Promoting the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the Field of Religion

Immediately after upgrading the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development between Vietnam and the United States, senior leaders of the two countries pledged to promote dialogue and cooperation in many areas, including the promotion and protection of human rights.

A manifestation of cooperation and enhanced dialogue is that the Interdisciplinary Delegation and religious dignitaries led by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang visited and worked in the United States (from October 10 to October 23, 2023) to discuss religious policies and achievements in ensuring freedom of belief and religion in Vietnam, contributing to clarifying differences between the two sides on human rights and religion.

Thúc đẩy quan hệ Đối tác chiến lược toàn diện Việt Nam-Hoa Kỳ trong lĩnh vực tôn giáo

The interdisciplinary delegation and religious dignitaries led by Deputy Minister of the Interior Vu Chien Thang worked with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Melissa Brown. (Source: Ministry of the Interior)

Information clarifying the implementation of the Law on Belief and Religion

The Vietnamese delegation, including representatives of the Government Office , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs; religious dignitaries representing 6 religions with a large number of followers in Vietnam: Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao Buddhism, Islam, had a working session with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Melissa Brown, Director for Southeast Asia, East Asia - Pacific Affairs Robert Koepcke, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom of the United States Rashad Hussain, Vice Chairman of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Frederick A. Davie and Congressman Brad Sherman (Democrat Party, representing the State of California); shared information on the religious situation with individuals and leaders of US religious organizations, such as: National Evangelical Church of the United States, Baptist Evangelical Organization, Leader of the Institute for Global Engagement - IGE, President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - BGEA; Professor Cole Durham (BYU University); World Evangelical Alliance at the United Nations; roundtable meeting with representatives of several religious organizations in the New York area; meeting with Archbishop Gabriele Caccia - Representative of the Vatican at the United Nations...

In a frank and open spirit, the delegation informed and clarified the policy and situation of religious freedom in Vietnam, especially the implementation of the Law on Belief and Religion, so that the US partners could understand and support Vietnam in the field of belief and religion, and not let false information affect the implementation of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between the two countries.

The information shared by the Vietnamese delegation clarified the issues of concern to the US side, affirming the consistent policy of the Vietnamese State to respect and ensure the freedom of belief and religion, the right to follow or not follow a religion of everyone, the equality of religions before the law, promoting good cultural and ethical values and religious resources for the country's development process... The freedom of belief and religion of everyone has been affirmed in the 2013 Constitution . The Law on Belief and Religion was built in accordance with the International Convention to which Vietnam is a member, in accordance with the practical situation of belief and religion in Vietnam, creating a solid legal framework to better ensure the freedom of belief and religion of the people.

Regarding the implementation of the Law on Belief and Religion . Vietnam has organized propaganda, dissemination andeducation on freedom of belief and religion from the central to the grassroots levels. Since the implementation of the Law on Belief and Religion, the Ministry of Home Affairs (directly the Government Committee for Religious Affairs) has organized 165 professional training courses for more than 28,000 civil servants working in religious affairs, 216 conferences for dignitaries, officials and monks with more than 30,000 participants. In the provinces and cities, more than 15,000 conferences have been organized to disseminate laws related to belief and religion with a total of 1.1 billion participants.

The Department of Home Affairs of Binh Duong province organized a conference to disseminate policies and laws on beliefs and religions to monks and nuns of the 6th course of Binh Duong Buddhist College on December 20, 2023. (Source: Binh Duong Newspaper)

Inspection and examination of the implementation of laws on beliefs and religions are carried out regularly, promptly preventing and handling violations of freedom of belief and religion. Administrative procedures in the field of beliefs and religions are facilitated. Currently, 43 procedures at the central level have been implemented online (level 4 online public services). The Government Committee for Religious Affairs has granted 13 accounts to religious organizations to participate in online public services. Every year, hundreds of files of religious organizations and individuals are resolved through online public services. At the local level, the one-stop mechanism is implemented to publicly post administrative procedures with a response deadline. The dialogue mechanism between the government and religious organizations is always maintained to discuss and agree on resolving outstanding issues and problems between the State and the Church; State leaders and agencies pay attention to, visit and encourage religious organizations on important holidays and major festivals of religions.

Freedom of belief and religion is guaranteed in practice . Since the implementation of the Law on Belief and Religion, the State has recognized 2 religious organizations (Vietnam Pentecostal Church, Ta Lon Hieu Nghia Buddhist Association), 3 organizations have been granted certificates of registration for religious activities (Vietnam Full Gospel Church, Vietnam Evangelical Church, Vietnam Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Hundreds of groups have been granted registration for collective religious activities, many affiliated religious organizations have been established. From 2021 to now, 5 provinces of the Central Highlands and the northern mountainous provinces have approved the establishment of 18 more affiliated religious organizations of Protestantism; the northern mountainous region has approved 151 more groups of religious activities. More than 60 groups of foreigners legally residing in Vietnam have been granted registration for collective religious activities by local authorities.

Since the implementation of the Law on Belief and Religion, more than 6,500 people nationwide have been ordained and elected as dignitaries; 16,783 people have been appointed, elected, and nominated as officials.

The religious and belief needs of ethnic minorities are being addressed by authorities at all levels: The Cham ethnic community following Islam and Brahmanism established a community representative board to support religious activities; the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha built the Khmer Theravada Buddhist Academy to meet the training needs of Khmer Theravada Buddhist monks...

Land issues related to religion are of concern to local authorities. Up to now, the number of religious establishments granted land use right certificates nationwide accounts for more than 70%; most of the religious places of worship have been renovated, many new places of worship have been built (in 2021, 225 new places of worship were built; in 2022, 203 new places of worship were built, 283 places of worship were repaired and renovated).

Mr. Nguyen Tien Trong, Deputy Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, presented the Decision on recognizing the religious organization to the Vietnam Full Gospel Church on December 27, 2023. (Source: VNA)

Remarkable results

Along with providing specific information on issues of concern to the US side, the Vietnamese delegation also requested that the US side record objective information on religious freedom in Vietnam through official channels (Vietnamese representative agencies abroad; the Ministry of the Interior and legal religious organizations in Vietnam); not use false information provided by extremists and opponents to assess religious freedom in Vietnam as has been the case recently.

The US side acknowledged the change in Vietnam's proactive dialogue approach in the context of the two countries upgrading their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership following the recent visits to Vietnam by US President Joe Biden and the US visit by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; acknowledged Vietnam's achievements and results in ensuring freedom of belief and religion; and agreed to cooperate in assessing information on the situation of belief and religion in Vietnam before including it in the annual International Religious Freedom Report.

Through contact, many Americans who sympathize with Vietnam were excited to welcome and support the delegation and expressed their joy at the upgrading of Vietnam-US relations; expressed their trust and willingness to share about the achievements in ensuring religious freedom in Vietnam; and wished to help Vietnam bring information about the situation of religious freedom in Vietnam to US politicians and the international community.

The upgrading of relations between Vietnam and the United States to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has created favorable conditions for the activities of the Working Group; creating a proactive attitude in contacting and working with the United States. The results of the working trip of the interdisciplinary delegation and religious dignitaries have contributed to enhancing mutual understanding, overcoming differences in approaches to the issue of religious freedom, and promoting the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the United States.

Vietnam's interdisciplinary delegation met with the US National Evangelical Organization and the Baptist Evangelical Organization. (Source: Ministry of Interior)

To continue to strengthen trust and narrow the gap in religious freedom between the two countries, the Working Group identified a number of issues that the authorities need to implement synchronously in the coming time.

Firstly , review, supplement and perfect the law on beliefs and religions to ensure consistency and unity between domestic laws and international treaties that Vietnam participates in to create a favorable legal corridor for religious and belief activities; amend and supplement a number of provisions in specialized laws related to beliefs and religions (according to the law-making program of the Vietnamese National Assembly) to ensure consistency and unity in the implementation of policies and laws on beliefs and religions.

Second , continue to strengthen propaganda and education on knowledge, laws and implementation of freedom of belief and religion to improve the capacity of law enforcement agencies, raise awareness of dignitaries, officials, monks, nuns, believers and the masses to better ensure the freedom of belief and religion of everyone.

Third, pay attention to guiding and creating conditions for religious organizations to operate according to the charter, regulations and laws of the State; proactively resolve the legitimate religious needs of the masses; promptly grasp the situation, thoughts and aspirations of religious organizations and the masses; promptly resolve arising incidents, avoiding ill-intentioned subjects taking advantage to slander the Vietnamese State for violating human rights and religion.

Fourth , strengthen the work of religious foreign affairs propaganda, proactively participate in international and regional religious forums, proactively inform about the situation of beliefs and religions in Vietnam so that the international community can understand and support Vietnam in the international arena; strengthen propaganda, identify plots and tricks of ill-intentioned forces that take advantage of democracy, human rights, and religious freedom to interfere in Vietnam's internal affairs; create conditions for religious organizations and individuals to participate in people's foreign affairs activities, organize international religious events in Vietnam, and contribute to the State's foreign affairs.

Fifth , regularly provide information to the US side, foreign diplomatic missions, international organizations and Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad on the religious situation and the guarantee of religious freedom in Vietnam; seek the support of US religious organizations and individuals who have a voice with US politicians on achievements in ensuring religious freedom in Vietnam.

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