We need to stop distorting the truth and making up stories with bad intentions.

Despite Vietnam's efforts and achievements in ensuring human rights, including ensuring freedom of religion and belief, which have been recognized and highly appreciated by many countries, some individuals and organizations with hostile ideologies still deliberately distort the truth, fabricate and make up stories with bad intentions.

Continuing the old argument, in the latest report (published on December 12), the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) listed a number of recent cases, such as the People's Court of Vinh Long province sentencing to prison those who took advantage of democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, to "warn" about what they called "the regression of religious freedom in Vietnam" or "Vietnamese law imposes restrictions on religious activities..."

It must be affirmed that USCIRF is again using the outdated trick of citing fabricated, slanderous, and untrue information to distort the issue of freedom of religion and belief in Vietnam.

The subjects that USCIRF is defending here are essentially defendants brought to trial for violating the law.

For example, the defendant Thach Chanh Da Ra and his accomplices at Dai Tho Pagoda, Loan My Commune, Tam Binh District (Vinh Long Province) were sentenced to prison for abusing freedom and democracy to infringe upon the interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals; and illegally arresting and detaining people.

The case has been investigated and clarified by the authorities and the trial process was public, with the right person and the right crime, ensuring the rule of law.

By making one-sided assessments of "increased repression of independent religious communities not subject to state control" in Vietnam, USCIRF has deliberately "turned a blind eye" to the fact that anyone, including many international delegations from the US and Western countries, can visit and freely practice their religion at Cao Dai temples and the Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh.

From 2021 to 2023, for Protestantism alone, the Vietnamese State has approved 170 more group points and 6 affiliated religious organizations in the Northern mountainous region; and approved 11 more affiliated religious organizations from previously registered group points for concentrated religious activities in 5 Central Highlands provinces.

As of May 2024, the State has recognized and granted operating registration to 43 organizations belonging to 16 religions.

The Vietnamese State always pays attention to and creates favorable conditions for religions to operate and develop in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and laws, creating a stable and healthy environment for religious activities.

It is unreasonable for USCIRF to defend organizations, associations, and groups that disguise themselves as religions and operate illegally in Vietnam, such as: "Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam", "Duong Van Minh Religion", "Church of God...", which are organizations that are not recognized by the State and are not granted a registration to operate religiously.

Among these are organizations considered heretical, taking advantage of beliefs and religions for personal gain or conducting activities against the Party and State of Vietnam, dividing the national unity bloc, such as the Duong Van Minh organization.

Taking advantage of the ignorance of some Mong people, the subject propagated superstitious and deceitful rhetoric, and forced Mong people to participate in organizations that were contrary to their customs, practices, and traditional culture, causing bad public opinion and complicating security and order in localities.

Or the so-called "Church of God" develops in an extreme way, regardless of the regulations of Vietnamese law, revealing negative effects, contrary to the traditions and ethics of Vietnamese people such as forcing and inciting followers to abandon the custom of worshiping grandparents and ancestors, being unfilial to parents, using superstition and theocracy to oppress believers...

Any country in the world must have laws to maintain social order. Therefore, those who deliberately take advantage of religion to violate the law and cause disruption to political security and social order and safety will be strictly dealt with by Vietnamese law.

The reports and assessments of USCIRF do not accurately reflect the reality in Vietnam but only increase disagreement and conflict between countries in the field of belief and religion.

In the context of Vietnam-US relations moving towards the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025 and the two countries just celebrating the first anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership, such isolated voices are not beneficial to any side, going against the trend of reconciliation, putting the past behind and moving towards the future, and cooperating for development.

I think it is time for USCIRF to respect the truth, put an end to such distorted arguments, prejudiced views and one-sided assessments, based on unverified information, about the reality of religious freedom and belief in Vietnam.