Buddhist monks are lighting candles at Bai Dinh temple on May 05, 2014 in Ninh Binh, Vietnam during the UN Day of Vesak

The US Department of State’s 2014 Report on International Religious Freedom said Vietnam controls religious activities by restrictive laws and administrative oversight and strictly limits the independence of religious activities and suppresses religious followers and groups. The information is false.

Freedom of belief and religion are stipulated in Vietnamese law

Vietnam is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country. The Vietnamese Party and State define it in Vietnamese law which says “Belief and religion is a spiritual demand of the people which has lived and will live with the nation”. The 2013 Constitution stipulates in Article 24 that “1. Everyone has the right to freedom of belief and religion, and has the right to follow or not to follow any religion. All religions are equal before the law. 2. The State shall respect and protect the freedom of belief and religion. 3. No one may violate the freedom of belief and religion, nor may anyone take advantage of a belief or religion in order to violate the law”.  Vietnam has also issued an Ordinance on Belief and Religion and a Decree on some affairs related to Protestantism. These legal documents suggest that the right to freedom of belief and religion is recognized, respected, and protected by the Vietnamese Party and State and that the practice of religious activities has improved significantly in Vietnam.

Freedom of belief and religion ensured

95% of Vietnamese people practice a belief. Vietnam now has 13 religions with nearly 24 million followers accounting for 27% of Vietnam’s population. There are dozens of other religious organizations in Vietnam that register their operations. The practice of religion in Vietnam has increased over the years and is closely linked to social activities. There are some 8,500 religious festivals in Vietnam each year. Religious education has been expanding. Many followers and dignitaries have been trained in the US, France, Italy and India. Vietnamese religious dignitaries have participated in dialogues and forums on belief and religion at the Asia-Europe Meeting and within ASEAN. Vietnam hosted the UN Day of Vesak in 2008 and again in 2014 and the World Buddhism Summit in 2010. Vietnam established a relationship with the Vatican in 1989. The Vatican has been sending a non-resident representative to Vietnam since 2011 who has so far paid visits to 60 out of Vietnam’s 63 cities and provinces. All these things prove the importance and development of religion in Vietnam.

Running counter to Vietnam-US ties

The clear legal framework and stark facts surrounding the freedom of belief and religion in Vietnam show that the US Department of State’s 2014 International Religious Freedom Report contains misinformation about the freedom of religion in Vietnam. Vietnam-US ties have made great progress in economics, trade, addressing war aftermath, science, technology, education, health care, environment, climate change response, national defense and security. To further improve their relationship, the two countries need to accept differences in viewpoints and develop mutual trust and respect of their respective political institutions.