Guiding and assisting religious organisations to ensure stability and safety, and their compliance with the law and church charters is one of the central tasks State management agencies will implement in 2013.

The information was released on January 4 at a video conference hosted by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs (GCRA) to review the State management of religions in 2012 and tasks for 2013.

Participants emphasised the corrupt use of religious and ethnic issues by hostile forces to sabotage the Vietnamese State .

The GCRA has advised on the development of legal regulations and policies for religious activities and proposed amendments to the Ordinance on Religions and Beliefs.

It has consolidated the organisation of its personnel and improved the quality of officials responsible for the State management of religions.

It will join relevant ministries, agencies and steering committees from the northwest, Central Highlands and southwest regions to advise on behalf of the Prime Minister the management of belief and religious issues.

A GCRA leader briefed the conference on the content of the new Decree No. 92/2012/ND-CP stipulating measures to enforce the Ordinance on Religions and Beliefs, supplementing Decree No. 22/2005/ND-CP.

The decree addresses issues in belief and religious life, and the procedures religious organisations and individuals must implement.

It also includes regulations for foreigners studying in Vietnamese religious schools and their religious activities in the country.

According to the GCRA, many large religious activities in 2012 strongly influenced domestic and international opinion. As many as 11 religious organisations convened for the start of new tenures.

Successful annual religious activities reflected the Party and State’s policy of religious freedom.

State management agencies supported important and international religious activities and ceremonies, including the 7 th National Buddhist Congress and the 10 th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference.

On the same day, the GCRA organised a conference in Ho Chi Minh City to introduce Decree No. 92/2012/ND-CP.-VNA