by Trung Tin

State Department report on religious freedom highlights the problem. Whilst recognising improvements in Vietnamese government policies, it says abuses are still taking place, like the failure to return land and properties owned by Catholic parishes.

Hanoi (AsiaNews) – Vietnam’s government still perceives religious activities “as a challenge to its rule or to the authority of the Communist Party,” but “[r]espect for religious freedom and practice continued to improve in some regards during the reporting period”.  Even so, “significant problems” and “restrictions remained on the organized activities of many religious groups,” said the 2009 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom released by the US State Department last Monday.  The report elicited an expected response from the Foreign Ministry in Hanoi, which complained again about Washington’s interference in the internal affairs of Vietnam.

“Reports of abuses of religious freedom continued to diminish; however, some religious believers continued to experience harassment or repression, particularly those who had not applied for or been granted legal sanction,” the report said.

The report noted that the government has not returned lands and properties to the parishes of Tam Toa (Vinh diocese), Ly Loan (Hue), Thai Ha and the old apostolic delegation in Hanoi.

“The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City maintain regular dialogue with senior and working-level government officials to advocate for greater religious freedom. U.S. officials met and communicated regularly with religious leaders, including religious activists under government scrutiny,” the report said. Overall, the Vietnamese government has taken steps expand the scope of the 2004 Ordinance on Religion and Belief.

In 2008 and 2009, a number of religious organisations like Caritas allowed to register.

Problems remain in terms of enforcing the Ordinance at the local level. In some areas, local authorities impose limitations, restrictions and difficulties on religious organisations.

Recently, authorities in the north-eastern province of Tra Vinh used force to put an end to some controversial issues. Catholic parishioners, Buddhists and Protestant groups have been prevented from meeting.

On 14 October, the US Embassy in Hanoi issued a statement saying, “the local government forced the monks from Bat Nha Monastery in Lam Dong Province, and the government did not protect them from attacks. It is against Vietnam government’s commitment and the international standards that are recognized on human rights and the rule of the law.”

Since 2006, the United States has taken Vietnam off a list of “countries of particular concerns” on the issue of religious freedom. But in the time, some members of the National Congress have called Obama to list Vietnam as “countries of particular concerns.

The current list of countries violating religious freedom includes China, Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan.

The United States continues to keep channels open with Vietnam, hoping it can broaden the scope of human rights and religious freedom.

Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, plans to visit Vietnam in the near future.

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