Freedom of religion in Vietnam

While the Constitution of Vietnam officially provides for freedom of religion, in practice the government imposes a range of legislative measures restricting religious practice (such as registration requirements, control boards, and surveillance).[1][2][3] All religious groups must register and seek approval from the government. The government requires all Buddhist monks to be approved by and work under the officially recognized Buddhist organization, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS). The number of Buddhist student monks is controlled and limited by the Committee on Religious Affairs. According to a 2020 report by Human Rights Watch, prohibited religious activities are those deemed to be contrary to arbitrary notions of the "national interest", "public order", or "national unity". Unrecognized religious groups, including Cao Đài, Hòa Hảo, and some Christian and Buddhist groups face "constant surveillance and harassment". Some religious groups may be subject to "public criticism, forced renunciation of faith, detention, interrogation, torture, and imprisonment."[4] Laws continue to be applied unevenly however, with some local government areas taking a more relaxed and tolerant approach than others. [citation needed]

In 2023, the country was scored 1 out of 4 for religious freedom by the American organization Freedom House.[5] In the same year it was ranked as the 25th most difficult place in the world to be a Christian by Christian mission Open Doors.[6]

  1. ^ "How Vietnam respects and protects religious freedom has implications beyond its own borders - America Magazine". 22 February 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-02-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.hrw.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Freedom of religion in Việt Nam clear to see". vietnamnews.vn.
  4. ^ "World Report 2020: Rights Trends in Vietnam". Human Rights Watch. 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  5. ^ Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08
  6. ^ "Open Doors website, retrieved 2023-08-08". Archived from the original on 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2023-08-24.