The Government Committee for Religious Affairs (GCRA): USIRF should not repeat old stories.

 

Thien Giao, RFA Reporter

 

2009-05-21

 

Last week, the delegation of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom USCIRF arrived in Vietnam to study the situation of religious freedom in Vietnam. Meeting with the GCRA is an agenda item of the delegation.

 

In response to the interview of Radio Free Asia eporter Thien Giao, the Vice Director of GCRA, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Xuan, stated that both United States and Vietnam parties have agreed upon a new approach of perceiving religious matters in Vietnam.

 

The Vice Director has also mentioned on the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), the Thai Ha Parish, Hoa Hao, Rev Nguyen Van Ly, The government policy on religious ownership of land, etc. 

 

The translator of the article has given some additional historical background to this statement about landownership by the Catholic Church and the Vietnamese government's perceived right to confiscate it, as well as withdraw the issue from the USCIRF agenda: 

In translating the article below into English, there is a term “dia chu” which I don’t know how to convey the meaning behind it properly. Historically, during 1950’s in North Vietnam, the communist government considered those who own land i.e., landowners as criminals. The term “dia chu” in Vietnamese has a negative meaning. In the interview, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Xuan mentioned Catholic Church in VN at that time as “dia chu nha chung” i.e., Church landowner with the meaning that the Church became “dia chu” - criminal because it owned many land areas. The goverment measure of capturing church’s lands was considered as an enforcement of the “law”. Therefore, those captured lands should not be returned. The sarcastic remark of author Thien GIao  “Luckily...” at the top of his article implies this.

Dr Nguyen Thanh Xuan: Previously, in Vietnam, there existed a concept of “Church landowner”, i.e. the Catholic Church has become landowner --> Luckily, the VN Communist Party did not root out (get rid of) the Catholic Church because of that.

 

Meeting with USCIRF

 

Thien Giao: As informed, last week, the USIRF had a meeting with GCRA. As the Vice Director of GCRA, would you share the meeting content?

 

Dr Nguyen Thanh Xuan: It’s true that the delegation met the GCRA. It was a straight forward conversation. The USIRF has mentioned the progression of religious freedom practice in Vietnam. They put many questions on religious practices in particular areas such as Northwest and West highlands.

The key point this time is that we agreed with the delegation on the approach of perceiving religious matters in Vietnam. We agreed not to look at exceptional events but the holistic dynamic evolution of religious matters in Vietnam.

Particular a, b, c events may worth certain concerns but not the whole issue.

We also admitted that on the process of accomplishing the legal framework, there are some particular points which could not be fulfilled well at lower local levels.

 

Thien Giao: It was said that GCRA requested USIRF not to meet with priests of Thai Ha parish, but later on there was higher level permission. Is it true?

 

Dr Nguyen Thanh Xuan, The delegation did request us to arrange a meeting with Thai Ha parish but we said the Thai Ha issue does not relate to religion practice. It is an appeal related to land use. While in Vietnam, such an issue is not in existence. We have explained clearly with the delegation that issue on such a base, so the USRIF has removed it from their agenda. It is totally the internal issue of Vietnam. Even the delegation has shared with us some other land use related issues.

 

We’ve also mentioned to them that, Vietnam population has been quintuplicate in the 20th century, while land area remains the same. Previously, it’s due to historical circumstance, religious organizations including the Catholic Church possessed enormous land.

 

In the past, in Vietnam, there existed a concept of “Church landowner”, i.e, the Church has become landowner. Therefore, those lands, which are possessed by the state, will not be returned to religious organizations.

The government will grant land for infrastructure buildings such as monasteries, schools, headquarters basically based on the religious need.

Old story?

 

Thien Giao: You’ve mentioned the agreed approach should be based on a general perception, not specific issue. However, there is some specific issues such as the UBCV, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, Protestant churches etc. Do they reflect a different image of current religious practice in VN?

 

Dr Nguyen Thanh Xuan: I would respond to these issues as follows: We suggested the USIRF put the issue of UBCV out of the religious freedom concerns in VN. Hoa Hao, the reactivation of Hoa Hao Buddhist Church and other issues should not be raised. They were raised 3, 4 times already. Those old issues should not be raised at every visit. Mr. Nguyen Van Ly has been tried. The delegation has raised this issue at every visit. We’ve advised them to get rid of those issues from the working agenda, instead to focus on new issues which  concern us.

 

Thien Giao: May I make a parenthesis here before asking you the last question. You’ve mentioned of not raising old issues. So, are they old because the time has passed and they become old or is it not necessary to raise those issues?

 

Dr. Nguyen Thanh Xuan: Not necessary! Everybody has talked a lot about them. What is the nature of UBCV? What does it mean to those who are self-styledly leading it? What does it mean to Nguyen Van Ly who violated the Vietnam law? Whenever visiting VN, USIRF again raises those old issues. I mean the cases are closed.

 

Thien Giao: My last question is that, based on current circumstance, with a realistic view, what does the government admit on current religious issues in Vietnam?

 

Dr. Nguyen Thanh Xuan: Our Government, the Party and the state of Vietnam self assess that we have had great effort and achieve huge progress, very positive improvement.

 

We admit that before the issuance of Reform – Doi Moi policies, we had some limitation in perception or behavior. However, after Doi Moi, we’ve made great progress. I would say that the progress in realization of reform religious policy has the same pace with other reforms in economy, culture and society of our nation, otherwise, it has even some advanced progress.

 

Thien Giao: Thank you for your time.