Strictly handle cases of evading military service

Localities in Hai Duong are implementing the work of reviewing citizens of military age in 2024. Through understanding, the military recruitment work of localities this year is expected to face many difficulties due to the decrease in the number of young people of military age, while the number of young people completing procedures to move military service to study at universities and colleges and the number of young people with temporary deferment increases. In addition, many young people of the age eligible to be called for preliminary examination, selection examination, and military service do not seriously comply with the call, making the already difficult military recruitment work even more difficult.
The situation of young people not complying with the order to go for preliminary medical examination, recruitment examination and not complying with the order to join the army in Hai Duong still occurs every year. Specifically, in 2023, in the preliminary medical examination round (commune level), the whole province had 282 violations. The most was in Binh Giang district (77 cases), followed by Ninh Giang district (69 cases)... In the military service examination round (district level), the whole province had 32 violations. At the military enlistment ceremony in 2023, the whole province had 9 violations of the call for military service. Notably, 7 of these cases were fined by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee with a total amount of 437.5 million VND (62.5 million VND/case). This is also the highest administrative penalty ever in military recruitment.

In addition to being administratively sanctioned, the above cases are also forced to comply with and perform military service according to regulations. This is considered a strong and tough measure by authorities at all levels in military recruitment to deter, prevent, and minimize violations, creating strictness and fairness in the implementation of the Law on Military Service in localities.

In addition to violations of evasion in the implementation of preliminary selection, medical examination and conscription, many cases also take advantage of the regulation that young people of the age group will be temporarily deferred from military service when studying at colleges and universities. With this policy, many young people have admission notices, complete procedures to transfer to military service but in fact do not study but go to work as workers, export labor... Many cases find ways to distort their health status, take advantage of tricks such as drinking energy drinks, staying up late to increase blood pressure, leading to examinations that do not ensure health for military service...

Article 45 of the Constitution clearly states: “Defending the Fatherland is the sacred duty and noble right of citizens”. On June 6, 2022, the Government issued Decree No. 37/ND-CP amending and supplementing a number of articles of the decrees regulating administrative sanctions for violations in the fields of national defense and cryptography; management and protection of national borders; in the seas, islands and continental shelf of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Accordingly, the fines for acts of not registering for military service as prescribed, not complying with the call-up order, and violating health examinations are significantly increased. The fines range from 8 to 75 million VND for each case and each act. The fines for these violations are all significantly higher than the old regulations.

The law clearly stipulates high penalties, many cases are handled as administrative violations and forced to comply with military service as prescribed. These are valuable lessons for young men who deliberately avoid military service. To limit acts of evading military service, along with strictly handling violations by citizens, Party committees and authorities at all levels need to continue to do a good job of propaganda, strengthen management of military recruitment sources; properly implement procedures and regulations, combine advocacy, education with compulsory implementation; publicize cases of violations and evasion of military service on mass media. Resolutely handle cases of administrative violations, even prosecute cases of deliberately resisting and evading military service...