Notable Religious Events in January 2026:
- Authorities in An Giang Province Pressured Independent Hòa Hảo Buddhists;
- Nhất Quán Đạo (Yiquandao) Groups Gain Approval to Register for Collective Worship in Vietnam;
- Lào Cai Authorities Crack Down on the Church of Almighty God’s Evangelizing Efforts;
- Phú Thọ Officials Cite Falun Gong Follower for Distributing Leaflets;
- Việt Nam Opens Criminal Case Against Nguyễn Đình Thắng of Boat People SOS
Independent Hòa Hảo Practitioners Report Pressure From Provincial Authorities
On Dec. 10, 2025, the Pure Hòa Hảo Buddhist Church (PHHBC) issued a statement alleging that authorities in An Giang Province had prevented followers from organizing a ceremony marking the 106th anniversary of the birth of their founder, Huỳnh Giáo Chủ (observed on the 25th day of the 11th lunar month).
According to the church, the ceremony was scheduled to take place at the temporary headquarters of its Central Executive Committee in Nhơn Mỹ Commune, Chợ Mới District, but could not proceed due to intervention by local authorities.
On the afternoon of Jan. 7, three officers from the An Giang provincial police reportedly visited the private residence of Hà Văn Duy Hồ, head of the church’s provincial executive committee in An Giang, located in Nhơn Mỹ Commune.
They requested that no banners display the phrase “Thuần Túy” (Pure), citing the church’s lack of official state recognition. In response, Hồ asked authorities to provide a written legal basis for the request and asserted that the PHHBC was established before 1975 and has never been banned from conducting religious activities.
This is the second time in less than a month that the PHHBC has reported facing restrictions on banner display. Previously, the church said authorities required it not to use the name “Pure Hòa Hảo Buddhism” in commemorative activities. The PHHBC argued that such restrictions are an infringement of the right to freedom of religion.
Over the past two years, the PHHBC has alleged that authorities have blocked and pressured followers during efforts to commemorate the birth anniversary of Huỳnh Phú Sổ.
Meanwhile, only the state-recognized Hòa Hảo Buddhist organization is permitted to hold major ceremonies officially at various administrative levels. This situation suggests that Hòa Hảo groups operating outside the officially recognized framework, including the PHHBC, are being treated as unlawful organizations.
Authorities Recognize Nhất Quán Đạo (Yiguandao) Groups for Collective Activity Registration
A study published in the journal Religious Studies reports that since 2024, the Vietnamese authorities have permitted three Nhất Quán Đạo (Yiguandao) congregations to register for collective religious activities.
These include Quý Đức Buddha Hall (Hà Nam), Hòa Đức Buddha Hall, and Huệ Đức Buddha Hall (Đồng Nai). The approvals mark rare instances in which Nhất Quán Đạo has been allowed to operate openly after years of existing in an unclear legal status.
Independent estimates suggest that by 2020 the faith had around 25,000 followers nationwide, most of them women with an average age of about 40, primarily working in manual or informal labor. Proselytizing largely occurs through personal networks, indicating a relatively closed religious community that has generated little public conflict.
However, before the Law on Belief and Religion took effect in 2016, Nhất Quán Đạo was often categorized as a “strange religion” and operated without registration, leading to various administrative interventions. Even after 2016, enforcement of the law with respect to Nhất Quán Đạo has remained inconsistent.
In June 2022, police in Phú Mỹ Commune (Phú Vang District, Thừa Thiên–Huế Province) reportedly blocked a group of followers from holding a religious gathering. In May 2023, authorities in Cao Lãnh District (Đồng Tháp Province) dispersed a meeting of 15 adherents and urged residents not to join the faith.
Against this backdrop, the recent approval of several Nhất Quán Đạo congregations for collective religious practice raises questions about the legal criteria the authorities apply to unrecognized religions.
The coexistence of permissions and prohibitions suggests that religious management remains discretionary, often dependent on the subjective assessments of local officials rather than consistent legal standards.
Nhất Quán Đạo is a religious movement that emerged in 19th-century China, blending elements of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. It has a significant presence in Taiwan and among overseas Vietnamese communities.
The gradual authorization of certain Nhất Quán Đạo congregations may signal a cautious opening toward formal recognition in Việt Nam. Yet without a clearly established legal status, followers’ freedom of belief continues to hinge on administrative discretion rather than firm legal guarantees.
Church of Almighty God Members Sanctioned in Lào Cai Province for Proselytizing
On Jan. 15, authorities in Lào Cai Province imposed administrative fines on three members of the Church of Almighty God, a form of Christianity, each penalized 7.5 million đồng under Point b, Clause 1, Article 101 of Decree No. 15/2020/NĐ-CP.
According to officials, the individuals used their personal Facebook accounts to post and share content characterized as superstitious, while also disseminating information related to the Church of Almighty God that the authorities deemed misleading.
The government stated that such content could negatively affect public awareness, alleging it incorporated distorted or provocative elements and exploited sensitive issues such as natural disasters and epidemics to influence public sentiment and attract followers.
Authorities said proselytizing activities by members of the organization have occurred multiple times. Another follower faced a fine in August 2025 for similar conduct.
The government has not officially recognized or authorized the Church of Almighty God to operate to date. The authorities have assessed its teachings and proselytizing as posing potential risks to social order, national unity, and public security.
Falun Gong Follower in Phú Thọ Province Faces Fine for Outreach Activity
On Jan. 30, authorities in Phú Thọ Province imposed an administrative fine on a Falun Gong practitioner who was distributing materials, citing Article 29 of Decree No. 119/2020/NĐ-CP on penalties for administrative violations in the fields of journalism and publishing.
Officials reaffirmed that the list of state-recognized religious organizations does not include Falun Gong. Therefore, the law considers the distribution of materials, efforts to recruit participants, and the organization of activities related to Falun Gong as violations.
However, the handling of Falun Gong cases raises an open question about the legal standing of unacknowledged belief systems. The absence of a clearly defined legal framework has generated differing views within society and raised questions about the extent to which freedom of belief and religion is protected under the Constitution and under the international human rights commitments to which Việt Nam is a party.
Vietnamese Authorities Initiate Criminal Proceedings Against Nguyễn Đình Thắng, the CEO of Boat People SOS (BPSOS)
On Jan. 30, the Security Investigation Agency of the Đắk Lắk Provincial Police issued a decision to prosecute Nguyễn Đình Thắng and a warrant for his pretrial detention under Clause 2, Article 299 of the 2015 Penal Code on charges of terrorism.
According to the official announcement, the prosecution stems from alleged connections to an incident that occurred in June 2023 in Đắk Lắk Province.
Authorities allege that Thắng directed, incited, and assisted certain individuals inside the country in carrying out acts deemed to be of a terrorist nature, resulting in particularly serious consequences for social order and public safety.
At the time the decision was announced, however, the authorities did not publicly disclose detailed evidence from the investigation, stating only that there was “sufficient basis” to determine the charge.
It was not until Feb. 1 that the Public Security Television channel (ANTV) aired a report titled “Who is Nguyễn Đình Thắng, and Why Has He Been Prosecuted and Detained?”
In the broadcast, Y Quỳnh B’Đắp appeared and alleged that Thắng had “directed” him and the organization Montagnards Stand for Justice in carrying out the attack on police headquarters in Đắk Lắk Province.
Many international human rights observers raised concerns that Y Quỳnh was forced to make this statement on television, which was publicly broadcast, when he was involuntarily returned to Việt Nam from Thailand.
In February 2025, the Ministry of Public Security designated BPSOS as a terrorist organization, claiming its involvement in the attack. Thắng, who serves as executive director of BPSOS, was also included on the ministry’s list of individuals identified as terrorists.
At present, Nguyễn Đình Thắng is a U.S. citizen and lives there, not in Việt Nam, and Vietnamese authorities have not been able to detain him. Any arrest would depend on specific legal mechanisms, including the possibility of an international warrant, extradition, or judicial cooperation.
According to reporting by Luật Khoa Magazine, Thắng and BPSOS have recently engaged in advocacy and international lobbying efforts on behalf of freedom of religion for Montagnard communities, particularly independent Protestant groups in the Central Highlands.
Thiện Trường wrote this Religion Bulletin in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on Feb. 25, 2026. The Vietnamese owns the copyright for this English translation.
