Letter to Secretary Pompeo on Religious Freedom in Vietnam

March 27, 2020 

The Honorable Mike Pompeo
Secretary of State
United States Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 2050

Dear Secretary Pompeo, 

We, representatives of concerned multi-faith organizations and individuals, write to urge your Department to publicly and privately call on the Vietnamese government to: 

  • Allow all independent religious organizations to freely conduct religious activities and independently govern themselves. Churches and denominations that do not choose to join one of the officially authorized religious organizations with government-sanctioned boards should be allowed to operate independently. 
  • End harassment, arrests, persecution, imprisonment, and ill treatment of followers of independent religions, and release those detained for peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of religion, belief, expression, assembly, and association. 
  • Ensure that all domestic legislation addressing religious affairs is brought into conformity with international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); amend provisions in domestic law that impinge on freedom of religion and belief, expression, association, or peaceful assembly in violation of the ICCPR. 

Vietnam prescribes a multistage process for a religious organization to receive recognition. Under a new law, an independent religious organization must obtain a certificate of registration for religious activities from the provincial-level Committee of Religious Affairs. The new law prohibits sowing division among “the national great unity, harm state defense, national security, public order, and social morale.” This “national unity” catchphrase has been the basis for the suppression and harassment of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam and many other independent religions. 

In this new law, under article 32, candidates for religious appointments must “have the spirit of national unity and harmony” while under article 37 religious education must include “Vietnamese history and Vietnamese law” as core subjects. 

Without freedom of religion for those religions independent from the government, there is no true freedom of religion. Systematic, ongoing, egregious suppression of religious freedom warrants the designation of a country of particular concern. Therefore, we support USCIRF’s call to place Vietnam back on the CPC list under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998. 

Sincerely, 

ORGANIZATIONS: 

UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM 
INTERFAITH COUNCIL OF VIETNAM 
CHURCH OF PROTESTANT LUTHERAN COMMUNITY OF VIETNAM 
ARCHBISHOP NGUYEN KIM DIEN ASSOCIATION 
FEDERATION OF VIETNAMESE NATIONALS 
TRADITIONAL HOA HAO BUDDHIST CHURCH 
SANGHA OF UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM 
REPRESENTATIVE COMMITTEE OF THE POPULAR BLOC OF CAO DAI CHURCH 
INSTITUTE FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF THE DHARMA 
INDEPENDENT OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH 
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY NATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICE JUBILEE CAMPAIGN USA INC 
LOTUS BUDDHIST CONGREGATION 
BOAT PEOPLE SOS – RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PROJECT 
COMMITTEE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN VIETNAM 
MONTAGNARD EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF CHRIST 
VIETNAM COALITION AGAINST TORTURE (VN-CAT) ASSOCIATION OF CON DAU PARISHIONERS 
MINH VAN FOUNDATION 
BUDDHIST CHURCH OF AMERICA 
VIETNAMESE WOMEN FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH 
ALLIANCE FOR AN INDEPENDENT AND DEMOCRATIC VIETNAM 
VIETNAMESE AMERICANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 
VIETNAM DEMOCRACY CENTER 
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR VIETNAM 
TRAN NHAN TONG FELOWSHIP 
UYGHUR HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT 
FEDERATION OF VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES OF THE USA 
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF PENNSYLVANIA 
UNITED COUNCIL OF VIETNAMESE IN HOMELAND AND OVERSEAS 
WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER 
UNITED MACEDONIAN DIASPORA 
CENTER FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES (UKRAINE) 
BUREAU DE LIAISON DES ASSOCIATIONS ET DES VIETNAMIENS LIBRES EN FRANCE 
HAPPY SCIENCE WASHINGTON BUREAU 
ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF IN VIETNAM 
INDIAN AMERICAN MUSLIM COUNCIL 
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN 

INDIVIDUALS: 

Rev. Joseph K. Grieboski Director
Office of Ecumenical, Interfaith, and Global Engagement 
Diocese of the Eastern USA 

INDEPENDENT OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH 

Scott Morgan 
President 
RED EAGLE ENTERPRISES 

Dr. Mike Ghouse 
President 
CENTER FOR PLURALISM 

Peggy Nienaber
Vice President
FAITH & LIBERTY 

Rev. Susan Taylor
National Public Affairs Director
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY NATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICE 

Ann Buwalda 
Executive Director 
JUBILEE CAMPAIGN USA INC 

Dr. Jianli Yang 
Founder and President 
CITIZEN POWER INITIATIVES FOR CHINA 

Most Ven. Thich Huyen Viet 
President, Second Office 
INSTITUTE FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF THE DHARMA 

Ven. Thich Vien Giao 
Abbot 
HONG AN BUDDHIST TEMPLE (DES MOINES, IA) 

Sub-dignitary Hua Phi 
Chair 
REPRESENTATIVE COMMITTEE OF THE POPULAR BLOC OF CAO DAI CHURCH 
Co-chair 
INTERFAITH COUNCIL OF VIETNAM 

Pastor Nguyen Hoang Hoa 
President 
CHURCH OF PROTESTANT LUTHERAN COMMUNITY OF VIETNAM 
Co-chair 
INTERFAITH COUNCIL OF VIETNAM 

Fr. Nguyen Huu Giai 
ARCHBISHOP NGUYEN KIM DIEN ASSOCIATION 

Fr. Nguyen Van Ly 
FEDERATION OF VIETNAMESE NATIONALS 
Co-chair 
INTERFAITH COUNCIL OF VIETNAM 

Le Van Soc 
Vice President, Central Leadership Committee 
TRADITIONAL HOA HAO BUDDHIST CHURCH 
Co-chair 
INTERFAITH COUNCIL OF VIETNAM 

Le Quang Hien 
General Secretary, Central Leadership Committee 
TRADITIONAL HOA HAO BUDDHIST CHURCH 

Most Ven. Thich Khong Tanh 
Vice President 
SANGHA OF UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM 
Co-chair 
INTERFAITH COUNCIL OF VIETNAM 

Dr. Do Van Hoi 
Director 
INTERFAITH COUNCIL OF VIETNAM 

Thierry Valle 
Director
COORDINATION DES ASSOCIATIONS ET DES PARTICULIERS POUR LA LIBERTÉ DE CONSCIENCE 

Phan Van Huy Tam 
Leader 
BUDDHIST YOUTH ORGANZATION OF BINH THUAN PROVINCE, VIETNAM 

Truong Thanh 
Head of Family 
BUDDHIST YOUTH ORGANZATION OF BA RIA – VUNG TAU PROVINCE, VIETNAM 

Hoang Phuoc 
Director of Youth 
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH 

Dr. Doan Viet Hoat 
Chairman 
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR VIETNAM 

Tran Thi Thuc 
Director 
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR VIETNAM 

Dr. Ngo Thi Quynh Lam 
Acting Chair, Board of Directors 
BUDDHIST YOUTH ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA 

Tran Quang Phuoc 
BUDDHIST SOLIDARITY ASSOCIATION 

Loan Vo 
BUDDHIST SOLIDARITY ASSOCIATION 

Thien Nguyen 
BUDDHIST SOLIDARITY ASSOCIATION 

Minh-Loi Nguyen 
BUDDHIST SOLIDARITY ASSOCIATION 

Phan Viet Quoc 
Leader 
VAN HANH BUDDHIST YOUTH ORGANZATION (SEATTLE, WA) 

Prof. Tran Gia Phung 
Historian 
TRAN NHAN TONG FELLOWSHIP 

Nguyen Kien 
Founder 
TRAN NHAN TONG FELLOWSHIP 

Dr. Quoc-Hung Tran 
Unit Leader 
TU BI BUDDHIST YOUTH ORGANIZATION (ARLINGTON, TX) 

Chau Ngoc Thach 
Head of Family 
LA HAU LA BUDDHIST YOUTH ORGANIZATION (SPOKANE, WA) 

Omer Kanat 
Executive Director 
UYGHUR HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT 

Peter Kovach 
Former Director 
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 

Prof. Phan Thong Hung 
President 
FEDERATION OF VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES OF THE USA 

Dr. Nguyen Van Nghi 
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Nguyen Van Thanh 
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Tran Hien 
INTERFAITH COUNCIL (HOUSTON, TX) 

Sister Thich Nu Chuc Thanh 
Assistant Director, Executive Committee 
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH 

Dr. Vo Dinh Huu 
President 
UNITED COUNCIL OF VIETNAMESE IN HOMELAND AND OVERSEAS 

Nguyen Van Tanh 
FEDERATION OF VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES OF THE USA 

Luu Van Tuoi 
FEDERATION OF VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES OF THE USA 

Vu Van Thai 
General Secretary 
WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER 

Tran Hinh 
Leader 
BUDDHIST YOUTH ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA 

Truong Kim Anh 
Leader 
BUDDHIST YOUTH ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA 

Ton Tien 
Director, Board of Directors 
BUDDHIST YOUTH ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA 

Willy Fautré 
HUMAN RIGHTS WITHOUT FRONTIERS 

Satoshi Nishihata 
Washington Bureau Chief
HAPPY SCIENCE USA 

Dr. Fabong Jemchang Yildam 
Chairman, Forum of State Chairmen, 
NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL OF NIGERIA 

Linh Nguyen, JD 
Director, Office of International Relations 
UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM