Recently, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has published one-sided and subjective information on the religious situation in Vietnam. They alleged that violations of religious freedom “continued in Vietnam”; that “the Government’s suppression” was a harsh reality facing unregistered independent religious groups; and that provisions on the right to religious freedom in Vietnam’s law were “in essence restrictions on religious freedom”, which “contravened international human rights standards”.

Since its introduction into Vietnam, Buddhism has integrated into the Vietnamese social life and become an important element in the national culture, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said in a reception for a delegation of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha after the success of the 9th National Buddhist Congress on November 29.