What is the significance of December 22, 2024 to Vietnamese people? Can university students in Vietnam enlist in military service?

What is the significance of December 22, 2024 to Vietnamese people?

December 22, 2024, is the anniversary of the Founding of the Vietnam People's Army and National Defense Day.

According to subsection 1, Section I of the Propaganda Outline commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army (December 22, 1944 - December 22, 2024) and the 35th anniversary of the National Defense Day (December 22, 1989 - December 22, 2024), issued together with Guidance 160-HD/BTGTW 2024 by the Central Propaganda Department, the history of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army is summarized as follows:

From the outset (February 3, 1930), in the first Political Program, our Vietnam Communist Party asserted that the path of class and national liberation struggle was to use revolutionary violence to seize power and required the "Organization of a workers' and peasants' army"[1] to serve as the core for the people in conducting revolutionary struggles. The Political Thesis of the Communist Party (October 1930) defined the essential tasks of the democratic national bourgeois revolution, which clearly stated the need to: "Establish a workers' and peasants' army"[2].

In the revolutionary movement of 1930 - 1931, with its peak being the Nghe Tinh Soviets, from the uprising forces of workers and peasants, the Workers' and Peasants' Self-Defense Force (Red Guards) was born. This was the first premise of Vietnam's revolutionary armed forces. Following that, a series of armed organizations were successively established, such as the Bac Son Guerrilla Unit (1940), Southern Vietnam guerrilla units (1940), National Salvation Army (1941), among others.

On December 22, 1944, in the forest area between the two communes of Hoang Hoa Tham and Tran Hung Dao in Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province (now Na Sang hamlet, Tam Kim commune, Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province), the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army Team, the predecessor of the Vietnam People's Army, was established following a directive from Leader Ho Chi Minh. In the directive, he stated clearly: "The name VIETNAM PROPAGANDA LIBERATION ARMY means politics is more important than military. It is a propaganda unit"[3]; "The Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army is the elder brother, eager for the quick establishment of younger brother units. Although initially small in scale, its future is very bright. It is the starting point of the liberation army, and it can go throughout Vietnam from North to South"[4]. Comrade Vo Nguyen Giap was entrusted by the Central Communist Party and Leader Ho Chi Minh to organize, lead, command, and declare the establishment of the Team, which included 34 members, organized into 3 platoons with Comrade Hoang Sam as Commander, Comrade Xich Thang as Commissar, and a Communist Party cell providing leadership. December 22, 1944, was adopted as the founding day of the Vietnam People's Army.

Immediately after its establishment, at 17:00 on December 25, 1944, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army Team intelligently and boldly infiltrated the Phai Khat fort and at 07:00 the next morning (December 26) infiltrated Na Ngan fort (both located in Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province), eliminating two fort commanders, capturing all enemy soldiers, seizing weapons, military gear, and supplies. The victories at Phai Khat and Na Ngan marked the beginning of the resolute, decisive spirit of the Vietnam People's Army.

In April 1945, the Northern Vietnam Revolution Military Conference of the Communist Party decided to unify revolutionary armed organizations nationwide into the Vietnam Liberation Army. During the August Revolution in 1945, the Vietnam Liberation Army joined with local armed forces and the populace to conduct a general uprising to seize power nationwide. Following the success of the August Revolution of 1945, the Vietnam Liberation Army was renamed the National Guard, later the National Army of Vietnam (1946), and since 1950 it has been known as the Vietnam People's Army.

December 22, 2024, is the anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army.

What is the significance of December 22, 2024 to Vietnamese people? Can university students in Vietnam enlist in military service?​ (Image from the Internet)

Can university students in Vietnam enlist in military service?​

According to Article 30 of the Military Service Law 2015 regarding the age for military service enlistment:

Military service enlistment age

Citizens aged 18 are eligible for enlistment; the enlistment age ranges from 18 to 25 years old; for citizens undergoing college or university training who have had their enlistment postponed, the enlistment age extends to 27 years old.

According to Article 13 of the Military Service Law 2015 on individuals not eligible for military service registration:

Individuals not eligible for military service registration

1. Citizens in the following cases are not eligible for military service registration:

a) Being prosecuted criminally; serving a prison sentence, non-custodial reform, probation, or completed a prison sentence but not yet had their criminal record expunged;

b) Being subject to educational measures in a commune, ward, or commune-level town (hereinafter collectively referred to as commune-level) or sent to a reformatory, compulsory educational institution, compulsory rehabilitation center;

c) Having been stripped of the right to serve in the people's armed forces.

2. After the measures stipulated in clause 1 of this Article end, citizens are eligible to register for military service.

Thus, according to the above regulations, university students can register for military service when the following conditions are met:

- Students aged from 18 to 25 years old (if undergoing college or university training and having had enlistment postponed, the enlistment age extends up to 27 years old)

- Not being prosecuted criminally; not serving a prison sentence, non-custodial reform, probation, or having completed a prison sentence but not yet had their criminal record expunged;

- Not being subject to educational measures at the commune level or sent to a reformatory, compulsory educational institution, compulsory rehabilitation center;

- Not having been stripped of the right to serve in the people's armed forces.

Are university students in Vietnam required to undergo military education?

According to Article 12 of the National Defense and Security Education Law 2013 regarding vocational colleges, higher education institutions:

Vocational colleges, higher education institutions

1. National defense and security education in vocational colleges, higher education institutions is a compulsory subject.

2. Ensure learners have basic knowledge about the Party's viewpoints, policies, and laws of the State on national defense and security; build an all-people defense, people's security, and a people's armed force; supplement knowledge on civil defense and military skills; ready to fulfill military service to defend the Fatherland.

3. Organize focused teaching and learning at national defense and security education centers or vocational colleges, higher education institutions. In the training program, cooperate with relevant agencies, organizations, and units to organize extracurricular study and research with appropriate content and forms.

According to clause 2, Article 4 of the Higher Education Law 2012 (amended by clause 2, Article 1 of the Higher Education Law Amendment 2018):

Definition of terms

In this Law, the following terms are understood as:

....

2. University, academy (hereinafter collectively referred to as university) is a higher education institution that trains and researches multiple disciplines, structured according to the provisions of this Law.

..

Thus, according to the above regulations, students are required to undergo military education, also known as National Defense and Security Education.