Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options

 

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has expressed concerns about a new decree that came into force in Vietnam on Jan. 1, which sets out conditions for registration of religious activities and practitioners and includes a wide range of limitations on religious practice. Catholic priests and parishioners in Vietnam are reported to believe this “backward” decree is a sign that the government is following a Chinese model and “looking for a way to control and restrict the freedom of religion.” Thich Quang Do, 84, the head of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam who is currently under house arrest, warned that the new decree will “seriously curtail religious freedom” in Vietnam. C.S.W.’s advocacy director, Andrew Johnston, said, “Vietnam has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; however, this decree appears to restrict religious activities in a manner not consistent with its obligations under [the covenant].... C.S.W. urges the government of Vietnam to ensure that the right to freedom of religion or belief is fully guaranteed by law.”

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy met inside St. Peter’s Basilica ahead of the funeral for Pope Francis on the morning of April 26.
Associated PressApril 26, 2025
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re’s homily for the funeral of Pope Francis.
America StaffApril 26, 2025
The day before he died, Pope Francis made one final circuit through St. Peter’s Square in his popemobile. “That’s my last image of him alive,” Gerry O’Connell remembered. “He drove among the people.”
Universities need to change. But Trump is attacking the wrong problems.
Nathan SchneiderApril 25, 2025