Hostile forces have long falsely accused Vietnam of violating human rights and freedom of belief and religion. This is no longer new and everyone is well aware of their goals.

In the latest development, during a U.S. Congressional testimony on suppressed Christian ethnic groups in the world, Christopher Smith deliberately claimed that: the Government of Vietnam had engaged in religious discrimination; Vietnam had shown setbacks for religion, and so on.

Those assessments represent a clear distortion of freedom of belief and religion in Vietnam. It would be not worth mentioning if Congressman Christopher Smith’s information and allegations against Vietnam were true and did not serve any evil political motives, or only repeat of old prejudices despite Vietnam’s achievements in religious freedom. It is wondering that whether American and Western “democrats” truly struggle for human rights, constructive dialogues and peoples’ belief and religion development. It can be affirmed that this is totally untrue. Indeed, those democrats have taken advantage of human rights and freedom of religion to subvert states which are unfriendly with them including Vietnam. Their sole purpose is to undermine the Party’s leadership, and abolish socialism in our country. Some domestic political opportunists immediately side with them, exploiting people’s belief to realize their political motives against national interests, inciting acts of sabotage, breaking public order and security, creating political “hot spots”, and so on.

However, truth is still truth. Although they deliberately ignore, religious development and achievements in Vietnam themselves betray their intentions. Over the past few years, the Government and Vietnamese people have put in a great deal of effort to improve the legal system and ensure the people’s freedom of belief and religion. Vietnam’s constitutions contain articles and provisions that guarantee freedom of belief and religion of citizens. The 11th National Assembly has passed the Ordinance on Religion and Belief. The Government of Vietnam has promulgated Decree 22/2005/ND-CP on guiding the implementation of some articles of the Ordinance on Religion and Belief. Most importantly, besides State regulations on religion and belief, Resolution of the 11th Party National Congress also emphasizes “the promotion of cultural values, fine ethics of religions, the encouragement of religious organizations, dignitaries and followers to lead good secular and religious lives and to make active contributions to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.” Thus, our Party’s consistent standpoints are not only to respect the right to freedom of belief and religion, or the right to follow or not to follow a religion, but also appreciate the role and position of religions in the revolutionary cause of our people. This has helped to counter distorting allegations that the Communist Party of Vietnam is atheistic and advocates exterminating religions.

Apart from perfecting legal system, the Government of Vietnam has concretized and put those regulations into operation. According to statistics, so far there have been 12 religions with 37 religious organizations nationwide recognized by the State operating within the legal framework (a twofold increase as compared to that of 2006), over 100,000 dignitaries and monks, approximately 26,000 worship facilities, and more than 30 million followers, accounting for one third of Vietnamese population. In particular, there are 14 million Buddhist followers, 6 million followers of Christianity, 1.5 million Protestants, nearly 3.5 million Cao Dai followers, 1.5 million followers of Hoa Hao Buddhism, 1.5 million followers of Tinh do Cu si Phat hoi, 78,000 followers of Tu An Huu Nghia, 67,000 Muslims, and so on. While there were only 50,000 people in 200 villages and hamlets in the Central Highland alone in 1975 following Protestantism, those figures have climbed to 500,000 people and 18,000 villages. Moreover, rapid developments have also been seen in the teaching and learning of religions. From 22 colleges and schools of Buddhism in 1993, there have been 4 Buddhist academies and 49 colleges and schools of Buddhism nationwide so far. Catholic Church has 6 grand seminaries with thousands of seminarists, etc. Furthermore, the State has also created conditions for hundreds of monks and nuns to study or to participate in workshops in foreign countries. Many of them have received the Doctor’s level in Buddhist studies. The publication of prayer books has been given appropriate attention by the State. Most religious organizations have their own newspapers, magazines and bulletins, meeting the needs of religious practices. Each year, Religion Publisher alone has published more than 1,000 printed materials relating to religions. Approximately 8,500 religious festivals of different scales are held annually nationwide. Festivals, which are considered as significant events of religions, are always attended by leaders of the Party, State and localities. The year 2011 saw the 30th anniversary of Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam which was celebrated with the participation of thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns, Buddhist followers in Vietnam and over 2,000 dignitaries and followers from many countries and territories. In addition, the State also creates favourable conditions for broadening foreign relations of religions with religious organizations in Southeast Asia, Western Europe and Vatican, contributing to promoting understanding of international friends about the Party and State’s policy on the freedom of belief and religion, as well as the situation of belief and religious freedom in Vietnam. Those aforementioned figures represent lively evidence to reject false allegations of religion situation in Vietnam. If Vietnam discriminated against religion, restricted and suppressed religion, and violated the freedom of belief and religion as being misrepresented by hostile forces, could it be possibly for religious organizations in Vietnam to establish their position and maintain stable development today? Could the religious panorama of Vietnam be so plentiful and diversified? John Hanford, U. S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, recognizes Vietnam’s improvements in religious freedom during his visit to Vietnam. Similarly, U. S. Senator Jim Webb, Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U. S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, in his recent meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, has affirmed that: in spite of personal viewpoints on several concrete issues relating to religious freedom in Vietnam, no one can deny Vietnam’s achievements of religious freedom, especially since 1991.

By Duc Dung