Vietnam works against heresy development

Respecting and creating favourable conditions for citizens to exercise the right to freedom of belief and religion as well as ensuring equality among religions is the consistent policy of the Party and State.

Soldiers of the infantry battalion (Regiment 741, the Military Command of Dien Bien province)  help clean up an inter-village road (Photo: VNA)

This policy is widely recognised by the international community, creating a vibrant and progressive belief and religion practicing atmosphere in Vietnam.

However, besides religions operating in accordance with legal regulations and provisions, a number of organisations disguised as new religions have entered Vietnam to conduct political activities.

Thoroughly taking advantage of the backwardness of people, especially ethnic minorities in mountainous and border areas, these organisations incite them to break the law and conflict with traditional religions.

As many as 100 heresies have been operating in the Northwest, Central Highlands and Southwest regions. - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

As many as 100 heresies have been operating in the Northwest, Central Highlands and Southwest regions, which are the most important areas in terms of national defence and security. Along with deceptive activities, these heretical organisations have stirred up narrow-minded nationalism to divide the great national unity bloc.

Using the guise of religion, nationality and human rights, they have carried out activities against the Party and State, and aroused the ideology of "separatism and self-ruling", and undermined the territorial integrity of Vietnam.

They intend to blow up the so-called "autonomy" of the ethnic groups, demanding the establishment of an "own kingdom" of the Mong people in the Northwest, the Cham people in the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom people in the Southwest region.

All these actions and plots are directed towards the ultimate goal of overthrowing socialism in Vietnam.

In the past six years, amid the strong development of heresies in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien, especially in the Mong ethnic area in Muong Nhe district, the local authorities, relevant forces and people have focused on fighting reactionary organisations disguised as new religions.

The provincial police have taken measures to prevent and stop liaison, sponsorship and direction activities at home and abroad.

Communications campaigns have been carried out to raise public awareness and call on believers not to believe in and follow enticements of heresies.

In the Central Highlands, the local authorities and people have worked hard to fight the heretical religion "Ha Mon" - a disguised religious organisation set up by the FULRO reactionary force in 2007, contributing to basically erasing the impact and influence of this heresy in key areas.

The Evangelical Church of Christ of Vietnam was also set up by exiled FULRO reactionaries in 2017 to conceal their plot against Vietnam. This organisation propagated narrow-minded nationalism and autonomous separatism to cause disorders, demonstrations, and riots, aiming to establish a separate state.

In the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, the local authorities have carried a series of measures to clarify relevant law-breaking activities./.

VNA