UN Marks International Day of Vesak
	Delegation of the Global Collaborative Community Meets with Government Committee for Religious Affairs

According to the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, numerous organizations and individuals, both domestic and international, have utilized cyberspace to post religious information with political motives recently. They present biased, ill-intentioned, or even distorted views of the religious life of the people to falsely accuse the Vietnamese government of suppressing religious freedom, incite opposition against the authorities, and propagate superstitions contrary to national customs and traditions.

Lai Chau Provincial Police raise awareness of religious law for ethnic minorities in villages. (Photo: Nhan Dan Newspaper)

For instance, the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ (Hoi thanh Tin lanh dang Christ) has used online chat applications to gather believers from ethnic minorities within the country, linking them with overseas reactionary groups. These groups exploit issues of democracy, human rights, and freedom of religion to oppose Vietnam, demanding the establishment of a "separate state and religion" for ethnic minorities. Additionally, new religious phenomena, “cults,” and “strange religions” (such as Falun Gong, Supreme Master Ching Hai, the Mystical Sound Dharma, the "Church of God the Mother," and 'Vietnam Bronze Drum Original Energy") have increasingly used social media to attract followers.

There are also superstitious and exploitative activities, such as the "Human Love Club," the "Bao Loc Exorcism Group," and the practice of "praying for ancestral spirits and exorcism" at Ba Vang Pagoda in Quang Ninh Province. Furthermore, cyberspace has been exploited to spread misinformation, insult, and divide religious beliefs. For example, groups such as the "Church of God the Mother," "Luong Gia Long," or "Luong Chinh Khang" disseminate superstitions and misinformation regarding COVID-19 prevention methods, distort and insult Vietnam’s Mother Goddess worship, and dishonor national heroes and martyrs who contributed to the country.

Recently, some Buddhist monks have delivered sermons on social media platforms attacking other religions, sparking discontent within religious communities. These actions have been exploited and distorted by malicious forces to incite activities undermining national solidarity and religious unity.

Dien Bien Border Guard officers disseminate policies and laws and guide people in implementing measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic. (Photo: Anh Dung)

Religious and faith-based activities in cyberspace are becoming increasingly complex, yet efforts to address and manage them face many shortcomings. Vietnam's current legal framework lacks specific provisions to regulate the dissemination of religious and religion-related information in cyberspace.

While the legal system awaits amendments and enhancements to govern such activities and provide measures for dealing with violations, concerned authorities must strengthen communication and equip religious organizations, clergy, officials, practitioners, and followers with knowledge about cybersecurity laws and the Code of Conduct on social media.

In addition, it is vital to raise awareness among workers and the public to ensure cybersecurity, and caution against propaganda from "cults" and individuals exploiting cyberspace for illegal religious activities; actively detect and address harmful content that affects cultural traditions, the integrity of religious life, and activities involving distortions, propaganda, and "cults" or "heresies"; and timely corrections and actions are essential to ensure a healthy and lawful environment for religious and faith-based activities in cyberspace.

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