Le Thi Nga, Chairwoman of the National Assembly Committee on Judicial Affairs, said: “To ensure the compatibility with newly promulgated laws and encourage prisoners to improve themselves, the draft should be revised in the direction that some criminals which the Criminal Code bans from receiving amnesty can be pardoned under a condition that the time they already served their sentence must be longer than other offenders subject to amnesty.”

Most deputies supported the revisions, particularly the occasions for granting amnesty: major national events, national holidays, and in special circumstances. Deputy Nguyen Thi Hong Ha of Ninh Thuan province said: “I request that the National Assembly Standing Committee add more provisions and set clearer conditions to ensure that amnesty recipients to re-integrate into the community. It’s important that the State adopt specific policies to mobilize businesses, organizations, and individuals to help amnestied people under various models according to the circumstance of the amnesty beneficiaries and localities.”