Key Highlights:

USCIRF identifies three strategies used by Vietnam to suppress independent religious groups
Several local authorities report that they have completely eliminated independent religion.

USCIRF: Việt Nam Uses State-Recognised Religious Organizations to Suppress Independent Groups

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published a report on Sept. 27, stating that Vietnam uses state-recognized religious organizations to suppress independent religious groups.

According to the report, the government has used six state-recognised religious organizations and three main strategies to control religious life among believers.

Replacement: The government uses organizations like the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and the 1997 Cao Dai Church to block the growth of independent religious groups. Authorities have also used force to seize the property of these independent groups and transfer it to the recognized organizations.

Co-optation: The state collaborated with and gradually controlled the Northern and Southern Protestant Churches of Vietnam. Although these churches were not originally created by the government, they have increasingly accepted state control. The reason is the leaders believe it’s the only or safest way to continue practicing their faith, especially in politically sensitive areas like the northwest and Central Highlands.

Infiltration: The government limits the influence of the Catholic Church through the state-run Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics. This committee was originally formed in 1955 as the Liaison Committee for Catholics but was later renamed. It is now part of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and often acts as a tool to monitor and influence parishes and priests, especially those seen as critical of the government or active in promoting religious freedom. The USCIRF report also states that this committee plays a key role in limiting the Vatican’s influence in Vietnam.

The report also noted that the government uses various legal documents such as the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion, 2013 Land Law, 2014 Construction Law, 2015 Penal Code, and the 2018 Law on Protection of State Secrets as tools to tightly control the activities of religious organizations.

Vietnam was previously designated a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the US Department of State in 2004 and 2005. However, in 2006, it was removed from the CPC list after the government promised to improve religious freedom. Actually, this move came as Vietnam was seeking to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties with the US, including its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2007.

In May 2023, USCIRF recommended that the US Department of State return Vietnam to the CPC list. The USCIRF stated that Vietnam continues to commit serious, systematic, and ongoing violations of religious freedom.

Phu Yen: No More Followers of the Central Highlands Christ Protestant Church

According to the Công an Nhân dân (The People’s Police) newspaper, followers of the Central Highlands Christ Protestant Church in Sông Hinh District, Phú Yên Province, have switched to state-recognized religious organizations. There are no remaining followers of this church in the district.

Statistics show that after four years of government-led campaigns, more than 300 followers gave up their faith, and 20 individuals were publicly criticized.

This campaign is part of Resolution 35-NQ/TW, issued on October 22, 2018 by the Politburo. The resolution calls for “strengthening the protection of the party’s ideological foundation and countering hostile, false viewpoints in the new era.”

In January 2024, the Phú Yên Provincial People’s Court sentenced Nay Y Blang, a follower of this church, to 4 years and 6 months in prison for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State and the lawful rights and interests of organizations and individuals.”

The Central Highlands Christ Protestant Church has not been recognized by the Vietnamese government. It is often accused of anti-state activities, especially following security-related incidents, such as the attack on a police station in Cu Kuin District, Đắk Lắk.

Hà Giang Continues Crackdown on San Sư Khẻ Tọ Religion

According to local authorities in Hà Giang Province, several districts, including Mào Vạc and Đồng Văn, are actively campaigning to persuade followers to give up the San Sư Khẻ Tọ religion.

San Sư Khẻ Tọ is a little-known Vietnamese folk religious sect rooted in the northern mountainous regions, blending elements of ancestor worship, animism, and local spiritual practices. Its name and structure are largely undocumented in official records, and the sect is often practiced discreetly within tight-knit communities.

In Mèo Vạc district, officials have launched three rounds of outreach to convince followers to abandon the religion. So far, 408 households, with over 2,000 members, have returned to traditional customs. As a result, 12 out of 13 communes in the district now have no remaining followers. The district aimed to eliminate this religion by the end of 2024.

Meanwhile, Đồng Văn District is also intensifying efforts to get people to leave the religious phenomenon and say that this religion negatively affects traditional beliefs and community unity. So far, 21 households in communes like Lũng Phìn, Phố Cáo, and Vần Chải have renounced the faith and returned to their traditional ethnic customs.

In Quản Bạ District, officials report that they have successfully persuaded 102 followers to leave the San Sư Khẻ Tọ religion and return to traditional customs. The district now claims no remaining followers of the faith.

These campaigns are part of Project No. 23-DA/TU, issued by the Hà Giang Provincial Party Committee on November 23, 2018. The project aims to eliminate unrecognized religious practices by 2025, while protecting traditional culture and promoting unity among ethnic minority communities in the province.

Currently, Hà Giang is considered one of the most active provinces in cracking down on San Sư Khẻ Tọ. As of August 2024, about 1,079 people across the province still follow this religion.

Yen Bai Encourages Ethnic Minority Believers to Leave Independent Religious Groups

According to Yên Bái Newspaper, local authorities in Yên Bái Province have launched campaigns to persuade ethnic minority followers to leave independent religious organizations and instead join state-recognized religions.

Specifically, the local government mobilized 309 believers to leave Grace Salvation, 19 believers to leave the Church of Almighty God, and seven believers to commit not to continue spreading the Church of God the Mother. In addition, the authorities prevented 20 adherents of Grace Salvation from participating in cultural performances that could potentially spread the organization's ideology.

Earlier, in July 2024, Yên Bái officials also announced that the Giê Sùa religion had been fully removed from the province.

Giê Sùa is a lesser-known Vietnamese religious sect believed to have emerged among ethnic minority groups in the northern highlands. It blends elements of ancestor worship, local animist beliefs, and folk rituals, often practiced in secluded communities with limited external recognition.

Yên Bái Province is known for its strict suppression of independent religious groups like Grace Salvation, Giê Sùa, and Bà Cô Dợ.

(The religion associated with Bà Cô Dợ is an independent Vietnamese folk spiritual movement, rooted in indigenous beliefs and ancestor worship. It is not officially recognized by the Vietnamese government as a formal religion and often operates outside state-sanctioned religious frameworks.)

Many followers from these groups have reported pressure and harassment from authorities, including surveillance and being pressured to sign documents renouncing their faith.

Falun Gong Practitioners Accuse the Vietnamese Authorities of Covering Up Crimes Committed Against Them

On Sept. 12, a Facebook account posted information accusing Đồng Tháp provincial authorities of covering up for individuals who attacked Falun Gong practitioners.

According to the video clip, a man allegedly hired another man for 350,000 dong to attack Falun Gong practitioners with a knife in a park in the province in January 2024.

The Falun Gong practitioners later accused the Đồng Tháp provincial authorities of covering up the incident and failing to take action against both the attacker and the person who hired him.

On the contrary, the authorities in that province prosecuted the Falun Gong practitioners under Point a, Clause 2, Article 288 of the Penal Code, which is for the offense of “illegally providing or using information on computer networks or telecommunications networks.”

Shortly afterwards, the attacker, however, expressed his remorse and confirmed that his actions stemmed from being incited and provoked by some claims that Falun Gong is a heretical sect.

To this day, Vietnam continues to assert that Falun Gong is not recognized as a belief-based organization or official religion.