HA NOI (VNS)— The Central Council for Amnesty Consultation, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, met in the capital city yesterday to discuss the 2013 amnesty plan.
Addressing the meeting, Phuc reiterated the determination of the Party and Government to give due punishment to anyone who deliberately causes harm to the nation and to give leniency to people who have successfully repented while serving their sentences.
“The first amnesty of the year will be held on National Day (September 2nd), according to the decision signed by President Truong Tan Sang on July 20, 2013,” Phuc said.
Phuc asked the ministries, sectors and localities to carefully review the Amnesty Law, the Government Decree 80/CP, the President’s Decision, and instructions given by the Amnesty Council before making decisions that would allow prisoners to enjoy amnesty on National Day.
He also asked the Ministry of Public Security, the Inspectorate and the Court to properly consult with the Amnesty Council to help them perform their duties at their best.
“The three agencies have to make sure that the approval procedures for amnesty this year are objectively and impartially made in line with the law,” he stressed.
Regarding the implementation of Government Decree No 80, which was issued on September 16, 2011, Phuc asked the Ministry of Public Security to complete the project on the community integration of released prisoners and to quickly submit it to the government for final approval.
Under the President’s 2013 amnesty decision, eligible inmates include people who are serving term prison sentences and those initially serving life sentences which have been reduced while serving their time in prison.
Eligible inmates for amnesty must serve at least one-third of their prison sentence; for inmates serving a life sentence, they must serve at least 14 years of their sentences before being eligible for a review and a reduced sentence.
However, under the President’s decision, prisoners who have previously received amnesty but were sentenced to prison a second time for a serious crime, or those who have committed very serious crimes that are detrimental to the national security will not be eligible for amnesty.
Crackdown on crime
Phuc has urged the Ministry of Public Security to clamp down on crime and get rid of gangs, especially in hotspots, including HCM City.
He blamed moral degradation, poor sense of law and incompetent police officials for the growing crime rate.
Yesterday, he had a working session with the Ministry of Public Security’s Steering Board 138 in Ha Noi to review its performance from January to June and set tasks for the rest of the year.
He asked the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to closely monitor the sales of addictive drug derivatives and violent games, and to limit the import of flu medicines, which sometimes contain social drugs.
He said agencies must organise campaigns to raise public awareness and alert people to different kinds of crime.
During the first six months of 2013, police handled 28,482 criminal cases, 6,300 environmental protection violations, and 10,000 drug trafficking incidents.
In the last 90-day crackdown, the capital’s police got tough on drug and criminal acts, capturing high-profile gangs running gambling and prostitution services. Facilities producing large volumes of illicit weapons and explosives were also brought to light.
However, the steering board said crimes were getting more complex, especially smuggling by road, air and waterways, gambling and drug trafficking. — VNS
Đăng ký: VietNam News
