In 2021, religious freedom violations persisted in Vietnam. This report provides an overview of these violations and highlights U.S. policy efforts to advance human rights, including religious freedom, in Vietnam. Despite its notable improvement compared to the previous religious ordinance, the 2018 Law on Belief and Religion (2018 Law) remains restrictive in nature and is plagued by uneven and inconsistent applications throughout the country. Government persecution continues to be a harsh reality facing unregistered independent religious groups, with many of them being designated as “strange, false, or heretical” religions. Lastly, authorities continue to subject believers and religious freedom advocates to long-term imprisonment, during which some reported deteriorating health due to ongoing abuse and mistreatment in prison.

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