The advocacy campaign for religious freedom in Vietnam, ahead of the IRF (International Religious Freedom) Summit 2024, has begun.
On January 24, a group of Vietnamese Americans joined other members of the Congressional Working Group at the House of Representatives to advocate for religious freedom.
On January 25, a delegation from Cao Dai Temple in Mountain View and Advocates for Justice and Faith in Vietnam were at Senator John Cornyn’s office, Texas, calling for support for millions of Cao Dai followers to regain access to their temples in time for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Cao Dai religion. 300 Cao Dai temples, including the Tay Ninh Holy See, were seized by the government-created 1997 sect, which has recently been found to be a “racketeering enterprise” by a US court, in Dallas, Texas.
The IRF Roundtable is circulating a letter asking the US Government, the UN Human Rights Council, IRFBA and others to use all available mechanisms to help Cao Dai followers.
The advocates also spoke about other violations of religious freedom in Vietnam, and requested Senator Cornyn to ask the US State Department:
- to designate Vietnam as a Country of Particular Concern;
- to pay attention to state-controlled religious organisations which are destroying traditional religions in Vietnam;
- and to accept into the United States the victims of religious persecution in Vietnam who are currently refugees in Vietnam’s neighbouring countries, especially Thailand.
Monday, January 29 will be another Advocacy Day with both the House and the Senate.
The IRF Summit is next week, on January 30 and 31.
