Minister calls for reform to military draft

Military service training should be extended to 24 months from the current 18 months, participants at the National Assembly's Standing Committee meeting said yesterday.

Minister of National Defense Phung Quang Thanh said the timeframe would ensure that military officers were always ready to serve the country. Moreover, the Viet Nam People's Army now had modern military forces and equipment, which required more time for proper training.


Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung said that military service should be compulsory for all male citizens from 18 to 25.

Under the current regulation, men in this age group can postpone service if they are attending university or college or can prove that their health is not up to military standards.

The military environment was ideal for training young people to become more mature, Hung said, so they should not be able to postpone training.

Deputies agreed and suggested that there be no difference between college and university students regarding postponement of military service. This would ensure the fairness in education principle stated in the Law on Education, they said.

They also suggested the drafting committee carefully consider permitted reasons for military service postponement to ensure that they were fair and rational.