Key Religious Events in February 2025:

• The Vietnamese government established a new ministry, the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and Religion, following administrative restructuring.
• Boat People SOS (BPSOS) was classified as a terrorist group by the Ministry of Public Security.
• Two followers of Cao Đài Chơn Truyền 1926 were banned from leaving the country.

The Establishment of the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and Religion

On Feb. 26, 2025, the Vietnamese government issued Decree 41/2025/NĐ-CP, outlining the functions, duties, authority, and organizational structure of the newly established Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and Religion. The decree states that this ministry will oversee the Government Committee for Religious Affairs.

The ministry’s leadership includes Minister Đào Ngọc Dung and four deputy ministers: Y Vinh Tơr, Y Thông, Nông Thị Hà, and Nguyễn Hải Trung — the Head of Hanoi’s Public Security Department.