Along with the country's development and innovation, the spiritual and religious life of Vietnamese people has changed a lot, which requires the Party and the State to do better in religious work and national unity in the new situation. In that spirit, Vietnam has been perfecting the legal system, creating a legal corridor to ensure freedom of religious belief for the people, focusing on the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion.
The Prime Minister commended religious organizations for their contributions to the cause of national construction and defense. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Based on this law, Vietnam has issued many important decrees, most recently Decree No. 95/2023/ND-CP of the Government issued on December 29, 2023, stipulating a number of articles and measures to implement the Law on Belief and Religion. Not only that, the right to freedom of belief and religion is also integrated into other important legal documents such as the 2019 Law on Enforcement of Criminal Judgments and most recently the 2024 Land Law.
As a result, many new issues have been issued to strengthen and enhance the rights of religious people living and working in Vietnam, such as the right to express beliefs and faith of prisoners; the State policy of allocating limited land without collecting land use fees for land used as worship facilities and headquarters of religious organizations...
Thanks to the correct policies of the Party and State, Vietnam's religious and belief life continues to develop more and more vividly and diversely.
According to statistics from the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, to date, there are 43 organizations belonging to 16 religions nationwide that have been recognized and granted registration for operation by the State, with over 26.5 million followers, accounting for 27% of the country's population, more than 54,000 dignitaries, over 135,000 officials and nearly 30,000 places of worship.
The religions with the most followers are Buddhism with about 14 million followers, Catholicism with about 7 million followers, Hoa Hao Buddhism with about 1.5 million followers, Protestantism with about 1.21 million followers; Cao Dai with about 1.1 million followers. In addition, in Vietnam there are other religions: Islam, Pure Land Buddhist Association, Tu An Hieu Nghia, Brahmanism, Buu Son Ky Huong, Minh Su religion, Minh Ly religion...
Besides, Vietnam is a country with a very rich belief system. Currently, in Vietnam there are 50,703 religious establishments, of which about 3,000 relics are associated with religious and belief establishments, some of which are recognized by UNESCO as world heritage sites.
Regarding foreign affairs activities in the 2011-2020 period, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs said that Vietnam has created conditions for religious organizations to welcome nearly 500 foreign delegations with more than 3,000 people to Vietnam for religious activities.
In 2023 alone, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs created conditions for more than 300 religious dignitaries, officials, and monks to participate in conferences, seminars, and religious training courses abroad.
On the other hand, the authorities have granted permission for nearly 400 foreigners to enter Vietnam for religious activities. Ministries, sectors and local authorities have supported the granting of permissions to religious organizations to host and organize major events such as the Conference of the Asian Bishops' Conferences of the Catholic Church of Vietnam; the Conference of the Secretariat of the Asian Buddhist Forum for Peace of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha; the "Spring of Love" Festival of the Protestant Churches of Vietnam, etc.
Religious organizations in Vietnam actively participate in regional and international religious conferences and forums such as: Asia-Europe Interfaith Dialogue (ASEM), Asia-Pacific Interfaith Dialogue,...
Currently, the country has 67 religious practice groups for foreigners legally residing in provinces and cities, mainly in Ho Chi Minh City (41 groups) and Hanoi (13 groups) with the participation of hundreds of people from many countries (Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia, USA, France, etc.).
In the process of building the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a rule-of-law state of the people, by the people, for the people, led by the Communist Party of Vietnam, religious organizations always accompany and actively participate in the country's political and social life.
In the 15th National Assembly, 5 dignitaries were elected as deputies (including 4 religious dignitaries who were re-elected as deputies to the 14th National Assembly; 1 dignitary was running for the first time); 88 dignitaries, officials and 35 religious followers were elected as provincial-level People's Council deputies; 225 dignitaries, officials, monks and 246 followers were elected as district-level People's Council deputies; 646 dignitaries, officials, monks and over 5,000 followers were elected as commune-level People's Council deputies for the 2021-2026 term.
In recent times, religious organizations have increasingly done a good job of mobilizing dignitaries, officials, and followers to strictly comply with the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's policies and laws on beliefs and religions; at the same time, religious organizations are an important communication channel, contributing to bringing the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws into life and to religious people quickly and effectively.
According to the report of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, the country currently has about 300 kindergartens, 2,000 preschool education facilities, 12 vocational training facilities belonging to religious organizations, including: 1 college, 1 secondary school and 10 vocational education centers. In the health sector, there are currently over 500 medical facilities and charity clinics established by religious organizations in various forms.
The annual budget contributed by religious organizations and individuals to carry out these activities amounts to tens of billions of VND; every year, mobile medical examination and treatment teams are established to provide free medicine to the poor.
In addition, the whole country has 113 social assistance facilities registered by competent authorities (established under Decree 68/2008/ND-CP), caring for and nurturing more than 11,800 social protection beneficiaries with a total of 2,600 employees, on average 1 social assistance facility belonging to religious organizations cares for and nurtures 104 social protection beneficiaries.
Social assistance facilities provide many different groups of services such as caring for and nurturing social protection beneficiaries; organizing rehabilitation activities, production labor, cultural teaching, vocational training, career guidance; providing social work services; supporting community integration.
In addition, some Buddhist and Protestant establishments in Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City are organizing counseling and support models for people infected with HIV/AIDS and drug addiction treatment.
According to the data compiled from the Report of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee: The total number of dignitaries/officials, monks and nuns, and religious followers participating in medical examination and treatment is 13,027 people. The total number of medical examination and treatment facilities and health care is 283 facilities. The number of people examined and given medicine annually at specialized facilities is over 1.5 million people.
The number of people examined and given medicine annually at traditional religious medicine clinics is about 14 million people. The number of people examined and given medicine annually at religious communal health facilities is 179,025 people. The number of people examined and given medicine annually at other facilities is over 7.5 million people.
Therefore, on July 4, 2024, at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang expressed: "Vietnam is willing to discuss with the US side on issues of mutual concern in the spirit of frankness, openness and mutual respect on issues that remain different, thereby contributing to promoting the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. In that spirit, Vietnam requests that the US side make objective assessments, based on accurate and comprehensive sources of information about the actual situation in Vietnam, and promptly remove Vietnam from the list of countries under special watch for religious freedom."
Vietnam's request that the United States make objective assessments, based on accurate and comprehensive sources of information on the actual situation of freedom of religious belief in Vietnam, and promptly remove Vietnam from the list of countries with special monitoring for religious freedom is a legitimate request and contributes to developing the foreign relations between Vietnam and the United States in a more substantial and effective manner, for the benefit of the people of the two countries, for peace, cooperation and development of the region and the world.
Binh Nguyen - Lan Anh
Source: https://baophutho.vn/dam-bao-quyen-tu-do-tin-nguong-ton-giao-tai-viet-nam-gop-phan-xay-dung-va-phat-trien-dat-nuoc-215308.htm
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