Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese State always respects and protects the right to freedom of religionor belief for all, and does not discriminate against any based on religion orbelief, affirmed Vice Chairman of the Government Committee for ReligiousAffairs Nguyen Van Ky.

Vietnamis a country with ethnical and religious diversity. There are now more than 27million religious followers, accounting for 27% of the total population, over 54,000religious dignitaries, 144,000 religious assistants, and nearly 30,000 places ofworship, Ky told a press meeting held by the Ministry of Information andCommunications in Hanoi on April 11.

Thecountry is also home to a diverse system of beliefs with 50,703 belief-associatedestablishments, including about 3,000 relics, some of which were recognised asworld heritage sites by UNESCO, he added.

Hewent on to say that the legal system serving as the legal basis for protectingthe right to freedom of religion or belief has been perfected, including the Lawon Belief and Religion and the revised Land Law. The dissemination of the Party’sviewpoints and the State’s policies and laws on belief and religion has been improved.

Religiousorganisations in Vietnam have been given favourable conditions to operate in line withtheir charters and statutes as well as legal regulations, Ky said, noting thatthe State has always paid attention to and created conditions for all religionsto have their activities held normally.

Beliefadherents and religious followers can express their beliefs freely at home,places of worship, or the sites registered with authorities. Besides, followersof a religion that hasn’t been recognised as a religious organisation or givena registration certificate have still been given conditions to holdconcentrated religious activities at legal sites, according to the official.

Manyimportant religious ceremonies have attracted a large number of followers andalso become common events of the community such as Christmas or Buddha’sbirthday celebration.

In2023, Ky said, the Ministry of Home Affairs recognised “Phat giao Hieu nghiaTa Lon” and “Hoi thanh phuc am toan ven Viet Nam” as religious organisationsand approved the proposal to establish the Vietnamese Baptist Theology Seminary.

Asof December 2023, the State had recognised 38 religious organisations. Localauthorities also licensed thousands of sites for concentrated religious activities,including over 60 sites for foreigners who legally reside in Vietnam.

ForProtestantism alone, between 2021 and 2023, 170 sites of concentrated religiousactivities and six religious organisations were approved in the northernmountainous region. Meanwhile, 11 organisations of this religion were alsorecognised in the Central Highlands.

Ky said that the State has also paid attention to religion-relatedland issues. More than 70% of the religious establishments nationwide have beengranted land use right certificates. The State has provided favourableconditions for religious organisations to repair, upgrade, and build religious facilities.

Inaddition, international relations of religious organisations have beenfacilitated, helping to introduce the Party and State’s viewpoint and policy onthe protection of the right to freedom of religion to the international community.

Vietnam - Vatican relations are making progress, Ky stressed, adding that inJuly 2023, their leaders agreed to elevate the bilateral ties to the status of Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam, andapprove the “Agreement on the Status of the Resident Papal Representative andthe Office of the Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam”./.