WORLD> Asia-Pacific
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WORLD> Asia-Pacific
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Vietnam mulls freeing 10,000 inmates for New Year
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-27 14:38 HANOI, Vietnam - Vietnam says it is considering the release of some 10,000 prisoners under a presidential amnesty to mark Lunar New Year. The four-day Lunar New Year festival, known as Tet, starts Jan. 26, and is the most important holiday in Vietnam's calendar. Maj. Nguyen Van Ninh of the Public Security Ministry says inmates imprisoned for serious national security violations, organized crime, child sex abuse or drug-related offenses will not be eligible for release under the amnesty. The government says it has authorized the release of hundreds of thousands of prisoners since 2000 under amnesties to mark New Year, Independence Day and Reunification Day, and that some 4.6 percent of them re-offended.
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