LookAtVietnam – The eligibility of Overseas Vietnamese to buy houses in Viet Nam and crimes that can be punished by death topped talks at the National Assembly’s Nationalities Council and committees yesterday.

Among the 2mil people who still had Vietnamese nationality, only 750,000 would be eligible to own many houses in Viet Nam.

There are 3 million overseas Vietnamese, 70 per cent of whom still have Vietnamese nationality. But Article 126 of the Housing Law prevents them from owning houses in Viet Nam, said Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tran Nam.

Two years since the Housing Law was first implemented, only 141 overseas Vietnamese had been allowed to own houses, Nam said.

That was why, at an NA session held at the end of last month, Minister of Construction Nguyen Hong Quan said every overseas Vietnamese who still had Vietnamese nationality should be allowed to own houses.

However, many members of the NA’s Standing Committee said this was too easy.

NA Deputy Chairman Nguyen Duc Kien said overseas Vietnamese people were an indispensable part of the nation, but responsibility, duty, rights and benefit for people at home and overseas Vietnamese were different.

According to the Government proposal, overseas Vietnamese who still have Vietnamese nationality, who come back to invest in Viet Nam, who contribute great service to the country, scientists, culturists and talented people, and those who marry Vietnamese people living in the country, and people who are allowed to stay in Viet Nam for over three months - will be allowed to own more than one house in Viet Nam.

The other cases are those who are exempted from visa requirement into Viet Nam, and are allowed to live in the country from three months upward. These people will be allowed to own a single house, or a flat.

Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tran Nam said, among the 2 million people who still had Vietnamese nationality, according to this proposal, only 750,000 would be eligible to own many houses in Viet Nam. The others would be limited to one single house or a flat only.

Most participants agreed it was necessary to revise Article 126 of the Housing Law to further boost relations between overseas Vietnamese and the homeland, bring into play the national great solidarity, and encourage investors, scientists and talented people to help develop the country.

The NA’s Economic Committee agreed with the necessity to revise Article 126 to expand the groups of those overseas Vietnamese who are allowed to buy and own houses in Viet Nam.

In reference to the three-month stay, Nguyen Kim Hong, permanent member of the NA’s Law Committee said the regulation was nonsense.

Dang Van Chien, deputy head of the NA’s Law Committee, said there should be different regulations for each groups such as: overseas Vietnamese who come back to invest in Viet Nam, those who have contributed great services to the country, culturists and scientists, not just a stipulation on the minimum length of stay.

Criminal code

At previous NA sessions, the Government proposed a move to get rid of death sentences that were regulated at 17 articles of the Criminal Code.

Chairwoman of the NA’s Justice Committee Le Thi Thu Ba, said that many NA members said, in the current circumstance, the Government should not abolish death sentences for production and trade of fake goods (cooking, foodstuff, medicines); property speculation; accepting bribes; and rape.

Deputy Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang said recently there had been several cases of serious rape and these were on the rise, so that death sentence should not be abolished for this crime.

Similarly, death sentences should not be abolished for selling illegal drugs and trafficking, he said.

His opinion was shared by NA deputy Nguyen Van Tuyet from northern Yen Bai Province, who said if death sentences were abolished for drug crimes and trafficking, it would be difficult for the authorities to step up the fight against illegal drug use.

Le Thi Thu Ba said production and trade of fake goods (food, foodstuff, medicines) was serious, and stirring bad public opinion, so death sentences should be maintained for this crime.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News