ICC Note:

Vietnamese lawmakers have proposed a new religious freedom law that inhibits the freedom of religion with “onerous” rules and “excessive state interference.” If the law passes, religious organizations would have to register with the government to be legal and allow the government to participate in organizational decisions including training programs, appointments, etc. In addition, there is significant variance in how different areas of Vietnam implement the law. This would make it difficult for religious minorities to seek protection from persecution because there’s no consistent interpretation of the law.   

10/06/2016 Vietnam (The News Lens) – Human rights organizations from around the world have called on Vietnamese lawmakers to reject a proposed new law on religious freedom until it is brought into line with international human rights standards.

Organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) have written an open letter to Vietnam’s National Assembly President Nguyen Kim Ngân expressing concerns that the law places unacceptable restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief and other human rights in the predominantly Buddhist country.

“Basic guarantees of the right to freedom of religion or belief continue to be undermined by onerous registration requirements and excessive state interference in religious organizations’ internal affairs,” the letter says. “Indeed, this and the previous versions of the law inherit from previous rules and regulations this emphasis on government control and management of religious life which is contrary to the spirit and principle of the right to freedom of religion and belief.”

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