U.S. Releases 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom

November 19, 2010

Hanoi, November 19, 2010 – The U.S. Department of State has released the 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom, a comprehensive review of the status of religious freedom in countries and territories around the world. The report covers the period from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010.

“We believe that religious freedom is both a fundamental human right and an essential element to any stable, peaceful, thriving society,” said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “This is not only the American view; it is the view of nations and people around the world. It is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and it is guaranteed by the laws and constitutions of many nations, including our own, where religious freedom is the first freedom listed in our Bill of Rights.”

"With this report, we do not intend to act as a judge of other countries or hold ourselves out as a perfect example, but the United States cares about religious freedom. We have worked hard to enforce religious freedom. We want to see religious freedom available universally.”

Below are excerpts from the Report’s section on Vietnam:

“Respect for religious freedom and practice improved in some regards during the reporting period. However, significant problems remained, including occasional harassment and excessive use of force by local government officials against religious groups in some locations, and delays in approving registrations of Protestant congregations... The government also facilitated construction of new churches, prayer houses, pagodas, and training facilities for furthering the education of thousands of monks, priests, nuns, and pastors. New congregations were registered in many of the 64 provinces, and one new religious group and two Protestant denominations received national registration or recognition. The government permitted the expansion of religious organizations’ charitable activities. President Nguyen Minh Triet met with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. Vietnam and the Holy See agreed to a Vatican appointment of a non-resident Representative for Vietnam as a first step toward the establishment of full diplomatic relations. The Catholic Church, Protestant congregations, and other smaller religious groups reported that their ability to gather and worship generally improved and that the government allowed registered religious groups to assign new clergy with limited restrictions. The government also permitted the Buddhist, Catholic, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, and Protestant faiths to hold several historic large-scale religious services throughout the country, some with over 100,000 participants.”

“Despite areas of progress during the reporting period, significant problems remained, especially at the provincial and village levels... The government maintained a prominent role overseeing all officially recognized religions... There were also instances of government participation in, or sanction of, violence against religious groups. These included attacks on the Plum Village Community followers of Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the excessive use of force in the destruction of a large concrete crucifix on disputed territory at the Dong Chiem parish. There were also reports of harsh treatment of detainees accused of initiating violence during a protest over the enforcement of an agreement between the Catholic Church and the government to close a cemetery in Con Dau parish. Accounts of the series of events leading to the incident varied, even between parishioners and Catholic leaders.”

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.

The Report is now available in English on the website of the U.S. Department of State, and a Vietnamese translation will soon be made available. See the following website for more information: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148903.htm

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