triển của Ban Tôn giáo Chính phủ - Bộ Nội vụ. http:// btgcp.gov.vn/Plus.aspx/vi/News/38/0/153/0/1062/Qua_ trinh_xay_dung_va_phat_trien_cua_Ban_Ton_giao_ Chinh_phu_Bo_Noi_vu
October 23, 2015, Sisters of Holy Cross’ Lovers in Thu Thiem staged a prayer vigil against the government’s destruction of their facilities. Photo
REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN VIETNAM 2015
Deputy Minister. The position is, however, currently assumed by Mr. Le Vinh Tan, member of the CPV Central Committee and Deputy Minister of the Interior.
The second office in charge of supervision and advice to the CPV Central Committee on religious policies is the Religious Affairs department of the Central Committee on Public Relations.
Equipped with those powerful offices, the government in 2015 continued to control all religions with the same applicable procedures for “activities registration” and “confirmation certificate”. All religious activities such as practice sessions, retreats, processions, etc. must receive previous government approval. The government still continues its “divide and conquer” policy toward religion. For each religion, there is always a “state-imposed committee” under the permanent supervision of the “Fatherland Front” to coordinate activities “in compliance with the official policy of the regime.” As for Buddhism, the government only recognizes the state-run Buddhist Church of Vietnam (formed in 1981),9 while outlawing the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (formed much earlier as a legitimate heir to the various traditional Buddhist sects of Vietnam). Furthermore, the Vietnamese Communists have kept the Church Head, Most Venerable Thich Quang Do, in prison or under house arrest over three decades. Moreover, they are currently keeping him isolated in the Thien Vien Zen Monastery in Saigon.
In the case of the Hoa Hao Buddhist Church, the State disallowed the Orthodox Hoa Hao Buddhist Church leadership, and installed a pro-government Hoa Hao Buddhist Representative Board unrecognized by most Hoa Hao followers. As for the Cao Dai Church, with the 2007 Charter, the government set up the state-sanctioned church ruled by the
9 Đỗ Trung Hiếu. Hồ sơ “Thống Nhất Phật Giáo”. http:// phatgiaokhongcongsan.blogspot.com/2011/05/ho-so- phatgiaokhongcongsan.blogspot.com/2011/05/ho-so- thong-nhat-phat-giao-o-trung-hieu.html
Executive Council of the Cao Dai Tay Ninh Church which other Cao Dai traditionalists do not support. As for Khmer-Krom Buddhists, the government dispersed the Khmer-Krom Theravada Buddhist Associations, and forced Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks to join the Patriotic United Buddhist Association. With respect to the Vietnamese Catholic Church, the Communists diminished the role of the Vietnam Catholic Conference of Bishops by fostering the Vietnam Committee for Catholic Solidarity. The recruitment, training, ordainment, appointment, and transfer of religious officials all require the sanction in advance of the state. The training programs for seminarians and other grassroots cadres must be reviewed by the state. Programs must include subjects such as Marxist/
Leninist ideology, Ho Chi Minh thought, history of the CPV, and the SRV legal system that are taught by state instructors. Candidates for high- ranking positions in any religion must be vetted and approved by the state’s central level before they can be accepted. Worse still, police agents disguised as “clergymen,” particularly Buddhist monks, are trained to secretly infiltrate temples and religious institutions both at home and abroad, including in the United States, Australia and elsewhere, in order to cause disruptions within the religious rank and file.
July 3, 2015, Plain clothes police and thugs obstructed the Hoa Hao Buddhists to commemorate the anniversary of their religion founding day in district Cho Moi, An Giang.
The authorities often restrict the travels of religious dignitaries and prohibit religious festivals which they deem are not consistent with the interests of the ruling party. Following are some typical cases:
- On January 2, the Orthodox Hoa Hao Buddhist Church was prevented by Vinh Long province police from organizing the introduction of its 2014-2018 leadership in Dong Thanh hamlet of Binh Minh town in Vinh Long, and from its annual three-day solemn commemoration of Hoa Hao church founding day, its Founder Huynh’s birthday, and the day he was assassinated by the Viet Minh (name of the CPV movement during 1945-1950).
- On May 6 and 16, Christians in Nam Po and Muong Nhe districts of Dien Bien province were forbidden by local authorities from holding the Feast of the Ascension, allegedly due to political security and social order. - On May 27, the Nhon Sanh Bloc of the Tay Ninh Cao Dai Church was violently prevented by Tay Ninh provincial authorities, in collaboration with state-directed faithfuls, from organizing its Nhon Sanh Festival.
- On June 7, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, papal representative for Vietnam, and Bishop Hoang Duc Oanh, were obstructed by Gia Lai provincial authorities from paying their pastoral visit to a number of minority faithfuls in the diocese.
- On September 28, Executive Chief Hua Phi, Co-Chairman of the Interfaith Council of Vietnam, was prevented by the Tan Son Nhut airport police from leaving for Thailand to participate in the seminar on freedom of religion for Southeast Asia.
- On December 24, Catholic priests in Kontum were prevented by provincial authorities from offering Christmas celebration to their faithfuls in isolated areas of the Kontum parish.