Many manifestations of violations of the law on beliefs and religions
On January 10, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs' portal has just provided information on some contents related to the implementation of laws on beliefs and religions regarding activities taking place at Ba Vang Pagoda recently.
In an interview with the press, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dinh - Head of the Inspection and Legal Department (Government Committee for Religious Affairs) - mentioned the content of Ba Vang Pagoda organizing a procession and displaying for Buddhists and people to worship "Buddha's hair relics".
Among them was the case of Venerable Thich Truc Thai Minh (abbot of Ba Vang Pagoda) inviting foreigners into Vietnam to carry out religious activities without permission.
Regarding the organization of the procession and display of "Buddha's hair relics" at Ba Vang Pagoda, the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Uong Bi City ( Quang Ninh ) announced a list of additional religious activities that did not comply with regulations.
"The fact that Venerable Thich Truc Thai Minh left the country many times for the purpose of religious activities abroad without going through the Church to request the competent state agency is a violation of the law on beliefs and religions," said the Head of the Inspection and Legal Affairs Department (Government Committee for Religious Affairs).
Regarding the "Buddha's hair relics" case, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dinh stated that, in comparison with the provisions of the law on beliefs and religions, Ba Vang Pagoda is not the entity responsible for announcing the list of additional religious activities and the announcement time is only 6 days before the organization.
While the provisions of Clause 3, Article 43 of the Law on Belief and Religion state that “… For religious activities not included in the announced list, the representative of the organization is responsible for making additional notifications according to the provisions of Clause 1 and Clause 2 of this Article at least 20 days before the activity takes place”.
Besides, Ba Vang Pagoda also did not comply with the announced organization time from December 22-24, 2023, but organized from December 22-27, 2023.
The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha needs to review and strictly handle violations.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Dinh, the fact that Venerable Thich Truc Thai Minh, abbot of Ba Vang Pagoda, invited Venerable Sayadaw U Wepulla, abbot of Parami Pagoda and the International Buddha Relic Museum to Vietnam to attend the ceremony to celebrate the 765th anniversary of the birth of King Tran Nhan Tong and bring "Buddha's hair relics" to Ba Vang Pagoda for Buddhists and people to worship, and at the same time speak at the ceremony as a religious activity but use an entry visa for the purpose of sightseeing and tourism is not in accordance with the provisions of the law on beliefs and religions.
"Thus, according to the provisions of the law on beliefs and religions and the above-mentioned Charter of the Church, the abbot of Ba Vang Pagoda must take full responsibility for allowing illegal religious activities to take place at the religious facility under his charge. The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha is responsible for considering and handling the matter according to the Church's regulations," said Ms. Dinh.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Dinh, this incident has affected social order and the Party and State's policies on beliefs and religions; and affected the reputation of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.
The inspection agency believes that the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the International Buddhist Council, the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Quang Ninh province, and the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Uong Bi city need to rectify and require Venerable Thich Truc Thai Minh to learn from his violations of religious laws.
Through this, all levels of the church need to strengthen the management of dignitaries, officials, and monks; promptly take corrective measures throughout the church to create consensus, stability, and solidarity within the church.
"The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha needs to review and strictly handle violations according to the provisions of the Charter and Regulations of the Sangha to ensure discipline and order; and not to let violations of the law recur at Ba Vang Pagoda as well as at other religious establishments under the Sangha's management," Ms. Nguyen Thi Dinh added.
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