Vietnam Continues to Suppress Religious Freedom
At the beginning of May 2024, the US Department of State released the 2023 International Religious Freedom Report on Vietnam. According to the report, the situation of religious freedom in Vietnam has not changed compared to 2022.
According to this report, the government continues to suppress unrecognized religious groups. The government considers many of these groups heretical or false religions.
In addition, the government also suppresses and imprisons followers from ethnic minority religious groups such as the Montagnard Evangelical and H’Mông, Khmer Krom Buddhists, and H’Mông followers of the Dương Văn Mình faith.
The government continues to maintain state controlled religious organizations like the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Cao Đài Church 1997, Hòa Hảo Buddhist Church, and the Evangelical Church of Vietnam. At the same time, it puts pressure on independent religious groups to join these organizations. The report gave some examples:
- After the attacks on government offices in Đắk Lắk Province which left nine people dead, the government deployed security and military forces to the Central Highlands to arrest, accuse, and sentence 100 ethnic minority people.
- In April, authorities in Kon Tum Province prevented a Catholic priest from conducting religious ceremonies. In August, the government stopped two H’Mông Catholic priests from holding public religious events.
- The government has carried out Project 78 to eliminate the Dương Văn Mình religion. The Dương Văn Mình religion – also known as the “Dương Văn Mình faith” – is an unrecognized spiritual movement founded in 1989 by Dương Văn Mình, an ethnic Hmong from northern Vietnam. It emerged as a reformist response to traditional Hmong customs, particularly focusing on modernizing funeral practices.
During a visit in May 2023, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) watched videos that reportedly showed the government forcing Dương Văn Mình followers to abandon their faith.
- In November, the Vietnamese government closed a Khmer language class at a Khmer Krom Buddhist temple, and physically attacked the abbot and two Buddhist followers.
- In December, the authorities in An Giang Province banned independent Hòa Hảo Buddhists from celebrating the birthday of Đức Huỳnh Phú Sổ – the founder of Hòa Hảo Buddhism.
- The government also continues to crack down on other independent religious movements, such as stopping Falun Gong practitioners from distributing religious materials, and forcing members of the Hội Thánh Đức Chúa Trời and San Sư Khẻ Tọ to give up their faith.
- The authorities also require ethnic minorities to use the Vietnamese language instead of their own languages in religious ceremonies and literature.
In addition, the report also said that Vietnam’s 2018 Law on Belief and Religion limits the right to freedom of religion and requires religious groups to register with the government in order to operate legally. However, many religious groups face difficulties registering and complain that the authorities rejected or ignored their applications without any explanation.
The report also said that currently there are 77 religious prisoners of conscience, including 72 people who are being detained, and their living conditions are very bad. Some cases mentioned:
- In May, Nay Y Blang, a member of the Evangelical Church of the Central Highlands, was arrested on the accusation of preaching and organizing illegal religious activities.
- In July and August, the authorities arrested Khmer Krom Buddhist followers Danh Minh Quang, Thạch Cương, and Tô Hoàng Chương; all three were charged under Article 331 of the Penal Code.
- In August, the authorities of An Giang Province arrested Nguyễn Hoàng Nam, a follower of the independent Hòa Hảo Buddhist Church, accusing him of disturbing public order and harming religious and ethnic unity.
- In September, the authorities of Gia Lai Province sentenced religious freedom activist Rian Thih to eight years in prison for the crime of “undermining the unity policy”.
In addition, the report also pointed out some positive developments. For example, in September, the authorities released Hòa Hảo Buddhist activist Nguyễn Bắc Truyển, who was serving an 11 year prison sentence while ill. The government also released Lê Đức Đông – a Buddhist follower of An Dân Đại Đạo – who completed his 12 year sentence in February.
Earlier, in January 2024, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken continued to place Vietnam on the Special Watch List (SWL) for religious freedom.
In addition to the International Religious Freedom Report of the US State Department, in May, the European Union (EU) also published a report on Vietnam’s human rights situation in 2023. The EU report also said that the Vietnamese government continuously harassed and suppressed followers of independent religious groups.
As in every year, Vietnam continued to reject the content of the report. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Phạm Thu Hằng claimed that this year’s US report lacked objectivity.
According to RFA, on May 8, 2024, hundreds of Catholic followers from Thanh Hải Parish, Phan Thiết Diocese, protested against the government surveying the land and preparing to build on the land that the diocese says was borrowed from the parish.
Specifically, according to a video from RFA, when the authorities of Bình Thuận Province sent people to survey the land in order to build a kindergarten and primary school on the grounds of Thanh Hải Parish, hundreds of Catholic followers gathered in the churchyard to oppose this action, while church bells rang continuously. Many police officers were present at the time, but no clashes occurred.
According to RFA, prior to 1975, the parish managed the Thanh Hải Catholic primary and secondary school located within the church’s grounds. Following April 30, 1975, after the Communists took control of Vietnam, the government took over this educational facility.
The parish said that according to a land use declaration in 1996, the parish allowed the local government to borrow this piece of land beginning in 1975. The parish says it has a document with a stamp and the signature of the chairman of the Thanh Hải Ward People’s Committee, indicating that the land was just loaned to the government.
However, the government claims it did not borrow land from the parish to establish the Thanh Hải Primary School and Kindergarten. It claims that the government provides management of the two schools following the law correctly.
According to the authorities, Circular No. 409/TT, dated Sept. 6, 1975, from the Revolutionary People’s Committee of the Central Central Region stated “Starting from the 1975–1976 school year, all private schools will be changed into public schools”.
In addition, the government cited the Thanh Hải Parish Phan Thiết Yearbook 1955–1999, which clearly states that in 1975, Father Vũ Ngọc Đăng, who was the parish priest at that time, handed over the land to the authorities for management.
Until now, many lands and properties belonging to the Catholic Church are still under tense disputes with the government.
Gia Lai: 575 Believers Persuaded to Leave Đề Ga Protestantism
The authorities of Gia Lai Province said they have persuaded 575 believers to leave the Đề Ga Protestantism and return to practicing the form of Protestantism recognized by the government.
Đề Ga Protestantism is a term used by the Vietnamese government to refer to an unauthorized or unregistered Protestant Christian movement primarily practiced by ethnic Montagnard (Degar) groups in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. The name “Đề Ga” is derived from “Degar,” the term some Montagnard people use to describe themselves.
Since 2022, Gia Lai Province has built a model called “Return to the faith, keep village peace” to persuade believers to give up Đề Ga Protestantism. It is known that in nearly two years, the government has mobilized more than 800 people to participate in building this model, but did not clearly state the source of funding for this activity.
Until now, the government has not recognized Đề Ga Protestantism or the Tin Lành Đấng Christ as religious organizations but considers both to be reactionary groups disguised as religions. Because of this, the believers are often harassed when practicing their faith.
“Tin Lành Đấng Christ” (translated as “Evangelicalism of Christ” or more literally “The Gospel of Christ”) refers to a Christian Protestant group or denomination that identifies strongly with the teachings and person of Jesus Christ (Đấng Christ). The term is sometimes used in Vietnam to refer to independent, non-registered Evangelical churches, often with charismatic or Pentecostal traits.
Lai Châu: Persuading a Believer to Leave the Bà Cô Dợ Religion
On May 15, 2024, the authorities of Lai Châu Province said they had successfully persuaded one believer to leave the Bà Cô Dợ religion.
According to the authorities, this believer joined Bà Cô Dợ in June 2017. However, after seven years of propaganda and persuasion, this person left Bà Cô Dợ and began to follow the Protestant group that is recognized by the government.
Bà Cô Dợ is also known as “The Church of God Who Loves Us” (Hội Thánh Đức Chúa trời yêu thương chúng ta), founded by Vừ Thị Dợ in 2016. Until now, Bà Cô Dợ has been considered a heretical religion, and its followers are always harassed and suppressed.
Bà Cô Dợ appeared in Lai Châu in November 2016 in two districts: Mường Tè and Nậm Nhùn. Since then, many people have joined this religious group. Meanwhile, the authorities often accuse the Bà Cô Dợ movement of using religious belief to divide national unity, incite separatist thinking, demand autonomy, and call for the creation of an independent state.
Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Prevents God’s Church Believers from Evangelizing
On May 18, 2024, the authorities in Phú Mỹ Town, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province, announced that they had discovered a group of God’s Church believers preaching at a private home.
According to the authorities, this group took advantage of consulting and advertising products to spread God’s Church via a multi-level marketing model.
It is known that this group had 21 people, including two children under six years old. One of them was a former chairman of the Tóc Tiên Commune Fatherland Front Committee, Phú Mỹ District, and another was a teacher at Phú Mỹ Secondary School.
The authorities also confiscated 11 Bibles, one laptop, and one television screen related to the preaching activities of God’s Church. According to the authorities, the believers used online applications such as Zalo and Zoom to preach online, practice religious activities, study the Bible, and pray.
God’s Church was founded by Ahn Sahng-hong in 1964 in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. This religion was introduced to southern Vietnam in 2001 and later expanded strongly to northern provinces.
The authorities have also accused this church of distorting religious teachings, deceiving people, and going against traditional customs and values.
Hà Giang Summarizes Campaign to Eliminate San Sư Khẻ Tọ Religion
On May 30, 2024, the authorities of Yên Minh District, Hà Giang Province, held a conference to summarize the peak campaign to eliminate the San Sư Khẻ Tọ religion
According to the authorities, during the peak period from March 1–31, 2024, the district had 146 households with 870 followers who gave up the San Sư Khẻ Tọ religion, reaching 200% of the assigned target. This campaign was part of Project No. 23-ĐA/TU, November 23, 2018, by the Hà Giang provincial Party Committee on “Preventing, fighting, and resolving the activities of heretical and strange religions in the province for 2018–2025.”
From September to November 2023, the authorities eliminated the San Sư Khẻ Tọ religion in Cán Chu Phìn, Xín Cái, and Khâu Vai communes in Mèo Vạc District.
The San Sư Khẻ Tọ religion has been prevented from operating in Vietnam, and the authorities have criticized and worked to eliminate it. Hà Giang is currently one of the provinces that strongly suppresses this religion.
Yên Bái Prevents Followers from Distributing Falun Gong Materials
According to Lao Động Newspaper, the authorities in Yên Bái Province have stopped followers from distributing Falun Gong materials in Mậu A Town, Văn Yên District, Yên Bái Province.
According to the authorities, the materials did not include information about the publisher or printing facility, which is required in Vietnam because the state only allowed printing materials produced in government-authorized facilities. Right after that, the local government issued a warning to agencies in Mậu A Town to prevent people from joining Falun Gong.
In addition, in Yên Bái City, the authorities stopped two followers from spreading Falun Gong materials and seized 205 documents and items related to this practice. The authorities have argued that Falun Gong is not a recognized belief or religion in Vietnam.