Police destroying a Protestant church of ethnic minority in northern Vietnam
by Vu Quoc Ngu, Aug 19, 2016
A recent report by the U.S. Department of State on the freedom of religion and belief in Vietnam is not objective and one-sided, state media in the communist-ruled nation.
Defending the draft Law on Belief and Religion, which is to replace the Ordinance on Belief and Religion, state-run newspapers said the Vietnamese government only punishes organizations and individuals that violate the law, or who take advantage of the freedom of religion and belief to ruin the ruling communist party and its government, or to undermine the nation’s construction and safeguarding, or national unity.
The U.S. Department of State needs to be more objective on Vietnam’s religious and belief practices, in order to make a correct assessment in conformity with the two countries’ growing relations, they said.
On August 10, the U.S. Department of State released its report called International Religious Freedom Report for 2015. The report recognized some positive development regarding religious freedom in Vietnam, saying “Despite ongoing challenges in Vietnam, most leaders of religious groups agree that religious freedom is gradually expanding in Vietnam. The government is gradually expanding national-level recognition of religious organizations (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is one recent example), and, in provinces with cooperative local authorities, expanding local church registrations. Unregistered organizations reported fewer problems conducting their operations, particularly in major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.”
The Department of State continued to accuse Vietnam of using violence on several religious groups, detaining and prosecuting them, restricting their travel, refusing to license their operations and hindering their activities in education and health care.
According to the report, Vietnam’s regulations on religious management allow limited religious freedom and for the country’s authorities to obstruct the activities of unregistered religious groups.
(For full report you can follow the link: https://vn.usembassy.gov/international-religious-freedom-report-2015/#vietnam)
The U.S. government estimates Vietnam’s total population at 94.3 million. According to the Vietnamese government’s Committee for Religious Affairs (CRA), approximately 95% of the population professes religious beliefs. More than half of the population identifies as Buddhist. Within that community, Mahayana Buddhism is the dominant affiliation by ethnic majority Kinh (Viet), while approximately 1.2% of the population, almost all from the ethnic minority Khmer group, practices Theravada Buddhism.
Roman Catholics constitute 7% of the total population, Cao Dai- 2.5% to 4%, Hoa Hao- 1.5% to 3% and Protestants- 1% to 2%.
According to the state media, Vietnam has recognized 39 organizations of 14 religions, with 24.3 million followers, or 27% of the population.
Height Insoles: Hi, I do believe this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon …
http://fishinglovers.net: Appreciate you sharing, great post.Thanks Again. Keep writi…
Achilles Pain causes: Every weekend i used to pay a quick visit this site, as i w…
August 20, 2016
U.S. Report on Vietnam’s Religious Freedom Not Accurate: State Media
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
Police destroying a Protestant church of ethnic minority in northern Vietnam
by Vu Quoc Ngu, Aug 19, 2016
A recent report by the U.S. Department of State on the freedom of religion and belief in Vietnam is not objective and one-sided, state media in the communist-ruled nation.
Defending the draft Law on Belief and Religion, which is to replace the Ordinance on Belief and Religion, state-run newspapers said the Vietnamese government only punishes organizations and individuals that violate the law, or who take advantage of the freedom of religion and belief to ruin the ruling communist party and its government, or to undermine the nation’s construction and safeguarding, or national unity.
The U.S. Department of State needs to be more objective on Vietnam’s religious and belief practices, in order to make a correct assessment in conformity with the two countries’ growing relations, they said.
On August 10, the U.S. Department of State released its report called International Religious Freedom Report for 2015. The report recognized some positive development regarding religious freedom in Vietnam, saying “Despite ongoing challenges in Vietnam, most leaders of religious groups agree that religious freedom is gradually expanding in Vietnam. The government is gradually expanding national-level recognition of religious organizations (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is one recent example), and, in provinces with cooperative local authorities, expanding local church registrations. Unregistered organizations reported fewer problems conducting their operations, particularly in major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.”
The Department of State continued to accuse Vietnam of using violence on several religious groups, detaining and prosecuting them, restricting their travel, refusing to license their operations and hindering their activities in education and health care.
According to the report, Vietnam’s regulations on religious management allow limited religious freedom and for the country’s authorities to obstruct the activities of unregistered religious groups.
(For full report you can follow the link: https://vn.usembassy.gov/international-religious-freedom-report-2015/#vietnam)
The U.S. government estimates Vietnam’s total population at 94.3 million. According to the Vietnamese government’s Committee for Religious Affairs (CRA), approximately 95% of the population professes religious beliefs. More than half of the population identifies as Buddhist. Within that community, Mahayana Buddhism is the dominant affiliation by ethnic majority Kinh (Viet), while approximately 1.2% of the population, almost all from the ethnic minority Khmer group, practices Theravada Buddhism.
Roman Catholics constitute 7% of the total population, Cao Dai- 2.5% to 4%, Hoa Hao- 1.5% to 3% and Protestants- 1% to 2%.
According to the state media, Vietnam has recognized 39 organizations of 14 religions, with 24.3 million followers, or 27% of the population.