Vietnam: Government training manual spreads suspicion of Protestantism

An internal Vietnamese government training manual obtained by Christian Solidarity Worldwide reveals explicit details of the authorities’ continuing intentions to regulate religious activity, particularly among Protestants.

The manual, entitled “Training Manual for the Task Concerning the Protestant Religion”, has been issued by a government department, the Central Bureau of Religious Affairs.

In a new report, CSW provides an analysis of the document, which is a revised version of the widely-criticised 2006 and 2007 training manuals. The report says that although the new training manual is less critical of Protestantism in its rhetoric, it retains an underlying suspicion of the Protestant religion and its perceived potential to be abused by “hostile forces” to create political instability.

CSW said it was particularly concerned about the advice concerning forced renunciations of faith. Although the document expressly states that forced renunciations of faith are not permitted, it still encourages local officials to “create the conditions” for new converts to Protestantism to return to their traditional beliefs if they have a “need” to do so, allowing for arbitrary implementation.

The report calls on the Vietnamese government to implement measures to prevent any attempts to force Protestants to renounce their faith, remove inflammatory language that propagates suspicion of Protestantism and its potential to be abused by enemy forces, and amend provisions that give the government direct control over the worship and religious practices of registered churches in order to give the churches autonomy.

Previous experiences of Protestants in Vietnam, particularly among ethnic minorities, have included attempts to force renunciations of faith by torture, beatings and threats. Many Protestants have been imprisoned for their faith in recent years, and a number of deaths at the hands of local authorities have been reported. Even churches which have been registered have experienced intensive monitoring and restrictions by the local authorities.

CSW’s Advocacy Director, Alexa Papadouris, called upon states and regional actors to work with the Vietnamese government to bring Vietnam’s policies in line with international standards on religious freedom.

She said: "We urge the Vietnamese government to establish and implement a comprehensive legislative framework that allows religious groups to engage in peaceful activities free from secular government control."