Decree on military call-up sparks online patriotism in Vietnam

Hanoi - A decree on military service issued the same day as Vietnam held live-fire drills amid rising tensions with China has sparked a flurry of patriotism Tuesday among online posters in Vietnam.
The decree was issued Monday, the same day Vietnam staged exercises off its central coast in the spat between China over territory in the South China Sea that has escalated in recent weeks.
It lays out eight cases in which citizens will be exempt from a military call-up, including people with special professional skills, top leaders in key government agencies and the only children of soldiers who died in combat. The decree also states the Ministry of Defence is allowed to mobilise people with special skills to serve the military.
Coverage by local media attracted hundreds of patriotic comments on popular chat forums. One poster on news site Dan Tri who called himself Dat said, 'I'm only 17 years old but I know my obligations as a citizen. I hope everyone thinks like me and will volunteer to protect the fatherland.'
On another site, webtretho.com, comments were equally patriotic. One by Evans read: 'If the fatherland calls, we go to war.'
Not all posts were so unrestrained. On the same site, Hoangbacht said, 'I hope our leaders will think very carefully. China is still many times more powerful than us. Why can't we be patient for a while longer?'
Many commentators referred to the two countries' history, including China's 1,000-year occupation of Vietnam and a brief invasion of northern Vietnam in 1979.
Temperatures have been rising between the two countries since May 26, when Vietnam accused China of cutting the cables of an oil survey vessel. A week later, Hanoi said Chinese boats had harassed another survey ship.
The tension ignited rare public demonstrations in Vietnam's two major cities organised via Facebook and other social network forums, with hundreds protesting outside Chinese diplomatic missions over two consecutive weekends.
China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei have competing claims to various parts of the South China Sea. The disputed islands and surrounding waters are believed to be rich in fish and mineral resources.