Hoa Binh province recorded nearly 20 cases of religion-related wrongdoings in 2023 and the first two months of 2024. However, thanks to their active and effective engagement, relevant agencies and religious organisations have helped the provincial and district-level People’s Committees deal with those cases in a timely manner and in line with legal regulations, thus ensuring religious freedom.
Local agencies, Party committees, and administrations
present bicycles to disadvantaged students in Muong Riec Parish in My Thanh
commune, Lac Son district, in the 2023 - 2024 school year.
Conditions
created for religions to be practiced in line with law
Three religions are present in Hoa Binh at
present, namely Buddhism, Catholicism, and Protestantism, with more than 48,000
followers, accounting for about 5.9% of the total population. The religions are
practiced in 99 of the 151 communes, wards, and townships in all the 10
district-level localities.
In terms of Buddhism, the province has more than
26,000 followers, one provincial executive board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha
(VBS), four district-level VBS executive boards, and nine pagodas, according to
the provincial Department of Home Affairs.
In terms of Catholicism, there are over 21,000
followers and eight parishes covering 70 communes, wards, and townships of all
the 10 district-level localities. There are also seven churches of parishes and
six others of clans.
Meanwhile, there are about 100 Protestants
following many different sects. Despite the small number of followers, local
authorities have still created favourable conditions for them to practice their
religion at home.
Nguyen Dinh Tu, Deputy Director of the
provincial Department of Home Affairs, said that generally speaking, religious
followers trust the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and law while
complying with local regulations. All-level Party committees and
administrations have paid constant attention to and created conditions for
religions to be practiced in line with legal regulations.
Religious and belief-related activities are
basically stable and comply with law, he noted, adding that over the past
years, there have been no such things as abusing belief or religion to sabotage
the administration, inciting people to crowd to cause disorder, or breaking
rules on religious affairs.
Priest Nguyen Trung Thoai, who is in charge of
Hoa Binh Parish, said following the Government’s decree, the National Assembly
Standing Committee’s ordinance, and the Law on Belief and Religion, religious
activities have taken place stably and been facilitated by the local Party
committee and administration.
Guiding
religious followers towards good secular, religious life
Over the recent past, executive boards of
religions in the province have also properly instructed followers to lead a
good secular and religious life.
Priest Thoai said followers have been encouraged
to do good deeds. Thanks to the local Party committee and administration’s
attention, more than 3,000 followers in Hoa Binh Parish have gained favourable
conditions to practice their religion freely and in accordance with law.
Tu noted that by properly disseminating legal
regulations on belief and religion, religious dignitaries and followers in Hoa
Binh have maintained their trust in the Party’s guidelines and the State’s
policies and laws, stayed united, adhered to local regulations, and actively
engaged in charitable activities.
In addition, religious organisations and
followers have taken part in the fight against the abuse of religious affairs
to sabotage the Party and State, illegal missionary work and crimes. They have
also participated in the ensuring of local political security and social order
and safety, as well as the prevention of complex religion-related problems from
occurring.
The 17th-tenure People’s Council of Hoa Binh province, for the 2021-2026 term, convened its 24th session on January 7, during which Bui Duc Hinh was elected Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee for the tenure.
The Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board recently held a meeting under the chair of Nguyen Phi Long, alternate member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, to look into some important socio-economic development issues.
During the implementation of the Politburo’s Directive 06-CT/TW, dated November 7, 2006, on organising the movement of "studying and following President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example”; Directive 03-CT/TW, dated May 14, 2011, on the continued enhancement of studying and following the late leader’s moral example; Directive 05-CT/TW, dated May 15, 2016 on the promotion of studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, moral example, and style; and Conclusion 01-KL/TW, dated May 18, 2021, on the continued implementation of Directive 05-CT/TW, it is a fact in Hoa Binh province that all people, from farmers to intellectuals, as well as from senior citizens to the young, any people can study and follow Uncle Ho’s example in a voluntary and natural manner anytime, anywhere, and in everything.
As soon as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) was founded, to protect and consolidate the revolution’s achievements, under the Party’s leadership, the provisional Government led by President Ho Chi Minh issued a series of decrees to manage and construct the country.
The Party Organisation of Lam Son commune, Luong Son distict has paid much attention to Party building in association with isnpection and supervision, which helps enhance the leadership capacity in fulfilling local political tasks.
The People's Committee of Hoa Binh province has held a conference to review the implementation of its foreign non-governmental aid mobilisation programme in 2024. Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Chuong attended and delivered a keynote address at the event.
