Vietnam pursues a consistent policy of protecting and promoting human rights, respecting and ensuring the right to religious and belief freedom, which is clearly stipulated in the country’s Constitution and laws, and is enforced in reality, deputy spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry Dang Hung Viet said.
Vietnam consistently respects and ensures right to religious freedom (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam pursues a consistent policy of
protecting and promoting human rights, respecting and ensuring the right to
religious and belief freedom, which is clearly stipulated in the country’s
Constitution and laws, and is enforced in reality, deputy spokesperson of the
Foreign Ministry Doan Khac Viet said.
He made the affirmation at the ministry’s regular press
conference on April 29 in reply to reporters’ question about Vietnam’s reaction
to the 2021 report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom which accused Vietnam of violating religious freedom.
According to the deputy spokesperson, an estimated 95 percent of
the Vietnamese population engage in belief and religious activities, including more
than 25 million followers of different religions (27 percent). Catholics alone
number more than 7 million and Protestants, over one million.
Viet stressed that the Vietnamese State creates favourable
conditions for religious people and organisations to engage in international exchanges
and cooperation, adding that the religious life in Vietnam is diverse and
lively. Vietnam’s efforts and achievements in ensuring the right to religious and
belief freedom of its people have been recognized widely in the international community,
he said.
“Vietnam notes that the 2021 International
Religious Freedom Report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom had mentioned Vietnam’s efforts and positive developments in ensuring and
promoting the religious and belief life, but the report still made several partial
and biased assessments based on inaccurate information on the religious
situation in Vietnam,” the deputy spokesperson said.
He went on to say that in Vietnam, acts that took advantage of the right to religious
freedom to violate the law are handled in accordance with Vietnamese laws.
He affirmed that Vietnam is willing to discuss with the US
issues of mutual concern in the spirit of frankness, openness and mutual respect,
thus contributing to promoting the comprehensive partnership between the two
countries./.