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 4th Congress of Ethnic Minority Groups of Hoa Binh province was successfully held on November 15 at the provincial Culture Centre.
In line with the Politburo’s Directive No. 05-CT/TW on promoting the study of and adherence to President Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality, and lifestyle, the Party Organisation of Kim Boi district has been focusing on developing practical models that align with the roles and realities of local agencies and communities involved. Through this initiative, numerous officials and Party members have emerged as exemplary figures, leading by example in learning from and following the late leader.
Hoa Binh province has paid due attention to developing Party membership in non-state enterprises, helping improve the role of the Party committees, organisations and members in the firms.
A delegation from the National Assembly (NA), led by Lieutenant General Tran Quang Phuong, member of the Party Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, on November 10 visited and presented gifts to poor households and policy beneficiary families in Yen Tri commune, Yen Thuy district of Hoa Binh.
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Quang Phuong attended the ceremony to mark the 60th founding anniversary of Yen Thuy district, Hoa Binh province, on November 10.
The Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee has issued a conclusion reviewing the three years implementing its resolution on preserving and promoting cultural values in Hoa Binh province for 2021 – 2025 with a vision towards 2030.