DIRECTIVE No. 01/2005/CT-TTg OF FEBRUARY 4, 2005 ON A NUMBER OF PROTESTANTISM-RELATED WORK

In furtherance of the Party’s and State’s undertakings and policies on Protestantism, recently, ministries, branches and localities have made great efforts and obtained important results. Purely religious activities of Protestant dignitaries and followers have been ensured, thus bringing joy to adherents and consolidating their confidence in the Party’s and State’s leadership. Protestant followers have actively participated in economic, cultural and social development movements and positively contributed to the national construction.

In order to continue to well implement the Party’s and State’s policies toward beliefs and religions in general and toward Protestantism in particular, the Prime Minister requests the ministries, branches and provincial/municipal People’s Committees to coordinate closely with Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations in seriously and effectively performing the following tasks:

1. To thoroughly grasp and fully realize the Party’s undertakings and the State’s laws on beliefs and religions as well as policies towards Protestantism; at the same time, to well implement economic, cultural and social development programs so as to improve the people’s material and spiritual life and create conditions for Protestant followers to further associate to the community, better and better participate in economic, cultural and social activities and contribute actively to national building and defense.

2. To enhance the propagation and agitation work and create favorable conditions for Protestant dignitaries and followers to well observe the Party’s policies and the State’s laws on beliefs and religions and organize their religious activities as routine ones in conformity with law; to encourage every dignitary and follower “to lead a good religious and secular life,” and “to serve God, the Fatherland and the Nation.” To ensure citizens’ right to freedom of belief and non-belief, right to follow or not to follow any religion; to strictly prohibit attempts to force people to follow a religion or abandon their religions. To resolutely struggle against plots and tricks of hostile forces that abuse religions and disguise themselves under Protestantism to impulse and entice people, sow division among nationalities and oppose the country.

3. To guide and assist the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (northern region) and the General Confederation of Evangelical Church of Vietnam (southern region) to conduct their religious activities in strict accordance with their chapters, statutes and law provisions.

4. For Protestant followers in the Central Highlands, southern Truong Son region and central Vietnam:

To continue to consider and recognize eligible chapters of the General Confederation of Evangelical Church of Vietnam (southern region) and create favorable conditions for them to build worshipping places, train and appoint dignitaries to guide religious work for recognized chapters according to law provisions.

For places where the conditions for recognition of chapters have not yet been fully met, if the Protestant followers wish to conduct purely religious activities and commit to abide by law provisions, neither following FULRO reactionaries nor having connection with “DEGA Protestantism” (which is, in essence, an organization of FULRO reactionaries), communal and ward authorities shall create conditions for them to conduct normal religious activities at their families or to register for their religious practice at appropriate places in hamlets or villages.

5. For ethnic minority people in northern mountainous provinces, who have just adopted Protestantism, it is necessary to base on their belief demands to work out proper policies along the following directions:

For those who have adopted Protestantism for a certain period of time and actually have belief demands, first of all, to guide them to conduct religious activities at their families or in cases of necessity, to register for religious practice at appropriate places in hamlets and villages. When prescribed conditions are fully met, to create favorable conditions for them to conduct normal religious activities according to law provisions.

For those who have already adopted Protestantism, now wish to return to their traditional beliefs, to create conditions and assist them to materialize such desire.

6. To announce publicly to the people those who disguise themselves as Protestant dignitaries to conduct activities against the nation and sow division among nationalities as well as their illegal activities and the State’s handling measures and lenient policies. To severely punish illegal preachers.

7. For Protestant sects and organizations, which have not yet met conditions prescribed by law for the legal person status recognition, if they actually have belief demands, they should be guided to register for religious practice with communal or ward authorities. To gradually consider and recognize the legal person status of Protestant sects and organizations, which had been set up before 1975 and are conducting purely religious activities; if they fully meet the conditions prescribed by law, they shall be allowed to organize the General Assembly so as to have their legal person status recognized.

8. According to current law provisions, the People’s Committees of localities should pay attention to and settle the demands for building worshipping places, bestowing dignitaries and fostering religious doctrine of Protestant sects already recognized.

9. The ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of Government-attached agencies, the presidents of the provincial/municipal People’s Committees shall have to widely disseminate this Directive among people and strictly implement it.

The Government Committee for Religious Affairs shall have to supervise, guide, inspect and urge the implementation thereof and regularly report thereon to the Prime Minister.