Viet Nam Human Rights
Vietnam’s religious freedom in real life
16/8/16
Though casting a
fairly positive light on Vietnam’s irrefutable achievements in ensuring
religious and belief freedom, the annual report on global religious freedom
issued by the US Department of State on August 10th still contains contents
exposing a narrow mindset, biased outlook and a lack of goodwill.
In the report, the US
Department of State acknowledged the Vietnamese government’s efforts in
ensuring the rights to religious and belief freedom, including the release of
the draft Law on Religion and Belief for public feedback.
It also took note of opinions
by almost all heads of Vietnamese religious organisations, which said religious
freedom is being expanded across the country and the government has
increasingly given recognition to religious organisations.
However, it continued to accuse
Vietnam of violently treating several religious groups, detaining and
prosecuting them, restricting their travel, denying the license of their
operations as well as hindering their activities in education and health care.
According to the report,
Vietnam’s regulations on religious management allow for limiting religious
freedom and for the country’s authorities to continue obstructing the
activities of unregistered religious groups.
The points mentioned in the
report are not new, and are still a subjective and one-sided feedback. In fact,
the vivid religious life and law abiding spirit in ensuring human rights on
view in Vietnam are the strongest disclaimers against such allegations.
Firstly, belief and religious
freedom in Vietnam has been confirmed in the draft Law on Belief and Religion,
which is to replace the Ordinance on Belief and Religion, with additional
contents to suit the current reality.
The draft law recognises and
specifies that the right to belief and religion is for all “people”, not only
“citizens”, while clearly affirming the right to follow or not follow a
religion of other individuals.
No one is entitled to violate
that right, stresses the document which prohibits the forcing of following or
quitting of religions, or the taking advantage of belief and religious freedom
to harm the State, citizens or religious organisations’ rights.
Compared to the older legal
documents, the bill has shown an open spirit by the State in treating
religions. It is vivid and convincing evidence that rejects incorrect arguments
that would slander the State of Vietnam by suggesting it is issuing the law to
“tighten” the right to belief and religious freedom.
Secondly, the freedom to
practice religious rites and join religious activities for followers has been
exceptionally respected and observed. In reality, annual religious festivals,
including Christmas and the Buddha’s birthday ceremony, have been held solemnly
with the participation of hundreds of thousands of followers.
Belief and religious activities
are not only considered a spiritual need of followers, which is protected by
the law, but are also seen as cultural activities belonging to the whole
people. A number of major festivals have become shared events of the community,
showing a harmony between life and religions and serve to strengthen Vietnam’s
solidarity bloc.
Over the past number of years,
international cooperation by religious organisations has been stepped up, with
visits conducted by both Vietnamese and foreign religious delegations.
Religious organisations in
Vietnam have also received support to organise numerous important activities
such as the Vesak celebrations and the Plenary Assembly of the Federation of
Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
Vietnam is a multi-racial and
multi-religious nation. Rare are countries that have such harmony between major
religions like Vietnam.
The Vietnamese State has to
date recognised 39 organisations of 14 religions, with 24.3 million followers, or
27 percent of the population, and 27,900 places of worship.
Religious organisations are an
important channel that helps put the Party’s guideline and policies and the
State’s laws into reality.
A lot of prestigious religious
dignitaries have been voted to the National Assembly, People’s Councils at all
levels, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organisations, which shows
the sound and consistent policies on religion and belief of the Party and
State.
The Vietnamese State only
punishes organisations and individuals that violate the law, or who take
advantage of the freedom of religion and belief to ruin the Party and State, or
to undermine the nation’s construction and safeguarding, or the great national
unity.
As such, the US Department of
State needs to have a more objective insight into Vietnam’s eventful religious
and belief practices, in order to make a correct assessment in conformity with
the two countries’ increasingly growing relations./.
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All comments [ 10 ]
Almost all heads of Vietnamese religious organisations said religious freedom is being expanded across the country and the government has increasingly given recognition to religious organisations.
In Vietnam, the freedom of religion has been stated by law.
Vietnam has pursued the policy of respecting and ensuring the freedom of religion and belief of all citizens and gained positive achievements.
More and more religious followers put their trust in the guidelines, policies of the CPV and the State of Vietnam.
The opinion holding that the CPV and the State of Vietnam exercise discrimination against religion, violate the freedom of religion and belief is unreal, distorting the fact and with bad motivations, hence must be objected to.
Many followers and dignitaries have been trained in the US, France, Italy and India, etc. Vietnamese religious dignitaries have participated in major dialogues and forums on belief and religion.
I agree with yobro, it manifested the global recognition and appreciation for the policies, efforts and achievements of Vietnam in ensuring human rights, including the freedom of religion.
Religious policies and fulfillments over the past years have gained significant achievements and been undeniable.
Every year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) releases their report on freedom of religion with unobjective contents, even calumniating and distorting the freedom of religion in Vietnam. That is a rude intervention to a sovereign country.
It is also your responsibility to stay vigilant, detect and defeat all spots of hostile forces that counter the regime in the name of freedom of religion.
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