Meeting reviews religious affairs in Central and Central Highland regions in first half of 2013
09/14/2013
On July 16, 2013, in the central city of Da Nang, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs and the municipal People’s Committee held a meeting to review religious affairs in Central and Central Highland provinces and cities in the first six months of 2013.
Mr. Bùi Thanh Hà, Vice - Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, and Mr. Võ Duy Khương, Vice - Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee co-chaired the meeting, which drew the participation of representatives of the boards for religious affairs under the Departments of Home Affairs of 19 provinces and cities in the Central and Central Highlands regions.
The meeting assessed that religious activities in the Central and Central Highland provinces and cities in the first half of the year basically abode by the law. The State management agencies on religion at all levels performed their tasks and functions very well through the building and implementation of the State’s laws and policies on religion. They also actively guided religious organizations to register their annual programmes and activities, ensured security and order in major celebrations of religions, and coordinated with relevant State agencies in settling religions-related issues in accordance with the Ordinance on Belief and Religion and Decree 92/2012/ND-CP detailing and providing measures to implement the Ordinance on Belief and Religion
At the meeting, local delegates also contributed their opinions to the report on the 8-year implementation of the Ordinance on Belief and Religion. The Ordinance, which took effect on November 15, 2004, has marked a milestone in the process of improving the legal system regulating religious and belief activities in the country. It has also created a favorable legal corridor for ensuring people’s right to freedom of belief and religion.
However, there are certain issues that have neither been included nor stipulated specifically and suitably in the Ordinance, making its regulations unspecific and unsuitable to the real situation. The localities’ representatives proposed the revision of the Ordinance to overcome its limitations and shortcomings, and to enhance the role of the State management agencies on religious affairs.
Mr. Bùi Thanh Hà, Vice - Chairman of Government Committee for Religious Affairs acknowledged all the comments and promised to include them in the report on State management on religion in the first half of 2013 and the report reviewing the 8-year implementation of the Ordinance on Belief and Religion.
He asked the provinces and cities to continue to actively monitor the religious situation and effectively solve religious issues and complaints of religious organizations and individuals while improving the capacity of religious staffs.
He asked the provinces and cities to continue to actively monitor the religious situation and effectively solve religious issues and complaints of religious organizations and individuals while improving the capacity of religious staffs.
Here are some images at the meeting:
Mr. Bùi Thanh Hà, Vice Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs addresses the meeting
Mr. Võ Duy Khương, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee speaks at the meeting
Viet Bach
