Hanoi: Vietnam's government has proposed abolishing the death penalty for six offences, including drug trafficking and the rape of minors, as part of a revision of the country's criminal code presented to parliament on Thursday, state media reported. According to TRTworld.com, Public Security Minister Luong Tam Quang informed the National Assembly that the draft code would retain the use of capital punishment for only four crimes, including treason, murder, terrorism, and the illegal production of narcotics. "The narrowing of the scope institutionalises the Party's policy, aligns with progressive legislative trends, and enhances Vietnam's standing in criminal judicial cooperation, extradition, and mutual legal assistance," the ministry stated earlier this week. The proposal follows amendments that took effect in July , which removed the death penalty for eight offences, including embezzlement and activities aimed at overthrowing the government. These changes spared property tycoon Truong My Lan from executi on after her conviction in a $12 billion fraud case. Under the draft law, other offences that would no longer be punishable by death include rioting, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, according to online newspaper VnExpress. While proposing a reduction in the number of offences punishable by death, the draft would also introduce tougher sentencing provisions. It would allow prosecutors to consider aggravating factors for offenders who flee and become subjects of wanted notices, and for crimes committed against the state, as per the Public Security Ministry. Human Rights Watch has raised concerns about other proposed changes that could increase penalties for acts deemed to "infringe upon the interests of the state" and "oppose the Communist Party of Vietnam." Elaine Pearson, the group's Asia director, stated, "Vietnam's criminal laws need to be revised to become more protective of people's rights, not to facilitate greater abuse by the police." The National Assembly is expected to debate the bill in the coming weeks before bringing it to a vote at its next session, which begins in October. If approved, the revised criminal code would take effect in March 2027, according to Tuoi Tre newspaper. Capital punishment data remains a state secret in Vietnam, and it is not known how many people are currently on death row in the country. Lethal injection has been the only method of execution since the abolition of firing squads in 2011.