Hanoi (VNA) – Religions have never had such favourable conditions for theiractivities in Vietnam like now, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thangstressed in a recent writing.

Theofficial noted respecting the freedom of belief and religion is a consistentpolicy of the Vietnamese Party and State and has been institutionalised in thelegal system, as it is one of the fundamental rights of the people and enshrined in the Constitution from the 1946 version to the 2013 one.

Inheritinglate President Ho Chi Minh’s viewpoint and thought on religion, in each periodof the revolution, the Party and State have issued many guidelines, policies,and laws on belief, religion, ensuring the freedom to belief and religion,creating a legal foundation for religions to be practiced stably and enhancingthe relations between the State and religious organisations.

Sincethe Party Central Committee’s Resolution No 25-NQ/TW, issued on March 12, 2003,on religious affairs in the new context, more than 30 legal documents relatedto belief and religion have been issued, reflecting the State’s attention topeople’s legitimate belief and religious demand.

Thangsaid thanks to religion-related guidelines, policies, and laws, the numbers ofreligious dignitaries, followers, and places of worship have been on the rise;and people’s right to the freedom of belief and religion better ensured.

Itcan be said that religions have never had such favourable conditions for theiractivities like now, he stated, adding that international relations have beenmore and more expanded; religious dignitaries, officers, and followers increasing;places of worship improved; and foreigners’ practice of religions made publicin line withlegal regulations.

Statisticsshow that the numbers of religious dignitaries, officers, and places of worshiphave been increasing. As of 2022, authorities have recognised 43 organisationsof 16 religions, with more than 26.7 million followers, over 55,000dignitaries, 135,000 officers, and 29,000 places of worship, compared to 15organisations of six religions with 17 million followers, 34,000 dignitaries,78,000 officers, and about 20,000 places of worship in 2003.

Eachyear, there are more than 8,000 festivals of beliefs and religions with theparticipation of tens of thousands of followers in Vietnam. Over the 10 yearsof realising the policies and laws on beliefs and religions, State agencieshave granted the use of hundreds of hectares of land for building places ofworship. In the first half of 2022 only, authorities at different levelslicensed the construction and repair of 152 places of worship, permittedconcentrated religious activities at 183 sites, and approved 140 publicationswith 684,250 copies.

Theappointment and rotation of religious dignitaries and officers, theestablishment of subordinate religious organisations, the amendment ofreligious organisations’ charters and statutes, as well as the registration ofannual programmes have been conducted in line with regulations, according tothe deputy minister.

Headded many large religious activities have taken place in the country such asthe UN Day of Vesak hosted by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha for three times withthe participation of over 1,000 delegates from 120 countries and territoriesand tens of thousands of people, an assembly of the Federation of AsianBishops’ Conferences, and the celebration of the Protestantism’s centenary inVietnam.

TheGovernment’s Committee for Religious Affairs coordinated with the EU toorganise a workshop on religions while the 6th Asia-Europe Meeting(ASEM) Interfaith Dialogue also took place in Vietnam. The committee also hadworking sessions with many religious associations and officials, includinginternational human rights organisations such as the US-based Institute forGlobal Engagement and the WAZ Media Group of Germany, to proactively provideinformation about the religious situation and the Party and State’s policiesand laws on belief and religion, and thoroughly discuss issues that attractinternational attention.

Thangwent on to say that in Vietnam, religious activities with the participation ofa large number of people have received assistance from authorities to ensuresafety.

Theabovementioned results in the implementation of policies and laws on belief andreligion have met the legitimate aspirations of religious dignitaries,officers, and followers, he affirmed.

Theresolution of the 13th National Party Congress continued to underscorethe importance of upholding good cultural and ethical values of religions toserve national development. In recent years, areas with large religiouspopulations have become bright spots in economic, cultural, and socialdevelopment. In particular, religious organisations have joined hands withadministrations and donated hundreds of billions of VND to the COVID-19 combat.Many places of worships have become quarantine or treatment centres.

Thedeputy minister pointed out that hostile forces and some organisations,however, have yet to give up their plot of “peace evolution” but sought allpossible ways to undermine the administration and disseminate wrongful allegationsthat there isn’t religious freedom in Vietnam, flagrantly distorting the religioussituation in the country and repeating the false information to sow skepticismand drive a wedge into the religious solidarity.

From2017 to 2022, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has releasedannual reports on international religious freedom, giving itself the right toassess and criticise the human rights and religious freedom situation inVietnam and some other countries. It used old information provided byunrecognised religious groups and sects, or extreme dignitaries discontentedwith the regime, Party, and State, to include in its reports while showingsupport for illegal religious activities or heresies in remote areas that runcounter to good customs, laws, as well as interests of religious organisationsand society, thus stirring public concern.

Italso proposed the US Department of State bring Vietnam back to the list of thecountries of particular concern and put pressure on Vietnam to allow allreligious groups and sects that haven’t been recognised to operate freely,reduce the administration’s involvement in internal affairs of recognisedreligious groups.

Thangstated such wrongful information, arguments, and distortions are extremely irrational,adding that they aimed to affect the thought and sentiment of religiousdignitaries and followers to sow skepticism about the Party and State’spolicies and laws on religion.

Yet,however hard hostile forces try to distort or sabotage, they are still unableto keep dignitaries and followers from trusting the Party and State’sguidelines, policies, and laws on belief and religion. Belief and religiousactivities have still been facilitated by authorities while dignitaries andfollowers have still practiced religions freely at home or places of worship.Particularly, religious dignitaries and followers have still practicedreligions online as normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to theofficial.

Therealilty of the religious situation in Vietanm has testified to the greatnational solidarity and religious solidarity and also cemented religiousdignitaries and followers’ trust in the national construction and development,the deputy minister affirmed.

Headded that in the time to come, hostile forces will continue pushing up theiropposition activities under the pretext of the call “for freedom to religions”and “democracy, human rights”; distort the Party’s advocacy and State’spolicies and laws on religions; and increase trans-border or online missionaryactivities. When dealt with by authorities, they will slander that there is nofreedom of religions in Vietnam, thus hindering the country’s economicintegration.

Toprevent them from distorting the freedom of religions, the official saidauthorities should build and perfect the legal system on religions, ensure thefreedom of every people under the 2013 Constitution, institutionalise theviewpoint of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress on belief andreligions. They should also perform well the function that the State managesthe society through laws.

Authoritiesof all the levels should be attentive to and satisfy the legitimate religiousneed, and ensure the people’s right to freedom of religions in line with theinternational conventions to which Vietnam is a signatory, while religiousdignitaries and followers should heighten their vigilance against evil forces’distortions and allegations, Deputy Minister Thang stressed./.