On October 8, 2014, Thai Nguyen provincial People’s Committee held a conference to review 20 years of implementing Directive No 11 of Ministry of Interior (Ministry of Public Security as its current name) for encouraging people to engage in the ensuring of public security in religious localities (1994-2014), as well as to implement Directive No 09 of Minister of Public Security for promoting the engagement of all people in ensuring public security in religious localities.
The conference was chaired by Mr. Đặng Viết Thuần, Standing Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee and attended by representatives from local and central authorities, and outstanding religious dignitaries, deacons and followers.
Currently Thai Nguyen province has 51 Catholic communes under 8 parishes with over 32,000 followers residing in 8/9 districts of the province. Recognizing the important role of Catholics in ensuring public security and social order in localities, local authorities have encouraged active participation and contributions of religious people in the building and defense of the country. More than 1,900 meetings and workshops have been held, with about 26,000 Catholic participants, for purpose of promoting engagement of Catholic people in protection of security and order. There have been about 2,000 information pieces informed to securities officers, contributing to quickly solve security issues in localities….
Speaking at the conference, representative leaders of Ministry of Public Security and Thai Nguyen provincial authorities praised contributions made by people of Thai Nguyen including religious followers in the protection of social security and public order and implementation of Directive No 11, and urged local authorities to ensure religious freedom for people in accordance with the laws, encourage people to live ‘for better secular and religious life’ and proactively participate in patriotic movements and movements for ensuring social order and public security in localities.
At the closing of the conference, Mr. Đặng Viết Thuần, Standing Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee called on local authorities to organize a meeting with typical religious people, and the certificates of merit of the provincial People’s Committee were awarded to individuals and organizations for outstanding achievements in ensuring public security in localities./.
