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.
In mid-May, the provincial Museum organised an exhibition named "Duoi la co Dang Cong san Viet Nam quang vinh” (Under the flag of the glorious Communist Party of Vietnam). This meaningful activity took place in the joyful atmosphere to celebrate the country's major holidays and the Party congresses at all levels for the 2025-2030 term, towards the 14th National Party Congress.
A delegation from Hoa Binh province led by Colonel Trinh Duc Thiem, Commander of the provincial Military Command, completed a mission to visit and encourage officers and soldiers stationed on Truong Sa and a DK1 platform from May 20 to 26 as part of activities of the Vietnam People’s Navy. The delegation included 12 senior officials from various provincial agencies and units.
Storytelling and painting contests honouring President Ho Chi Minh have been held at the Hoa Binh provincial Youth Activity Centre.
The Hoa Binh provincial People's Committee held a gathering at the provincial Military Command headquarters on May 20 to commend the armed forces that took part in a military parade celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification on April 30.
Throughout his revolutionary life, Uncle Ho visited Hoa Binh province four times. He also sent dozens of letters, telegrams, greeting cards, and heartfelt messages to local officials, Party members, and people of all ethnic groups, urging them to remain united, support one another, strive for progress, and actively engage in both production and resistance efforts to build a prosperous homeland.
To unlock the full potential of its forest resources, the standing board of the provincial Party Committee on July 30, 2020 issued a Resolution on the sustainable development of production forests through 2025, with a vision toward 2030.
