2 Vietnamese men face criminal charges for dodging military service twice

By VnExpress   February 14, 2017 | 08:38 pm PT
2 Vietnamese men face criminal charges for dodging military service twice
Young men join the army in Hanoi on Tuesday. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy
Many families pay bribes to get their children out of the compulsory service every year, legislators say.

Police in the southern province of Tay Ninh are seeking to press criminal charges against two young men for trying to avoid compulsory military service in the first case of its kind in Vietnam.

The men, 20 and 23 years old, are under investigation for ignoring their conscription call-up for a second year. They received fines after not responding to the order last year.

A local official said six men in the province had refused to enter the military service as required by law this year, but only the two repeat violators would face criminal charges.

Compulsory enlistment has existed in Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and thousands of young people join the army every spring. Men aged between 18 and 25 years old have to serve two years, while women can volunteer.

Enlistment has become stricter in recent years after legislators accused many wealthy families of paying bribes to get their children out of the service.

They pointed out that the force mostly comprises children of farmers and laborers from rural areas. Statistics in 2014 showed that only five percent of military enlistees held university diplomas.

Local media reported that more than half of those who joined the force in Hanoi this year were college and vocational school graduates.

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