Recruiting soldiers from the Khmer ethnic minority region.

An Giang province has a Khmer population accounting for over 8% of the total population. Several hamlets and communes have a high concentration of Khmer people. Therefore, it is essential to focus on effective propaganda and mobilization efforts, linked to the selection and recruitment process for military service. Doing this well will contribute to greater consensus among the community and ensure the fulfillment of the 2026 military recruitment target.

Báo An Giang•30/10/2025

The Provincial Military Command inspects the preliminary health screening for military conscription in Binh An commune. Photo: THU OANH

This year marks the first time that communes have organized the selection and recruitment of citizens for military service after implementing the two-tiered local government model. As a result, the number of young people of military age in each commune, ward, and special zone has increased significantly. In localities with a large Khmer population, legal awareness campaigns and efforts to encourage military service are carried out regularly through various forms, such as public address systems, community meetings, and activities at temples.

Thanh Loc commune has a Khmer population accounting for nearly 20%. Mr. To Van Tan, Chairman of the People's Committee and Chairman of the Military Service Council of Thanh Loc commune, said: “We are leveraging the role of Buddhist monks, abbots of Khmer Theravada Buddhist temples, and influential community members to disseminate information, especially focusing on Khmer language, to help young people and their families easily understand their rights and obligations as citizens in protecting the Fatherland. In the coming time, the commune will focus on doing a good job of supporting the military, mobilizing donations, commending enthusiastic young people who volunteer for military service, and creating a joyful atmosphere on the day of the military enlistment ceremony.”

Currently, the commune has completed the preliminary health screening for military service in 2026 with 1,100 young men participating. The Commander of the Thạnh Lộc Commune Military Command, Hồ Anh Cảnh, stated: “Thanks to effective propaganda and mobilization efforts, nearly 500 young men working away from home returned to the locality on time to participate in the preliminary screening. Many young men, including Khmer youth, affirmed that if selected, they would be ready to enlist. We conducted the review, health examination, and subsequent steps rigorously, ensuring that we met the recruitment target and improved the quality of young men joining the army.”

Danh Thuy (24 years old), residing in Hoa Loi hamlet, Thanh Loc commune, is one of the exemplary Khmer youths who aspires to enlist in the army to defend the Fatherland. After graduating from high school, Thuy studied automotive repair and currently works at an auto repair shop with an income of 6 million VND per month. “If I am selected, I will put aside my work and enlist. This is a responsibility and a source of pride for young people. Although my family still faces many difficulties, my parents always support me in fulfilling my military service,” Danh Thuy confided.

In Binh An commune, where the Khmer people make up over 25% of the population, the recruitment and conscription of citizens into the military has been actively implemented. In October 2025, the commune called 866 young men to participate in the preliminary health screening for military service. With the coordinated efforts of the Party committee, the government, and various organizations, along with the exemplary role of influential figures in the community, a spirit of enthusiasm for military service has been created among the Khmer people. The Commander of the Binh An Commune Military Command, Danh Ngành, stated: “In recent years, Khmer youth in the commune have shown a high level of awareness in implementing the Military Service Law. Many have proactively written applications to volunteer for military service.” Although the recruitment and conscription process for 2026 is only just beginning, the commune has already received applications from four young men, including Danh Quoc Tuan, a Khmer youth residing in Xa Xiem hamlet. Tuan shared briefly but with determination: “I am eager to enlist to contribute to protecting the Fatherland.”

The self-discipline and sense of responsibility of Khmer youth are contributing to the bright spots in the recruitment and conscription of citizens into the military in many localities. The recruitment results in communes with a large Khmer population demonstrate the consensus between the Party, the government, and the people, affirming the patriotic tradition, solidarity, and close ties of ethnic groups in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

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