ICC Note:

Vietnam has come a long way since the Communist takeover in 1975. Many are allowed to practice their faith openly. However, there is still a long way to go, says the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Chair, Thomas J Reese, S.J. Many churches that do not have government recognition suffer harassment by local officials. Individuals are still arrested and imprisoned for their religious beliefs. “The government needs to stop oppressing believers and enact legislation that respects religious freedom,” Reese said. That change may come soon. The government is set to vote on a law that would extend some religious freedoms in Vietnam. At the same time, however, it extends the governments oversight of these institutions and is vaguely worded to the point that it is difficult to know how the law will be implemented. If Vietnam does not work to change the status quo for religious groups, Reese says, “USCIRG will have to continue calling for its designation as a country of particular concern.”

11/15/2016 Vietnam (USCIRF) – On the 10th anniversary of the State Department’s removal of Vietnam’s designation as a “country of particular concern” (or CPC), the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) sees a country that has made progress but still has a long way to go before it fully respects religious freedom. USCIRF also watches with concern as the Vietnamese National Assembly is poised to vote on a new law governing religion.

“Vietnam is at a crossroads,” explains USCIRF Chair Thomas J. Reese, S.J. “Its government needs to stop oppressing believers and enact legislation that respects religious freedom. If it does not, USCIRF will have to continue calling for its designation as a country of particular concern.”

The freedom to practice one’s faith or beliefs in Vietnam has come a long way since the dark days following the 1975 communist takeover. Many individuals and religious communities are able to exercise their religion or belief freely, openly, and without fear.

Nevertheless, the Vietnamese government’s complicity in or indifference to egregious violations of religious freedom in many parts of the country is deeply troubling. In some areas, local authorities harass and discriminate against religious organizations that do not have government recognition, and in others, they threaten religious followers with eviction from or demolition of their places of worship or other religious buildings—in some instances carrying out these threats. Law enforcement officials continue to arrest and imprison individuals due to their religious beliefs or religious freedom advocacy, including Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh; Khmer Krom Buddhist the Venerable Thach Thuol; Hoa Hao Buddhist Nguyen Van Minh; and Buddhist Patriarch Thich Quang Do. Others are beaten by police or government hired thugs.

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