With 84.58 percent of approval votes, the 14th National Assembly passed a Law on Belief and Religion in the second session’s November 18 sitting. 

With 68 articles in 9 chapters, the freshly-adopted law stipulates that everyone has the right to freedom of belief and religion, following or not following any religions. Everybody has the right to exercise religious practices and attend religious festivals. 

Authorised religious organisations are allowed to operate in line with their charters and regulations; hold religious activities; publish religion-related documents; build or upgrade religious establishments; and receive legal donations from individuals or organisations both in and outside the country. 

In order to ensure the right to freedom of religion, the law clearly prescribes that the State respects and protects everyone’s right to freedom of belief and religion, and ensures that all religions are equal before the law. 

The Vietnam Fatherland Front is responsible for uniting religious followers and non-followers to build the great national unity bloc for national construction and defence; and timely reporting the people’s opinions, aspirations and petitions on religious issues to competent State agencies;

The Vietnam Fatherland Front is assigned to participate in drafting legal documents on belief and religion, as well as monitoring activities of people-elected agencies, organisations, officials and civil servants in the implementation of religious laws and policies. 

All discriminations for religious reasons; actions that force or hinder others from following or not following religion and belief; actions that offend belief and religion or taking advantage of religious activities to seek profit are prohibited. 

The law also bans religious activities that infringe on national defence, security, sovereignty, and social order and safety; harm social ethics, personal lives and assets; offend other persons’ honour and human dignity; prevent the performance of civil rights and obligations; and disunite the nation, religions and among belief and religion followers and non-followers.

Legislators debate draft revised Railway Law, e-visa resolution

Legislators at the 13th NA debated the draft revised Railway Law on November 18, with the majority of them agreeing on the need to make adjustments to the law to tackle railway sector’s problems, especially its underdeveloped infrastructure. 

Currently, the railway system has yet to be connected with other means of transportation in a convenient way, while the current investment of between 2-3 trillion VND each year in the sector is much lower than that in other forms of transport. 

However, a number of deputies were concerned about the feasibility of the bill. Deputy Nguyen Phuong Tuan from Ninh Binh pointed out that out of the total 95 articles in the draft revised law, 37 articles will need guidelines, while 20 others are not clear. 

Several deputies supported the idea on a high-speed North-South railway. Deputy Nguyen Phi Thuong from Hanoi called for a roadmap to develop the railway, suggesting allocating capital to conduct feasibility research on the idea. 

Nguyen Van Canh, representative of Binh Dinh province proposed that the NA adjust the land use plan so that the Government can build at least 21 urban areas around stations along the North-South railway and 21 trade centres in the stations, which he said will generate capital for the railway construction. 

According to Minister of Transportation Truong Quang Nghia, the ministry will coordinate with NA agencies to further revise regulations in the bill to win greater support among legislators. 

During the November 18 working day, deputies also discussed the necessity to issue a resolution on the issuance of e-visa for foreigners, which is hoped to contribute to socio-economic growth through boosting tourism and investment. 

Some deputies worried that the granting of e-visa to all foreigners are too wide, while Vietnam does not have sufficient experience as well as staff and technical infrastructure for the work. They proposed giving priority to tourists, investors and visitors from some countries with traditional friendship or those having signed cooperation agreements with Vietnam. 

Several lawmakers expressed concern that the date of starting granting e-visa on January 1, 2017 is too urgent to make good preparations for the work. 

Many deputies urged necessary measures to be taken to ensure national cyber security.-VNA