Several non-public forensic units have expressed interest in participating in DNA testing to identify martyrs' remains, stated the Ministry of Internal Affairs. However, there is currently no legal framework to mobilize or coordinate with these entities.
To increase capacity and ensure the ability to process a large volume of samples in the coming time, the Ministry has proposed adding regulations to create a legal basis for expanding forensic capabilities and shortening the time it takes to return results to the families of martyrs.
This proposal was put forward by the Ministry in a draft Resolution amending and supplementing several articles of Resolution No. 26/2026/NQ-CP. This Resolution focuses on specific mechanisms and policies to resolve difficulties in the collection, testing, and identification of unidentified martyrs' remains using DNA methods.
Resolution No. 26 serves as a vital foundation for various levels and sectors to effectively organize the collection and identification of remains within the framework of the "500-day-and-night campaign to accelerate the search, gathering, and identification of martyrs' remains."
The draft Resolution proposes amending Clause 4, Article 2 of Resolution No. 26. Under this proposal, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Health, and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology will assign tasks to their subordinate DNA testing units.
These units will perform DNA testing on martyrs' remains based on geographical assignments from the National Steering Committee on the Search, Collection, and Identification of Martyrs' Remains. Furthermore, these ministries will direct the selection of other DNA testing units to coordinate and accelerate the testing progress as required.
The Ministry of Public Security will take the lead in selecting DNA testing units to coordinate the collection and analysis of DNA samples from relatives of unidentified martyrs, ensuring compliance with the Law on Identification.
These amendments are being proposed as DNA testing progress remains slow. Currently, only about 200 samples have been processed out of approximately 18,000 samples requiring testing. So far, only 10 cases have been accurately identified, which fails to meet the required schedule.
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