HANOI, Aug. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Vietnam plans to offer special amnesty to more than 10,000 prisoners on the occasion of the National Day, which falls on Sept. 2, local media reports said Wednesday.

    Under a decision recently signed by President Tran Duc Luong, Vietnam will also grant amnesty three times next year marking the occasions of the founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lunar New Year Festival in February, the National Unification Day on April 30 and May Day, and the National Day.

    Prisoners eligible for the amnesty include those who obey regulations well, and have good behavior while serving their imprisonment sentences.

    Vietnam released 40,488 prisoners ahead of their terms between 1998 and 2003, of whom, 95 percent have not relapsed into crime. Enditem