-meteorological stations, lighthouses, navigations, those in charge of conducting research at ministry levels, national levels, industry levels, international levels and key positions at special sectors.
4) Citizens working at state agencies operating in economically-disadvantaged areas like border areas, islands, rural areas, ethic minority areas that are listed by the government as facing economic and social difficulties.
5) Citizens that are recognized by competent agencies as possessing expertise in certain areas, and are enjoying high salaries for performing such expertise.
6) Citizens with high workmanship skills and experience who can maintain operation of an organization during times of war including those ranked top in a 5-notch workmanship scale or those ranked at the two top spots in a six-tiered scale.
7) Citizens with high ability to carry out scientific research.
8) Citizens who are the only child or the only son of a war martyr.
The ordinance also adds that in special circumstances, the Ministry of Defense is permitted to mobilize certain citizens as listed above to serve in the army.
This ordinance is to take effect on August 1, 2011.
