Vietnam has always strived and achieved important achievements in ensuring human rights, including freedom of belief and religion of the people. This is not only reflected in the provisions of the Constitution and current laws but also vividly demonstrated in the actual religious and belief life of each citizen.
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Parishioners of the Ea Hiu Branch of the Protestant Church sing hymns. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Ensuring freedom of belief and religion in Vietnam
Since its founding, the Vietnamese State has always respected and consistently implemented the policy of ensuring freedom of belief and religion, the right to follow or not follow a religion for everyone, and that all religions are equal before the law. This principle is affirmed in the Constitutions, especially the 2013 Constitution.
Next is the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion, Decree No. 95/2023/ND-CP stipulating a number of articles and measures for implementing the Law, effective from March 30, 2024 (Decree 95), which has detailed regulations on the implementation of the Law on Belief and Religion, helping to facilitate the implementation of belief and religious activities, in order to increasingly better ensure the freedom of belief and religion of everyone.
The people's religious life is increasingly rich and diverse. As of December 2024, the whole country has over 28 million followers, accounting for 28% of the country's population, more than 61,000 dignitaries, over 144,000 officials and nearly 30,000 places of worship.
In addition, Vietnam has 50,703 religious establishments, of which about 3,000 are relics associated with religious establishments, some of which are recognized by UNESCO as world heritage sites. Every year, there are over 8,000 festivals on beliefs and religions, with tens of thousands of participants; 39 religious organizations are recognized, 1 organization and 1 practice method of 16 religions are granted registration for operation, nearly 4,000 groups are granted registration for concentrated religious activities by local authorities, of which 67 are concentrated religious activity groups of foreigners legally residing in Vietnam; there are more than 62 religious training facilities in 38 provinces and cities.
Religious dignitaries and followers in Vietnam have their religious needs met, are free to practice religious rituals, and express their faith.
Important holidays of religions, such as: Buddha's Birthday, Vu Lan Festival of Buddhism; Christmas, Easter of Catholicism and Protestantism; Yen Dieu Tri Cung Festival, the founding anniversary of Cao Dai religion; Kate Festival of Cham people; Ramadan fasting month of Muslims... are all paid attention to by the Party, State, local authorities, organized, visited, given gifts, encouraged and attracted the participation of a large number of believers and the masses.
In 2024, licenses were granted for over 608 publishing decisions, with over 1,997,900 printed copies, including many publications translated into English, French, and ethnic languages to serve the people's religious and belief needs.
Regarding land issues related to religion, according to the provisions of the 2024 Land Law: The State shall allocate land with a limit without collecting land use fees for land used as worship facilities and headquarters of religious organizations; religious organizations using land for other purposes must pay land rent to the State like other organizations and individuals.
Up to now, nationwide, more than 70% of religious establishments have been granted land use right certificates; most religious worship establishments have been renovated; in 2024 alone, 31 religious worship establishments were granted new construction permits, and 83 establishments were granted repair and renovation permits.
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| Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang attended and congratulated the Don Bosco East Asia-Oceania Regional Conference on February 16, 2024, in Lam Dong province. (Source: VNA) |
International relations activities of religious organizations and individuals in Vietnam are increasingly strengthened. In 2024, Vietnamese authorities created conditions for more than 300 religious dignitaries, officials, and monks to participate in conferences, seminars, and religious training courses abroad, and more than 450 foreigners to enter Vietnam to conduct religious activities; supported religious organizations in Vietnam to successfully host and organize many large, international religious activities: the East Asia-Oceania Regional Conference in Lam Dong; the Sacred Music Program Preaching the Season of Love at Can Tho City Stadium...; upgraded Vietnam-Vatican relations; countries recognized Vietnam's efforts and achievements in ensuring human rights, including freedom of belief and religion.
Difficulties, challenges
Besides achievements, Vietnam still has many difficulties and challenges in ensuring freedom of belief and religion.
Firstly , the legal system on beliefs and religions in Vietnam, although gradually being improved, is still not uniform. Some areas have not kept up with changes in life and have not been amended or supplemented, leading to difficulties in the process of applying and enforcing the law, especially at the grassroots level.
Second, the level and awareness of a number of cadres, civil servants, dignitaries, religious officials, and religious followers about human rights in general and freedom of belief and religion in particular are still limited; the implementation of policies and laws on belief and religion in some localities is not consistent. Therefore, there are still cases in some places and at times that affect people's freedom of belief and religion.
Third, Vietnamese religions still have some potential causes of instability, such as: internal conflicts in some religious organizations, deviant activities, superstition, profiteering... The emergence of new religious phenomena is increasing, including religious groups operating illegally, even with extremist activities contrary to good customs and traditions, negatively affecting Vietnamese social life.
Fourth, on cyberspace, there have been many activities that borrow the name or take advantage of beliefs and religions to distort the teachings of orthodox religions, spread bad content that goes against the traditions and customs of the Vietnamese people; take advantage of belief and religious activities for personal gain, which are exploited by bad elements, causing division in the great national unity bloc and giving rise to complex security and order issues.
Fifth , despite the efforts of the Vietnamese State to respect, ensure and promote the freedom of belief and religion of the people, some organizations and individuals still provide false information about the situation of freedom of belief and religion in Vietnam, accusing Vietnam of "religious repression", "violating human rights in the field of belief and religion"... in order to tarnish the image of Vietnam in the eyes of international friends, negatively impacting domestic public opinion and negatively impacting Vietnam's international cooperation relations, which also indirectly makes it difficult for us to ensure freedom of belief and religion.
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| The worship of Hung Kings - Vietnamese cultural identity, symbol of national unity. In the photo: The ritual at the Temple of National Ancestor Lac Long Quan in the Hung Kings Temple National Historical Relic Site, Phu Tho province. (Source: VNA) |
Some solutions
Firstly , continue to build and perfect legal policies on beliefs and religions to ensure consistency and unity among legal documents, creating a favorable legal corridor for belief and religious activities.
The authorities proactively coordinate and propose amendments and supplements to legal regulations on land, health, education, vocational training, etc. to encourage religious organizations to participate in contributing resources to the construction and development of the country; supplement regulations related to the construction and management of spiritual and cultural tourism projects.
Second , continue to implement Party and State documents on beliefs and religions; innovate and improve the quality and effectiveness of propaganda work on the Party's guidelines, policies and laws of the State on beliefs and religions, the Law on Belief and Religion, Decree No. 95/2023/ND-CP, contents of the 2024 Land Law and guiding documents related to beliefs and religions to contribute to raising awareness and sense of law compliance for cadres, civil servants, dignitaries, religious officials, monks, nuns, followers of religions and people in the new period.
Third , proactively guide and create conditions for religious organizations to conduct religious activities in accordance with the provisions of law and the Charter and Statutes recognized by the State; organize annual conferences and term congresses; organize inspections and examinations of the implementation of policies and laws on beliefs and religions in accordance with regulations; organize citizen receptions, receive and handle, promptly and thoroughly resolve cases of petitions and reflections from people related to beliefs and religions.
Fourth , promote administrative reform and the application of information technology in the field of beliefs and religions in the spirit of building e-Government and digital Government to improve the effectiveness of state management of beliefs and religions; provide guidance on the use of level 4 online public services in handling administrative procedures related to beliefs and religions on the national public service portal to meet the current modernization trend. Strengthen scientific research activities and summarize practices to provide theoretical and practical bases for planning and promulgating policies and laws on beliefs and religions.
Fifth , be proactive and active in contacting, mobilizing, and winning over religious dignitaries, officials, monks, and followers of religious organizations; mobilizing and uniting religious people through promoting patriotic emulation movements, building new rural areas, civilized urban areas, and implementing local policies and laws. Regularly meet with religious dignitaries, officials, monks, and prestigious people in religious organizations to create consensus in implementing policies and educating followers to comply with the law.
Sixth , proactively deploy foreign information work through many mechanisms, guide, create conditions and support Vietnamese religious organizations to organize delegations to attend international conferences and seminars to introduce religious life in Vietnam, creating support from international friends in the international arena.
Proactively provide accurate, timely and complete information to foreign diplomatic missions, international organizations and Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad on the situation of beliefs and religions, on the situation of ensuring freedom of belief and religion in Vietnam, combat and refute distorted and incorrect information; mobilize US religious organizations and individuals, and representatives of international religious organizations at the United Nations to gain support for Vietnam in international forums.
Seventh , strengthen training and in-depth development of religious work in general and state management of beliefs and religions in particular, especially for cadres and civil servants at the grassroots level according to the Project "Professional training for cadres and civil servants working in beliefs and religions in the period 2022-2026".
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/no-luc-thuc-day-tu-do-tin-nguong-ton-giao-306458.html
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