Focusing on propagating laws on beliefs and religions

In recent times, propaganda and dissemination of legal education on beliefs and religions have been focused on implementation by all levels and sectors. Thereby, it has contributed to improving legal knowledge, awareness of respect and law observance for religious people, contributing to maintaining political security, social order and safety in the province.

Monks and Buddhists in Lang Son city listen to propaganda of the law

Currently, in the province there are over 11,000 believers (accounting for 1.4% of the population) belonging to religions including: Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism; more than 700 religious establishments; more than 100 dignitaries and positions. Mr. Nguyen Khac Phuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs said: With the function of advising and assisting the Provincial People’s Committee in state management of belief and religious activities, we have focused on organizing propaganda and dissemination of the Party’s guidelines and policies, and the State’s laws on belief and religion for officials, civil servants, public employees and dignitaries, officials, monks, religious followers, representatives, and management boards of religious establishments within the scope of management. At the same time, guiding the district-level People’s Committee to resolve specific issues of belief and religion according to the provisions of law. Religious activities in the province ensure compliance with the law and meet the religious needs of the community.

Accordingly, every year, the Department of Home Affairs promulgates plans and implements propaganda and dissemination of laws on beliefs and religions to dignitaries, officials, monks of religions, representatives, management board of religious establishments in the province. For instance, from 2022 up to now, the Department of Home Affairs has chaired and coordinated with People’s Committees of districts and city to organize 8 professional training courses on belief and religious work for officials and civil servants working on belief and religion work at district and commune levels with a total number of more than 700 people participated. Thereby, delegates improved their knowledge and skills in applying the provisions of law on beliefs and religions.

Not only the home affairs sector, the Fatherland Front Committees at all levels in the province always focus on propagating laws on religion and belief, building great national unity. From the beginning of 2023 until now, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at all levels have organized over 2,000 integrated legal propaganda events with over 140 thousand attendees, including legal propaganda on beliefs and religions. Mrs. Trieu Thu Ha, Vice Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Bac Son district, said: Currently, the district has over 2,800 people following religion, the most being Protestants. In order to build the great unity of religions, we strengthen the propaganda of laws on beliefs and religions among religious people, in many forms such as integrating through activities, models of associations, distributing leaflets, training on belief and religious work… Especially, on the occasion of important holidays of religions such as: Christmas, Easter, Buddha’s Birthday… we organized a working group to visit, give gifts, and congratulate religious people. In particular, propaganda is integrated to mobilize dignitaries, officials, and religious followers to continue to well comply with the Party’s policies and guidelines, and the State’s policies and laws; respond to patriotic campaigns and emulation movements. Thanks to that, believers in the district operate in accordance with the law, live a good religious life, and make practical contributions to local development.

Propaganda content focuses on the situation of beliefs and religions in our country in general and religions in the province in particular; the Party’s viewpoints, policies and guidelines, and the State’s policies and laws on belief and religion; Law on Belief and Religion. At the same time, all levels and sectors regularly propagate to religious people a number of legal regulations on land, construction, and cultural heritage related to beliefs and religions; Propaganda about environmental protection, traffic safety…

Mrs. Pham Thi Tram, parishioner of block 9, Vinh Trai ward, Lang Son city said: Through attending legal propaganda sessions at all levels and branches, especially religious propaganda conferences. We improve understanding, mobilize our children and grandchildren to strictly comply with the provisions of the law, live a good life, and actively participate in movements of the block.

Along with that, religious organizations actively and proactively coordinate with agencies to propagate the law to monks, nuns, Buddhists, religious followers, and dignitaries; or integrated into religious activities with diverse propaganda content.  Venerable Thich Quang Truyen, Head of the Provincial Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, said:  In recent years, the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the province has always paid attention to organizing conferences to propagate and disseminate the law to a large number of Buddhists, so that Buddhists can live, work, work or practice in accordance with the law. On average, each year, we coordinate with agencies to organize 5 focused propaganda campaigns, and at the same time integrate propaganda into hundreds of ceremonies. Notably from the beginning of 2023 until now, the Provincial Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has signed coordination programs with the Provincial Public Security on propaganda work to ensure traffic order and safety in the period of 2023 – 2026; coordinated with the Provincial Red Cross Society on coordinating humanitarian charity activities in the period of 2023 – 2028. Thereby, it contributed to raising awareness and sense of respect and compliance with the law of monks, nuns, and Buddhists, promoting the spirit of “Protecting the country and protecting the people”, actively participating in patriotic emulation movements and social security activities.

From focusing on propagating laws on beliefs and religions, the activities of religions in the province are basically stable, organizations, dignitaries, positions, and religious followers well implement the policy, Party guidelines, State policies and laws. At the same time, they actively participate in socio-economic development activities, perform well charity and humanitarian work, gratitude, patriotic emulation movements, and build new-style rural areas and civilized urban areas, join hands to build a great national unity bloc. From 2022 until now, religious organizations in the province have contributed to humanitarian and social security charity activities with a total amount of nearly 1.4 billion VND; Religious believers actively donate cash, participate in land donation, and work days to build new rural areas…