First Law on Belief and Religion adopted

VOV.VN - On November 18, Vietnam's National Assembly approved the Law on Belief and Religion which replaces the current Ordinance on Belief and Religion.

The new law regulates the State’s responsibility for ensuring the right to freedom of belief and religion and creating conditions for registering religious practices, recognizing such organizations, establishing religious training institutions, and joining foreign religious organizations. 

Phan Thanh Binh, Head of the National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents, and Children said, “The draft law was thoroughly studied so that it must be scientific and cohesive, and reflect the State’s view on the right to freedom of belief and religion and the State’s responsibility in ensuring that right.”

According to the new law, it will take 5 years instead of 23 years for being recognized as a religious organization. 

The law stipulates that the Vietnamese State protects the right to freedom of belief and religion of foreigners who legally reside in Vietnam. They are entitled to their religious practices. 

Religious dignitaries, who are legally foreign residents in Vietnam, are allowed to preach at religious establishments and other legal venues in Vietnam. 

Mr Binh said, “Regulations on foreigners’ religious activities should be cohesive, rational, and transparent, creating favourable conditions for foreigners to practise their religion and belief in the context of Vietnam’s deeper integration into the world."

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