New Vietnam religion decree sets state controls
HANOI - A new
decree on religion in
communist-ruled Vietnam enshrines
religious rights but warns of
punishments for those who use
religion to harm the state, the official
Vietnam News Agency (VNA)
reported on Wednesday.
The decree, which was issued by the
government on Monday and comes
into force on May 4, also states that
religious property and lands once
handed to the government now
belong to the state, VNA said.
Following victories in 1954 over the
French in North Vietnam and the
U.S. backed South Vietnam in 1975,
the new communist regimes took
control of properties which belonged
to Buddhist, Catholic and other
religious orders.
These included a Vatican-owned
seminary in the central highland town
of Dalat, schools, administrative
offices and pagodas, temples and
churches.
A foreign diplomat in Hanoi said
some religious properties and lands
were subsequently returned, but the
issue remained a potential flashpoint
for relations between the state and
religious groups.
VNA said under the decree there
should be no discrimination, and that
people were free to follow or not to
follow religion, and to change their
religion if they wished.
Recent official documents and letters
seen by Reuters show that in some
highland areas local authorities have
used force in an attempt to make
some people -- particularly
Protestants -- abandon religious
beliefs.
The decree warned that ``violations
of religious freedom,'' including
activities deemed superstitious,
would be punished.
``Any acts conducted under the
pretext of worship and religion to
oppose the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam...shall be punished in
accordance with the law,'' VNA
said.
International human rights
organisations and some foreign
governments have accused Vietnam
of failing to respect religious
freedoms.
Vietnam says allegations that it exerts
strict state control over religion and
imprisons people for peaceful
expression of religious or political
beliefs are false.
In an official report U.N. Special
Rapporteur for Religious Intolerance
Abdelfattah Amor, who visited
Vietnam last October, said the
country continued to limit religious
freedoms.
Vietnam countered that Amor lacked
objectivity and expressed bad will
towards the country. It added that
visits from human rights or religion
investigators would no longer be
welcome.
The diplomat said the new decree
appeared to reinforce last June's
Communist Party politburo directive
on religion.
That directive said political will was
lacking to counter wrongdoings such
as illegally organising religious
activities; printing, importing,
exporting and circulating religious
books; and excessive public support
for the construction and repair of
places of worship.
Reuters - April 21, 1999.
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