The Government Committee for Religious Affairs (Ministry of Home Affairs) has just presented a paper on "Illegal religious activities on cyberspace and some issues that need attention in terms of state management".
According to the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, as of December 2024, in Vietnam, the State has recognized and granted certificates of registration for religious activities to 40 organizations belonging to 16 religions; with 28,065,030 followers (accounting for over 28% of the country's population).
Local authorities have granted registration for collective religious activities to thousands of groups, including nearly 70 collective religious groups of foreigners legally residing in Vietnam.
Vietnam is also a country with diverse beliefs, with over 95% of the population having a religious life.
In recent times, in addition to official information about religion and purely religious activities posted by legal religious organizations and individuals, there have been many organizations and individuals at home and abroad posting religious-related information via cyberspace.
These organizations, for political purposes, make comments that are not objective, lack goodwill, and even distort the religious life of the people to accuse the Vietnamese State of suppressing religious freedom and inciting opposition to the state government; propagate superstition, contrary to the nation's traditions and customs...
The Government Committee for Religious Affairs pointed out: Some extremists and opponents of religions often use social networking sites (Facebook, Zalo) to propagate and distort the situation of religious freedom in Vietnam; incite anti-government activities, causing complications in security and order.
In particular, the "Evangelical Church of Christ" through social networking applications such as WhatsApp, Gotomeeting... gathers believers who are ethnic minorities in the country to join other Protestant groups and reactionary Vietnamese exiles to take advantage of issues of democracy, human rights, and religious freedom to sabotage Vietnam, demanding the establishment of a "separate state and separate religion" for ethnic minorities.
Notably, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs said that some new religious phenomena, "evil religions", "strange religions" such as: Falun Gong; Supreme Master Ching Hai; Miraculous Sound Dharma; "Church of God the Mother", "Vietnam Bronze Drum Original Energy"; increased use of social networks to attract participants.
Superstitious propaganda and profiteering activities such as: "Humanity Club"; "Bao Loc Exorcism" group; "worshiping the wronged and the dead, exorcising the dead" activities at Ba Vang Pagoda, Quang Ninh...
Taking advantage of cyberspace to propagate distortions, insults, and divide the beliefs and religions of organizations and individuals such as: "Church of God the Mother", "Luong Gia Long" or "Luong Chinh Khang" to propagate superstition and false information about methods to prevent and fight the COVID-19 epidemic; distort and insult the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Religion and heroes and martyrs who have contributed to the country.
Superstitious fortune-telling and prayer activities are also rampant on cyberspace...
Recently, implementing the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs has proactively advised and deployed measures and tasks to combat and handle illegal proselytizing activities on cyberspace.
