The Ordinance on Religion and Belief has created a favourable legal corridor for ensuring people’s right to religious freedom.
Pham Dung, Head of the Government’s Committee for Religious Affairs was speaking at a conference to review the implementation of the Ordinance over the past eight years in Ho Chi Minh City on May 20.
The Ordinance on Religion and Belief took effect on November 15, 2004, marking a milestone in the process of perfecting a system of legal documents to regulate religious and belief activities in the country.
Dung said the Ordinance has delighted dignitaries and religious followers, encouraging them to join the national unity bloc as well as national movements to promote socio-economic development.
In reviewing the enforcement of the document, any revisions and supplements to the Ordinance can be submitted to competent State agencies, which can be followed by the building of a law on region and belief to safeguard the right to religious and belief freedom of individuals and organisations to suit the country’s socio-economic development, he said.
Apart from its practicality, the document has, however, revealed limitations in the domains where it yet covers, said representatives of religious dignitaries at the conference.
They pointed to a number of concepts relating to religious activities and State management over religious activities, and the absence of regulations on State management over religious schools after they are established.
The registration and recognition of a religious organisation also faces difficulties in the absence of a legal foundation to clarify religions, beliefs, and superstition, the representatives said.-VNA
Pham Dung, Head of the Government’s Committee for Religious Affairs was speaking at a conference to review the implementation of the Ordinance over the past eight years in Ho Chi Minh City on May 20.
The Ordinance on Religion and Belief took effect on November 15, 2004, marking a milestone in the process of perfecting a system of legal documents to regulate religious and belief activities in the country.
Dung said the Ordinance has delighted dignitaries and religious followers, encouraging them to join the national unity bloc as well as national movements to promote socio-economic development.
In reviewing the enforcement of the document, any revisions and supplements to the Ordinance can be submitted to competent State agencies, which can be followed by the building of a law on region and belief to safeguard the right to religious and belief freedom of individuals and organisations to suit the country’s socio-economic development, he said.
Apart from its practicality, the document has, however, revealed limitations in the domains where it yet covers, said representatives of religious dignitaries at the conference.
They pointed to a number of concepts relating to religious activities and State management over religious activities, and the absence of regulations on State management over religious schools after they are established.
The registration and recognition of a religious organisation also faces difficulties in the absence of a legal foundation to clarify religions, beliefs, and superstition, the representatives said.-VNA
