The Authority of Foreign Information Service under the Ministry of Information and Communications in collaboration with the Government's Human Rights Steering Committee held on April 11 a press conference for providing information on human rights and foreign affairs.
At the conference
Attending the event were Director of the Authority of Foreign Information Service Phạm Anh Tuấn, Major General Deputy Chief of the Government's Steering Committee on Human Rights Nguyễn Văn Kỷ, Vice Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs (GCRA) Nguyễn Tiến Trọng, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Education and Training, and reporters from central and local news and press agencies.
During the conference, GCRA Vice Chairman Nguyễn Tiến Trọng briefed information on the current religious and belief life in the country and the information and propaganda work on belief and religion.
GCRA Vice Chairman Nguyễn Tiến Trọng speaks at the event
He emphasized that the United States' inclusion of Vietnam on the Special Watch List for religious freedom (SWL) has stemmed from incomplete and inaccurate information about the freedom of religion and belief in Vietnam. This kind of information was mainly provided by hostile organizations and individuals including exiled and extremist religious dignitaries.
As a state governance agency on belief and religion, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued and implemented a coordinated advocacy working plan in order for Vietnam to be removed from the SWL and not included in the U.S.’s list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) on religious freedom. This coordination plan includes sending delegations on working trips abroad to exchange and provide information about policies and religious life in Vietnam; promoting foreign information affairs on religion; launching the White Paper “Religion and religious policy in Vietnam”; strengthening dialogue with foreign embassies and international organizations in Vietnam; effectively maintaining the annual dialogue mechanism on democracy, human rights and religious freedom with the U.S., EU, and Australia, etc.; creating favorable conditions for religious organizations and individuals to participate in world and regional religious forums; supporting religious organizations in Vietnam to successfully host international religious activities and festivals.
The GCRA official also recommended key tasks of the information and communication work on belief and religion in the coming time, effectively contributing to the early removal of Vietnam from the SWL.
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