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Vietnam Proposes Ending Death Penalty for Six Crimes

8/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Vietnam proposes abolishing the death penalty for six crimes, including drug trafficking and rape of minors.
Public Security Minister Luong Tam Quang says capital punishment stays for treason, murder, terrorism and illegal drug production.
The National Assembly will debate the draft in coming weeks and vote in its October session.
If passed, the revised criminal code will take effect in March 2027.

History

Historical Context

In 1950 the UN General Assembly recorded a protest in which 44 nations condemned Chinese intervention in the Korean War, showing the Assembly’s use for censure when the Security Council was blocked. Building on that precedent, Vietnam’s 2024 draft criminal code limits capital punishment to four serious crimes, and if enacted in 2027 the country will join a growing cohort restricting the death penalty.

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Story summary

Vietnam proposes abolishing the death penalty for six crimes, including drug trafficking and rape of minors.
Public Security Minister Luong Tam Quang says capital punishment stays for treason, murder, terrorism and illegal drug production.
The National Assembly will debate the draft in coming weeks and vote in its October session.
If passed, the revised criminal code will take effect in March 2027.

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