Quản lý nhà nước đối với hoạt động của đạo cao đài tại khu vực đông nam bộ TT TIENG ANH

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION TRAN NGOC MAI STATE MANAGEMENT FOR ACTIVITIES OF CAODAISM IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION Major: Public management Code: 34 04 03 PUBLIC MANAGEMENT DISSERTATION SUMMARY HANOI, 2021 THE DISSERTATION WAS COMPLETED AT THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Supervisor 1: Dr Tran Trong Duc Supervisor 2: Assoc Prof., Dr Phan Quang Thinh Examiner 1: Examiner 2: Examiner 3: The dissertation will be defended before the institutional dissertation evaluation committee Venue: Doctoral dissertation defense room – Meeting room House , National Academy of Public Administration No 77 – Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi At: 2021 RELEASED SCIENTIFIC WORKS OF THE AUTHOR RELATED TO DISSERTATION Current training activities for dignitaries and sub-dignitaries of Caodaism and issues posed for state management, People’s Security Journal No 79, pages 74 - 79, November 2018, ISSN: 1859 - 4115, University of People's Security Improving effectiveness of implementing the work policy for Caodaism in Xuan Loc district, Dong Nai province, People's Security Journal No 86, pages 63 - 66, June 2019, ISSN: 1859 - 4115, University of People's Security State management for activities of Caodaism in Tay Ninh province, State Management Review, No 290, March 2020, ISSN: 2354 - 0761, National Academy of Public Administration State management for activities of Caodaism in Ho Chi Minh City, Journal of Political Science, No 250, June 2020 ISSN: 1859 - 0187, Academy of Politics Region II State management for activities of Caodaism in Binh Duong province, State Management Review, No 294, July 2020, ISSN: 2354 - 0761, National Academy of Public Administration INTRODUCTION Problem to the study The PhD student chooses to conduct the topic: “State management for activities of Caodaism in the Southeast region” as a doctoral thesis because of following reasons: First, the state management for religion in general and for activities of Caodaism in particular, contribute to ensuring freedom of religion, creating favorable conditions for the development Caodaism in the current period Social management is the most basic function of the state, while religion is a constituent part of the society The implementation and performance of state functions are aimed at the desired goals of the state, which are the issues the state must perform in a certain period to meet the actual needs of society State management for activities of Caodaism must first ensure the freedom of belief and religion of dignitaries and followers, and ensure that activities of Caodaism take place normally according to legal provisions Religion belongs to the spiritual field, is the need of a part of the people, has been co-existing with the development of human society Our State has always affirmed and guaranteed the right to freedom of belief and religion and regarded it as a fundamental right of citizens Second, the Southeast region is the cradle of Caodaism in the whole country, with a large number of dignitaries, sub-dignitaries and followers Caodaism was born in Tay Ninh province and has developed into many different sects in many provinces throughout the country The number of dignitaries, sub-dignitaries and followers of Caodaism in the Southeast accounts for more than one fifth of the country with 11 sects, of which Tay Ninh Caodaism is the largest sect today (especially, nearly half of Tay Ninh province’s population follows Caodaism) Because of the large number of dignitaries, followers, and worship facilities, Caodaism in the Southeast region has become one of the special management objects Third, activities of Caodaism in the Southeast are diverse, rich and orderly, but there are still activities that violate the law on religion As a phenomenon belonging to the superstructure, religion has a strong impact, both positively and negatively, on all aspects of social life Like other religions, Caodaism has many activities to develop religion such as evangelism, religious activities according to canon law, rituals, administrative activities such as public election, appointment of dignitaries, building worship facilities, and so on Some religious activities attract tens of thousands of people, such as the Yen Dieu ceremony, the Thuong Nguon ceremony, and so forth However, in the process of helping Caodaism sects rebuild their apparatus, one of the particularly difficult problems is the activities of groups that break away from the church to establish their own Church, and also organize religious activities, build and repair worship facilities without registration, conduct superstitious activities, violate legal provisions, or take advantage of Caodaism to infringe upon security and order Fourth, the state management for religion in general and Caodaism activities in the Southeast in particular have revealed certain limitations Following the spirit of Notice No 34/TB-TW dated November 14, 1992 of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee, Resolution No 25-NQ/TW of March 12, 2003 of the IXth Party Central Committee on the religious work, and the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion, the state management for Caodaism has achieved many positive results However, in reality, in provinces and centrally-run cities in the Southeast region, the state management for activities of Caodaism has revealed shortcomings and limitations that need to be overcome According to Notice No 41/TB-TGCP on the conclusion of the Conference summarizing 15 years of state management of Caodaism, the state management of Caodaism has revealed some limitations such as: the rebuilding of the church organization was heavy on administration, making dignitaries and followers unsatisfied After the recognition of the church organization, the authorities at all levels have not actively guided and helped the churches operate according to their charters and religious practices, leading to confusion in some churches in their religious management The coordination and decentralization of state management are not consistent and specific, so it is still confusing, sometimes overlapping, or pushing responsibilities among functional agencies Consolidating the organization and apparatus and training and fostering cadres in charge of state management of religion still face some difficulties in the current situation The situation of contradictions and loss of unions, and activities of separatists and opponents in Caodaism sects have hidden many complicated issues that require longterm solutions Fifth, theoretically, the state management for religious activities should be supplemented and perfected The topic “State management for activities of Caodaism in the Southeast region” has not been studied by any other authors so far Requirements of the state administrative reform in general and the state administrative management of religious activities in particular have posed many problems for the legal system regulating religious activities, the order and administrative procedures in the state management for religious activities and the apparatus of state management of religion At the same time, it is necessary to clarify what is the content of state management of religious activities today (Which agency manages? What management? What to to manage?) in the context that religious activities are diverse and take place in many different ways Research aims and missions 2.1 Research aims: Study and clarify the theoretical and practical basis to propose solutions to further improve the state management for Caodaism activities in the Southeast in the coming time 2.2 Research missions: To achieve the above research aims, the study focuses on solving the following missions: - An overview of domestic and foreign researches on Caodaism, state management of religious activities in general and Caodaism activities in particular, thereby pointing out scientific issues that need to be further studied and solved - Clarify the scientific bases of state management for religious activities in general and for Caodaism activities in particular - Study and clarify the history of formation, development and activities of Caodaism; Clarify and evaluate the situation of state management of Caodaism activities in the Southeast in recent years - Forecast the activity trend of Caodaism, systematize viewpoints of the Communist Party of Vietnam on religious work, direction of perfecting the state management of Caodaism activities in the Southeast in the coming time, from which to give and explain the solutions in a scientific way Objects and scope of the study 3.1 Research objects: The dissertation studies the theoretical basis and status of state management for activities of Caodaism in the Southeast region 3.2 Research scope: - In terms of the content: The dissertation studies the state management for Caodaism activities conducted by the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities in the Southeast in accordance with the law - In terms of space: In 06 provinces and centrally-run cities in the Southeast region, namely Tay Ninh, Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City - In terms of time: Since 2004 (since the Ordinance on Belief and Religion was born) until now Methodology and research methods - Methodology: The dissertation is conducted on the basis of the dialectical and historical materialism methodology of Marxism Leninism; Ho Chi Minh’s thought and the system of viewpoints and guidelines of the Party, policies and laws of the State of Vietnam related to research issues - Research methods: On the basis of the mentioned methodology, the dissertation is conducted using the following specific methods: Statistical and comparative; Analysis and synthesis; Information collection; Expert-based; Sociological investigation Research questions and scientific hypotheses 5.1 Research questions - What is the reason leading to the study of state management for activities of Caodaism in the Southeast region? What is the scientific basis for conducting state management over activities of Caodaism? - How have activities of Caodaism in recent years affected the state management? How have functional agencies performed the state management for activities of Caodaism? - What needs to be done to improve the state management for Caodaism activities in the Southeast region in the coming time? 5.2 Scientific hypotheses - Caodaism is a major religion in the Southeast region with its own characteristics The state management for activities of Caodaism is now absolutely necessary and must be based on a closely theoretical and practical basis - The state management for activities of Caodaism in the Southeast is now meeting the demand for freedom of belief and religion of dignitaries and followers, and religious activities gradually come into order and follow the positive direction However, the organizational apparatus and contingent of cadres and civil servants, the actual implementation of state management contents for activities of Caodaism in the Southeast still have many shortcomings and limitations, so it is necessary to give solutions and recommendations to the authorities to improve the state management for activities of Caodaism in the Southeast in the coming time New scientific contributions of the dissertation - New contributions on theory: + The dissertation systematically reviews and analyzes deeply the theoretical issues of state management for activities of Caodaism such as concepts, subjects, methods, and principles of state management for activities of Caodaism + The dissertation clarifies the content of state management for activities of Caodaism; Specifies factors affecting the effectiveness of state management for activities of Caodaism; Studyies experience in the religious work of some countries in the world and regions in our country, thereby drawing reference values for Vietnam and the Southeast region - New contributions in practice: + The research results of the thesis contribute to changing the awareness, actions and responsibilities of leaders, managers, cadres and civil servants in the process of state management of religious activities in general and Caodaism activities in particular + Solutions to improve the state management for activities of Caodaism in the Southeast region proposed in the dissertation are professional instructions to help functional agencies perform well the management and create favorable conditions for Caodaism to continue to develop and operate according to the Party's lines, the State's policies and laws + The dissertation is a valuable scientific reference in research and teaching activities on state management of religious activities Structure of the dissertation In addition to the Introduction and Conclusion, the References, the Appendix, the dissertation consists of chapters as follows: Chapter 1: Overview of the research situation (29 pages) Chapter 2: Scientific basis in state management for activities of Caodaism (45 pages) Chapter 3: Pratice of Caodaism activities and state management for activities of Caodaism in the Southeast region (41 pages) Chapter 4: Directions and solutions to further improve state management for Caodaism activities in the Southeast region (42 pages) Chapter OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH SITUATION 1.1 Overview of the research situation related to the dissertation 1.1.1 Research works on Caodaism - Research works on the formation and development of Caodaism The book History of Caodaism in latent period 1920 - 1926 (Thuan Hoa Publishing House, Hue, 1996) by author Le Anh; the book Historire du Caodaime (History of Caodaism) by Gabriel Gobron; the book Origin of Dai dao by Nguyen Trung Hau; the book History outlines of Dai dao by Tran Van Rang; the topic Peasant Politics and Religious Sectarianism: Peasant and Priest in the Caodai in Vietnam by Werner Jayne Suasan; the book History of Caodaism, Volumes and of the General Administration of Dai Dao Teachings; the book Caodaismin two aspects: History and religion by Nguyen Thanh Xuan; Nguyen Van Trung's Dossier on Luc Chau Studies; The Party Committee of Tay Ninh province led Caodaism people to participate in the resistance war against the US to save the country (1954 - 1975), the doctoral thesis in history by Vo Thi Hoa - Research works on the political, social, cultural and operational aspects of Caodaism The book Mottos of religious practice by Le Van Trung; Victor Oliver’s research work Caodai spiritism - a study of religion in Vietnamese society The Book of Great Dao Catechism (1970) by Truong Van Trang; the book Life of Caodaism followers by Nguyen Long Thanh; the work Initial study of religion (for new Caodaism followers) by Nguyen Van Hong; the research work Southern people and indigenous religions by Pham Bich Hop; the book Learning about Caodaism by the General Department of Caodaism doctrine; the Doctoral thesis Caodaism in the South: organization of community life and cultural characteristics by Nguyen Manh Tien; Collection of documents on organization and directions for practicing religions in Vietnam by the Religion Publishing House; the article Characteristics of the organization of Caodaism Church and priets, published in the Journal of Religious Work No (118) - 2016 by Dinh Quang Tien; the article Educational activities of Caodaism Missionary Church by Hoang Minh Thien published in the Journal of Religious Work No (118) - 2016; Collection document Caodaism culture education of Tay Ninh Holy See (2015); In 2013, the Caodaism Missionary Church in Da Nang announced the Project of establishing the Caodaism Administrative School of the Caodaism Missionary Church; In August 2018, Tien Thien Caodaism Church in Ben Tre announced the Project of establishing Caodaism Academy 1.1.2 Research works related to state management of religion The book State management of religious activities in the context of building a democratic state, the rule of law in Vietnam today (2001) by the chief author Nguyen Huu Khien; the doctoral thesis in law Completing the law on religious activities in Vietnam today by Tran Minh Thu (2004); training materials Religious issues and religious work at the grassroots of the Central Committee of Thought - Culture; In 2005, the Religion Publishing House published the book Managing religious activities - Theoretical and practical basis by the chief author Bui Duc Luan; the book Religious issues in Vietnamese revolution – Theory and practice by Do Quang Hung (2007); the textbook State management of religion and ethnicity (Science and Technology Publishing House, 2009) of the National Academy of Public Administration; the book Questions and answers on state administrative management (Part III: State management over sectors and fields) of the Hanoi Political - Administrative Publishing House published in 2012 (Co-authored by Tran Thi Cuc and Luong Minh Viet); the Doctoral thesis State management of religion in Vietnam from 1975 to present by Bui Huu Duoc; the monograph Learning about state management of religious activities in Vietnam by Dr Nguyen Tat Dat; the doctoral thesis State management of religious activities in the Mekong Delta by Tran Van Tinh; the article The current state 10 - Canon law: Caodaism sets forth precepts for dignitaries and followers based on the precepts of Buddhism - Organization of the church and ranks of dignitaries: Early founders were petty bourgeoisie, civil servants, landowners, and so on had an understanding of the organization of the bourgeois state apparatus and the constitutional monarchy in the early twentieth century Therefore, the Caodaism Church is organized according to the model of a constitutional monarchy state, with the mystical nature of religion Currently, Caodaism is organized into two levels (at the central level is the Church, at the grassroots level is the Patriarchate), and dignitaries are divided according to many different ranks 2.2 State management theory for activities of Caodaism 2.1.2 The concept of state management for activities of Caodaism - Some related concepts + Religion and Caodaism: First, from the perspective of law, it is stipulated: “Religion is the belief of people existing with a system of conceptions and activities including objects of worship, doctrine, canon law, rituals and organization.” Second, from the perspective of state management: “Religion is an organization, representing a community of people who share a common faith, follow a doctrine or a cardinal and have an organizational structure of the church.” About Caodaism: Caodaism is a religion formed in Tay Ninh, Vietnam, consisting of many sects and independent organizations recognized by the State as a legal entity, worshiping God, operating according to the published Charter with a model of two levels: The Church (the central level) and the Grassroots Church (the local level) + Religious activities: Under Clause 11, Article of the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion, “Religious activities are activities of religion propagation, religious activities and organizational management of religion” + State management: In the broad sense: State management includes all legislative, executive and judicial activities of state agencies State management is the management of the state over society and citizens and is a special form of social management That is the command and administration to 11 exercise state power; is the overview of institutions, laws, rules, organization and personnel of the state apparatus; carried out by all state agencies such as legislative, executive and judicial by promulgating legal documents, organizing, administering and inspecting and controlling to perform their functions, duties and powers assigned by the state in the process of organizing and regulating social relations and citizens' behavior In the narrow sense: State management is the exercise of executive power of the state; is the organized and regulated influence by the legal power of the state on social processes and human activities in order to maintain and develop social relations and legal order, in order to perform the functions and tasks of the state, carried out by agencies in the administrative system from the central to grassroots levels + State management of religious activities: State management of religious activities is the process of influencing, operating and adjusting so that belief and religious activities take place in accordance with the provisions of law - State management for activities of Caodaism From the above concepts, it can be understood that state management for activities of Caodaism is the process by which state management agencies use their management tools and methods to influence and regulate Caodaism, adjust relationships arisen in activities of Caodaism (individuals or organizations) in accordance with the provisions of law State management for activities of Caodaism aims at specific goals and orientations of the State, positive nature, direction of religious activities in compliance with the law, dignitaries and followers living good life, good faith The state management does not aim at preventing individuals and organizations from participating in religious activities In the narrow sense, it is the implementation and administration of state administrative agencies (Government, People's Committees at all levels) to affect activities of Caodaism carried out by individuals and organizations in order to achieve the goals desired by the State Within the scope of this dissertation, the concept of state management, state management of religious activities, state management for activities of Caodaism are approached and deployed by the author in a narrow sense 12 2.2.2 Contents and methods of state management for activities of Caodaism - Contents of state management for activities of Caodaism + Elaborate and promulgate legal documents on the management of religious activities + Build the organizational structure of the state management apparatus for religious activities from the central to the grassroots level + Build a contingent of cadres and civil servants to perform state management over religious activities + Manage the organization and activities of religion + Disseminate and educate the law on religion for cadres and civil servants doing religious work and Caodaism dignitaries, subdignitaries and followers + Inspect, examine and settle complaints and denunciations, and handle violations of the law related to religion Fight against and prevent acts of taking advantage of religion to infringe upon security and order + International relations in state management of religious activities - State management method for religious activities + State management over religious activities by law; + State management over religious activities by policies; + Manage religious activities by organizational structure and personnel work; + Through the work of persuading and mobilizing dignitaries and religious followers; + Through the inspection, examination and handling of complaints and denunciations related to religious activities 2.2.3 Subjects and objects of state management for religious activities - Subjects The dissertation approaches the concept of state management of religious activities in a narrow sense, so the subjects of state management of religious activities include state agencies of the executive system: The Government, Prime Minister, People's Committees at all levels The Government performs the unified state management of beliefs and religions As assigned by the Government, the Ministry of Home Affairs performs the function of state 13 management of religion In addition, religious work also has the attention of leadership and direction of Party committees at all levels, the coordination of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations, the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, and state agencies, organizations and individuals that are empowered by the state to manage such as the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and so forth - Objects of state management for religious activities Objects of state management are organizations, individuals, relationships, events and phenomena affected and regulated by management activities from state agencies For religious activities, objects under the state management are religious processes and activities of religious organizations and individuals These processes and activities are influenced by state management entities, and those influences have the effect of orienting and leading the activities of management objects in accordance with regulations and policies, and religious laws of the State of Vietnam According to the PhD student’s understanding, the objects of state management for religious activities are activities of dignitaries, followers, organizations and religious denominations As described in section 2.1.1, such activities include religious propagation, religious activities, and management of religious organizations In fact, religious activities are very diverse, but in essence they are still in the above groups 2.2.4 Principles of state management for activities of Caodaism - The principle of equality; - Comply with guidelines of the Party, policies and laws of the State; - Ensure religious freedom of dignitaries and followers of Caodaism 2.3 Factors affecting the effectiveness of state management for activities of Caodaism Factors affecting the effectiveness of state management, according to different criteria, can be grouped into: internal and external factors; direct and indirect factors; major and minor factor In the context of Vietnam, the state management for activities of Caodaism 14 has the impact of specific factors such as: political factors; institutional system; organization of the state management apparatus and the capacity and qualifications of the contingent of cadres and civil servants; finance, physical, technical and scientific and technological foundations; the participation and support of Caodaism dignitaries and followers; the process of economic and social development and international integration; activities taking advantage of Caodaism to infringe upon security and order 2.4 Experience in state management of religious activities 2.4.1 Experience in state management of religious activities in some countries and reference values for Vietnam The author summarizes the state management of religion in three countries, namely China, Thailand and the United States, in which China is a country that has many similarities with Vietnam in terms of political system, while the United States takes the lead in the assessment of freedom of religion, democracy and human rights of other countries in the world State management of religious activities is a fundamental issue in the legal system, having a direct relationship with the state organization model with specific socio-cultural conditions in each country Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to study and understand religious work in other countries, thereby drawing lessons from experience for Vietnam 2.4.2 Experience in state management of religious activities in some regions in Vietnam Through the study of state management of religious activities in the Mekong Delta and Central Highlands, some lessons can be drawn as follows: First, perform well the propaganda and dissemination of important points of the Party, policies and laws of the State related to religion; Second, proactively concretize the Party's views, policies and laws in accordance with the actual conditions of the locality; Third, build and consolidate a strong and clean political system; Fourth, pay attention to economic development, improve material and spiritual life in difficult regions; Fifth, proactively fight, prevent, and promptly stop activities that take advantage of religion; Sixth, deal well with the relationship between ethnicity and religion 15 Chapter PRACTICE OF CAODAISM ACTIVITIES AND STATE MANAGEMENT FOR ACTIVITIES OF CAODAISM IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION 3.1 Characteristics and practice of Caodaism activities in the Southeast region 3.1.1 Characteristics of Caodaism in the Southeast region - The history of formation and development of Caodaism in the Southeast region is a very complicated process of division in terms of organization - The Southeast is the region with the most Caodaism sects in the country, but the distribution of Caodaism in localities is uneven, in which Tay Ninh Caodaism is the largest sect - Caodaism’s religious activities are diverse, associated with the life and culture of the Southern people - Regarding the relationship between ethnicity and religion: Caodaism is an endogenous religion, most of the dignitaries and followers are Kinh people 3.1.2 Activities of Caodaism in the Southeast region - Propagating religion: Over the past time, the dissemination of the image of Caodaism was carried out based on forms such as publishing scriptures about Caodaism, building websites about Caodaism; through the registration of new parishes, construction of shrines and temples - Religious activities: means the expression of religious beliefs, the practice of doctrines, canon law, and religious rituals - Managing the organization of the religion + Establish, split and merge religious organizations The religious sects and denominations eligible for new establishment, division or merger will submit dossiers to the competent authorities Newly formed religious establishments will be recognized as legal entities by the government Up to now, there have been 11 Caodaism sects, 07 independent Caodaism organizations recognized as legal entities operating in the Southeast region + Training and fostering dignitaries, sub-dignitaries and followers Every year, Caodaism sects organize training courses on 16 conduct for dignitaries and sub-dignitaries on the doctrine, canon law, ritual practice, and religious law knowledge + Ordination, appointment, election, transfer, dismissal, dismissal of dignitaries and sub-dignitaries Currently, Caodaism in the Southeast region has 6,765 dignitaries and 9,097 sub-dignitaries appointed after the ordination and promotion of congress terms, in which Tay Ninh Caodaism sect accounts for the largest number + Construction and repair of worship facilities: New construction of worship facilities and repair of existing degraded buildings are the actual needs of many Caodaism sects + International relations activities After 1975, a number of Caodaism dignitaries and followers in the Southeast region went abroad under HO, ODP, and so forth and formed a Caodaism religious community in the US, France, Canada, Australia with a currently estimated 30,000 people 3.2 Practice of state management for Caodaism activities in the Southeast region 3.2.1 Apparatus and training and fostering cadres and civil servants in charge of state management for activities of Caodaism - The apparatus (1) The apparatus of central management agencies: The Government unifies the state management of religion in the whole country The Ministry of Home Affairs is an agency of the Government, performing the function of state management in sectors and fields, including state management of religion (2) The apparatus of local management agencies: People's Committees of provinces conduct the state management on religion within their respective localities, in which the Provincial Committee of Religion is an organization directly under the Department of Home Affairs, assisting the Director of the Department of Home Affairs to advise the Provincial People's Committee to perform the state management function in the field of religion (3) The apparatus of state management on religion at district level: At the district level, the state management apparatus on religion does not have its own independent agency but merged with the Department of Home Affairs, implementing in the spirit of Decree 37/2014/ND-CP dated May 5, 2014 and Circular 15/2014/TT-BNV guiding the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Department of Home Affairs, the Division of Home Affairs under the 17 District People's Committee (4) The apparatus of the state management on religion at commune level: there is 01 Vice Chairman of the commune who will be in charge of religious work, and 01 socio-cultural officer concurrently doing religious work - Training and fostering cadres and civil servants in charge of state management In recent years, provinces and cities have enhanced training and professional development in religious work Therefore, the contingent of officials working on state management of religion at the provincial level has met the requirements of religious work in the new situation 3.2.2 Conducting the state management of Caodaism activities 3.2.2.1 Participating in the formulation of policies and promulgating legal documents on religion In order to realize directions of the Central Committee related to religion, the Religious Affairs Committee - Department of Home Affairs at all levels, the People's Public Security force, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee have advised and contributed ideas to the People's Committees of provinces and cities to promptly develop and institutionalize a system of legal documents to perform religious management tasks, such as: Regulations on coordination in the work of state management of religion in Binh Phuoc province (issued together with Decision No 65/2016/QD-UBND dated December 20, 2016 of the People's Committee of Binh Phuoc province); Regulation on coordination in state management of religion in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province (issued together with Decision No 1345/QD-UBND dated May 25, 2018 of the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province) ); Decision 139/QD-UBND in 2018 announcing the set of administrative procedures in the field of belief and religion at the provincial, district and commune levels of Dong Nai province; Decision 08/QD-UB in 1991 promulgating the Regulations on organization and operation of Ho Chi Minh City Committee for Religion issued by the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City; Directive 08/CT-UBND 2018 on improving state management responsibility for religious work in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, and so forth 3.2.2.2 Organizing the implementation of the State's policies and laws on religion - For the establishment, separation, merger and consolidation of affiliated religious organizations: The separation and establishment of 18 new religious establishments mainly took place before 2004 Recently, the denominations Caodaism in the Southeast region has basically stabilized the organization, and the religious groups have specific management areas - For activities of ordination, appointment, transfer and dismissal of dignitaries: There were 6,765 dignitaries and 9,097 sub-dignitaries appointed after the ordination and promotion of 05 terms of the Congresses - For the education and training activities, opening training courses on catechism and conduct: Training activities for dignitaries and sub-dignitaries of Caodaism mainly take place in Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh, two areas with many dignitaries and sub-dignitaries and meeting the conditions of facilities to organize the teaching tasks - For administrative and religious activities: The authorities of the provinces and cities in the Southeast have organized the dissemination of the Law on Belief and Religion and administrative documents in the field of religion for religious officials of the province and dignitaries in Caodaism sects The Religious Affairs Department has cooperated with functional sectors and local authorities to guide and help churches successfully organize human congresses; previously helped 75 religious families to organize grassroots human congresses to approve the list of ordination and promotion and raise their aspirations to the church - For foreign affairs and international relations: Create favorable conditions for Caodaism sects to exchange with foreign religious organizations (mainly Tay Ninh Caodaism sect) - Management of health and social charity activities: Charity activities of the denominations have taken place actively, making many contributions to the community - Management of land and worship facilities: Up to now, functional sectors have advised the Provincial People's Committee to consider and issue certificates of ownership of Caodaism land about 228.2/331.6 for stable religious purposes, accounting for about 69% There are 86 religious works of Caodaism in Tay Ninh 3.2.2.3 Propagating, disseminating and educating the State's policies and laws on religion Party committees and authorities at all levels have focused on directing well the propaganda and mobilization of dignitaries, sub- 19 dignitaries and followers to strictly implement policies and laws on religious activities, considering this as one of their key tasks, deciding the effectiveness of management 3.2.2.4 Inspecting and handling legal violations on activities of Caodaism, fighting against activities that take advantage of Caodaism to infringe upon security and order In the provinces and cities in the Southeast, functional agencies have actively coordinated with one another to inspect religious activities, thereby detecting violations of the law of religion Departments of Home Affairs of provinces and cities have coordinated with interdisciplinary inspection teams and Public Security forces to organize many visits to places of religious activities and construction works Thereby, the authorities have detected and handled many violations in the locality Inspection activities are always maintained by the competent forces on a regular basis The number of thematic inspections on the implementation of policies and laws on religion in the Southeast region is about six times per year 3.2.2.5 International relations in state management for activities of Caodaism Determining the position and importance of Caodaism external activities, the Religious Affairs Committees of the provinces and cities have advised the People's Committees of the provinces and cities to issue regulations and direct documents to the People's Committees of provinces and cities People's Committees at all levels have guided Caodaism dignitaries and followers to strictly comply with legal provisions related to religious foreign affairs 3.3 Comments 3.3.1 Successes The implementation of the religious policy has contributed to the stability and development of Caodaism, bringing Caodaism activities to comply with the State's laws, strengthening the solidarity bloc of the whole nation; institutional system, organizational structure, contingent of cadres and civil servants, and so forth 3.3.2 Limitations and causes In addition to the achievements, the state management of Caodaism activities in the Southeast region has also revealed some limitations showing in qualifications of cadres and civil servants, 20 inspection and examination, relationships and coordination among relevant agencies, and so on Chapter DIRECTIONS AND SOLUTIONS TO FURTHER IMPROVE STATE MANAGEMENT FOR CAODAISM ACTIVITIES IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION 4.1 Forecasts on the activity trend of Caodaism in the Southeast region Caodaism will continue to develop and accompany the nation; Activities of Caodaism have become more and more organized, complying with the policies and laws of the State; Interaction activities of the sects will take place more and more closely; The relationship of domestic Caodaism organizations with overseas Caodaism organizations continues to expand; Complicated issues related to Caodaism still exist 4.2 Viewpoints and directions to improve state management for Caodaism activities in the Southeast region 4.2.1 Viewpoints of the Communist Party of Vietnam on religious work In the current period, the religious work needs to thoroughly grasp the following views: First, belief and religion are the spiritual needs of a part of the people, which will exist with the nation in the process of building socialism in our country Second, the Vietnamese Party and State consistently implement the policy of great national unity; unite people of different religions; unite religious compatriots and non-religious compatriots Third, the core content of religious work is mass mobilization Fourth, as religious work is related to many areas of social life, all levels, branches, and areas of religious work, this is the responsibility of the whole political system Fifth, for matters of religion and evangelism, it must be done according to principles 4.2.2 Directions of perfecting state management for Caodaism activities in the Southeast region First, continue to thoroughly grasp and well implement the views and guidelines of the Party, policies and laws of the State on religion Second, strengthen the solidarity bloc of the whole people, contributing to promoting synergy to successfully carry out socioeconomic development tasks in the Southeast region 21 Third, focus on propaganda and mass mobilization Fourth, bring into play the role of the whole political system, and innovate the content and mode of operation Fifth, promote the positive aspects of religion in general and Caodaism in particular, and at the same time raise vigilance, proactively detect, fight, prevent and strictly handle activities that take advantage of beliefs and religion to infringing upon security and order 4.3 Solutions 4.3.1 Continuing to improve policies and laws related to the state management of religion in general and Caodaism activities in particular Perfecting the system of policies and laws is an important job to build a rule of law state The state conducts social management by law, so the state management of religious activities must have a specific and comprehensive legal corridor Developing and perfecting policies and laws related to religion to meet the needs of people's religious activities and at the same time in line with international regulations to which our country participates is an important issue in the state management of religious activities 4.3.2 Completing the apparatus and improving the quality of management cadres and civil servants - About the apparatus In order to reform the state management apparatus for religious activities in line with development trends, each locality needs to base on the provisions of law and the specific situation to build an appropriate management apparatus - On strengthening the training and retraining of cadres and civil servants in charge of the state management of religious activities The contingent of cadres and civil servants in the field of religion must firmly grasp the viewpoints of the Party and the laws of the State and have solid professional skills 4.3.3 Strengthening the propaganda and education on the law on religion State management has always been done on the basis of law and by law, so propagating and disseminating state policies and laws are of special importance and a prerequisite for stakeholders Officials (subjects of religious activities and subjects of state management 22 activities) should be properly fully aware of and strictly abide by the provisions of the law 4.3.4 Closely coordinating with relevant agencies, departments and forces in state management of Caodaism activities - Propagating and guiding to raise awareness about the importance of force coordination in state management - Completing the legal basis for coordination in state management of religious activities - Developing and organizing the implementation of plans of coordination in the state management of religious activities in a specific, clear and unified manner - Implementing the information and reporting regime in the state management of religious activities closely and effectively - Improving the effectiveness of preliminary and summary of coordination relationships 4.3.5 Improving the effectiveness of inspection, examination and handling of legal violations, settling complaints and denunciations, and fighting with activities that take advantage of Caodaism to infringe upon security and order - Regarding the inspection and examination: Inspection is an essential function of the state management agency in order to well in management work, helping law enforcement to be conducted effectively - Regarding the settlement of complaints and denunciations and handling of violations of the law on religion: The 2011 Law on Complaints and the 2018 Law on Denunciations will be an important legal corridor for competent state agencies to conduct the settlement of complaints and denunciations - Regarding the fight against activities that take advantage of Caodaism to infringe upon security and order: This is an important content, but in order to achieve the highest effectiveness, the Religious Affairs Committee needs to closely coordinate with the Public Security force, a specialized force in protecting national security and maintaining social order and safety 4.4 Some recommendations 4.4.1 For the Central level The Government directs to issue a decree on sanctioning administrative violations in the field of religion soon The Government 23 continues to direct research to build and strengthen the apparatus for state management of religion from the central to grassroots levels; The Ministry of Home Affairs needs to continue studying and promulgating a Circular on payroll, policies and standards for religious staff 4.4.2 For the provincial level People's Committees of the provinces and cities continue to study, arrange, and consolidate the organizational apparatus and staffing of religious staff at all levels and branches to suit local realities Every year, the People's Committees of the provinces and cities in the Southeast region should open training courses to equip full-time officials with legal knowledge as well as professional knowledge on beliefs and religions; pay attention to the timely encouragement and commendation of religious dignitaries to practice their religion in accordance with the Party's guidelines, the State's laws and policies, and have many achievements in participating in the local revolutionary movement Do well the work of competing for dignitaries and persons with prestige in religion in general and in Caodaism in particular to close the gap between the State and religion, exploit the resources of the religion to manage the religion CONCLUSION Through the study of works related to Caodaism as well as the state management of religious activities, it shows that the study of Caodaism from the perspective of state management is still not many in quantity and not in a systematic manner; most research documents only study from the religious, political or sociological perspective The study of Caodaism in the South has also received the attention of some religious researchers, but there have not been much research and most of them have mainly studied and studied from the perspective of culture and history The dissertation has made some general comments about the results that previous researchers have built, pointed out the aspects and gaps that scholars have not studied or have not studied deeply, thereby identifying the content the dissertation needs to solve In order to clarify the theoretical issue, the analysis of factors affecting the state management of religious activities and the experience of state management of religion in some countries (China, the United 24 States, Thailand) and some regions in our country (Mekong River Delta, Central Highlands) is an important issue This is the basis and foundation for the analysis and assessment of the state management of religious activities in Vietnam The organization, apparatus and training of cadres and civil servants in charge of state management in the field of religion have been specified Accordingly, the current model and contingent of civil servants are operating effectively State management activities are also evaluated specifically on aspects such as: Participating in policy formulation, promulgating legal documents on religion; Organizing the implementation of policies and laws on religion; Propagating, disseminating and educating the State's policies and laws on religion; Inspecting and handling violations of the law on activities of Caodaism, fighting against activities that take advantage of Caodaism to infringe upon security and order; international cooperation in state management of Caodaism activities From the research results on the management situation, the author has evaluated the aspects of successes, limitations and pointed out the causes of those limitations The dissertation has outlined and explained solutions to contribute to perfecting the state management of Caodaism in the Southeast region in the coming time, specifically: Continuing to improve policies and laws related to the state management of religion in general and activities of Caodaism in particular; Completing the organizational structure and improving the quality of management cadres and civil servants; Strengthening the propaganda and education of the law on religion; Closely coordinating with relevant agencies, departments and forces in the state management of Caodaism activities; Improving the effectiveness of inspection and handling of legal violations, settling complaints and denunciations and fighting against activities that take advantage of Caodaism to infringe upon security and order ... development of Caodaism The book History of Caodaism in latent period 1920 - 1926 (Thuan Hoa Publishing House, Hue, 1996) by author Le Anh; the book Historire du Caodaime (History of Caodaism) by... Peasant and Priest in the Caodai in Vietnam by Werner Jayne Suasan; the book History of Caodaism, Volumes and of the General Administration of Dai Dao Teachings; the book Caodaismin two aspects:... and operational aspects of Caodaism The book Mottos of religious practice by Le Van Trung; Victor Oliver’s research work Caodai spiritism - a study of religion in Vietnamese society The Book of