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<p>Vietnam's new Law on Religion and Belief came into effect on 1 January 2018. While
it reduces the time required for religious groups to obtain official recognition it
still retains many of the burdensome restrictions from previous Laws.</p><p>We raise
our concerns about human rights on a regular basis with the Vietnamese government
both bilaterally and through multilateral fora. At the most recent UK-Vietnam Strategic
dialogue between 4 abd 6 January 2018, I raised concerns regarding the strict control
of civil and political rights in Vietnam, including freedom of expression and assembly,
and the need for the Vietnamese government to create space for civil society. Freedom
of religion and belief was included on the agenda at the recent EU-Vietnam Human Rights
Dialogue which took place in December 2017. The EU raised concerns about harassment
and attacks against religious communities in Vietnam, and urged the Vietnamese government
to ensure that the new Law on Religion and Belief is implemented in line with international
standards.</p>
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