High-ranking delegation of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs visited and worked in Cambodia

Also joining the delegation were representatives of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

On April 2, the delegation met with Deputy Prime Minister of the Royal Government and Minister of Relations with the National Assembly, Senate and Inspection of Cambodia Men Sam An and held talks with Senior Minister of Cults and Religions of Cambodia Him Chhem, also attended by Mr. Vu Quang Minh - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Cambodia.

On behalf of the delegation, Mr. Vu Chien Thang - Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs of Vietnam expressed his gratitude to the Cambodian Government for its warm welcome to the delegation and affirmed the good traditional relationship between the two countries built over many generations. Vietnam and Cambodia have many similarities in culture, history and religion.

The Government Committee for Religious Affairs of Vietnam and the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religions have signed an agreement to enhance cooperation and foreign relations in the field of religion.

During the 2 years (2018-2019), the Government Committee for Religious Affairs of Vietnam and the Ministry of Cults and Religions of Cambodia achieved a number of results such as:

Held talks between the Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs of Vietnam and the Senior Minister of Cults and Religions of Cambodia in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam;

Organized 2 conferences to exchange experiences in religious work for Cambodian religious officials in Vietnam;

Successfully organized a ministerial-level conference between border provinces of the two countries on religious work and regularly exchanged and discussed religious work related to the two countries.

Information on the situation of beliefs and religions in Vietnam, including the event of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha hosting the 3rd United Nations Vesak Festival in Vietnam with 1,500 invited delegates, including leaders of Buddhist countries and leaders of Buddhist organizations around the world.

On this occasion, Head of the Committee Vu Chien Thang hopes that the Cambodian Government, the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religions, and the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia will continue to pay attention and create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese Buddhist community and Cao Dai followers to operate smoothly, consider establishing the Coordinating Committee of Vietnamese Buddhism in Cambodia and guide its activities in accordance with the law.

The Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs affirmed that Vietnam will proactively and actively implement the cooperation agreement with the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religions to improve the effectiveness of cooperation between the two sides in the religious field, contributing to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship between the two countries of Vietnam and Cambodia.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Royal Government and Minister of Relations with the National Assembly, Senate and Inspectorate of Cambodia Men Sam An thanked the Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs of Vietnam for his information on the state management of religious activities in Vietnam and expressed his joy at the development of the two countries in various fields, in which both countries respect freedom of belief and religion and believe that Vietnam will successfully organize the United Nations Day of Vesak next May. At the same time, he said that the Cambodian Government always supports religious policies so that religions can live in harmony with the people, on the basis of compliance with Cambodian law.

At the meeting, Cambodian Minister of Cults and Religions Him Chhem highly appreciated the initiative of the Vietnamese Government Committee for Religious Affairs to strengthen cooperation in religious affairs between the two countries. At the same time, he acknowledged Vietnam's assistance to Cambodia in escaping the Pol Pot genocide so that Cambodia could have peace and development as it does today.

Regarding the religious situation in Cambodia, Minister Him Chhem said that Cambodia has about 95% of the population with the majority religion being Buddhism with 5,000 pagodas, over 700,000 monks, in addition to Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Cao Dai, Baha'i, etc. The Royal Government of Cambodia always implements a policy of free and peaceful religious activities.

During the days in Cambodia, the delegation also had a number of activities:

Welcome to His Majesty the King of Theravada Buddhism, Bour Kry, Kingdom of Cambodia.At the reception, King of the Theravada sect of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Bour Kry, expressed his appreciation for the visit of the high-ranking delegation from the Government Committee for Religious Affairs and highlighted the role of Vietnamese Buddhism in contributing to the stability and development of international Buddhism.

In his reply, Mr. Vu Chien Thang - Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs highly appreciated the sentiments of Monk Bour Kry towards the delegation and informed about the religious situation in Vietnam, in which Buddhism is the religion with the largest number of dignitaries, officials and Buddhists among religions in Vietnam.

On this occasion, the delegation also reiterated the invitation of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to King Monk Bour Kry to attend the United Nations Vesak Festival held in Vietnam.

Welcome to the President of the Executive Council of the Buddhist Sangha of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Nont NgetAt the reception, the President of the Executive Council of the Buddhist Sangha of the Kingdom of Cambodia thanked Vietnam for its assistance in helping the Cambodian people escape the Pol Pot genocide and Vietnamese Buddhism for helping to re-establish Buddhism in Cambodia, and congratulated the high-ranking delegation of the Government's Committee for Religious Affairs for their good work in Cambodia.

In his response, Mr. Vu Chien Thang - Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs thanked the President of the Executive Council of the Buddhist Sangha of the Kingdom of Cambodia Nont Nget for his sentiments towards the delegation.

Information on the delegation's activities in Cambodia, the religious situation in Vietnam and the invitation from the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to the President to attend the upcoming United Nations Vesak Festival held in Vietnam.

Visit the Cao Dai Phnompenh Sect of the Cao Dai Tay Ninh Vietnam Church in Cambodia,Also attending were Director General of Religious Affairs of the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religions Him Vibolrith and representatives of the Management Board and Executive Board of Cao Dai Phnom Penh.

Parishioner Vo Quang Minh - Parish Administrator presented the activities of Cao Dai dignitaries and followers in Cambodia and made a number of requests to ask for help from the high-ranking delegation of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs.

Mr. Vu Chien Thang - Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs informed about the economic, cultural, social and religious situation in Vietnam. Regarding the requests of the Cao Dai sect in Phnom Penh, the content related to the Cambodian government has the Ministry of Rites and Religions of Cambodia, the Department of Rites and Religions of Phnom Penh to guide implementation according to Cambodian law. The content related to the Vietnamese government will be assigned to the responsible unit to take care of implementation. At the same time, we will soon work with the Standing Committee of the Cao Dai Tay Ninh Church to resolve the requests of the Cao Dai sect in Phnom Penh and request the Church to actively care for Cao Dai followers in Cambodia to maintain their religion, unite, and contribute to building a stable and developed homeland of Vietnam.

Visit the Vietnamese Khmer Association in Cambodia, also attending were Mr. Vo Tuan Ngoc - Counselor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia and the Executive Committee of the Khmer Vietnamese Association in Cambodia.

Mr. Chau Van Chi - Chairman of the Vietnamese Khmer Association in Cambodia reported on the Association's activities in recent times and said that the Association's current activities have established 24 branches in 24 provinces and cities in Cambodia. The Association has carried out its principles and objectives in the fields of humanitarianism, charity, and education promotion, contributing to the solidarity of the Vietnamese community in Cambodia.

At the same time, recommend the delegation to support the Khmer community in Cambodia to build a Khmer pagoda for Vietnamese people living in Cambodia.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Vu Chien Thang - Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs highly appreciated the results achieved by the Association in recent times, informed about the country's economic, cultural and social situation with positive developments and asked the Association to take better care of the lives of people in Cambodia.

Regarding the Association's proposal, we will ask the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha for support. In the near future, we will consider establishing the Coordinating Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Cambodia and building the Cao Dai Temple in Phnom Penh.

Welcome to the Embassy of Vietnam in Cambodia,Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Cambodia Vo Quang Minh warmly received the delegation.

Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Vu Chien Thang discussed the results of his visit and work in Cambodia and hoped that the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia would pay attention to three issues: the establishment of the Coordinating Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Cambodia, the request of the Vietnamese Khmer Association in Cambodia to build a pagoda for Vietnamese people in Cambodia, and the construction of the Cao Dai Temple in Phnom Penh.

In his reply, Vietnamese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Cambodia Vo Quang Minh said that religion is an important issue for Cambodia, with the king's flag stating: "Religion - Nation - King".

Information about Vietnamese people in Cambodia is about 150 to 170 thousand people. Some Vietnamese people living in the Tonle Sap area have legal difficulties, do not have citizen identification cards, do not have nationality, making it difficult to support them.

The life of the Vietnamese people in Tonle Sap is still difficult, so some new religions have come to spread their religion. I hope that the Government's Committee for Religious Affairs will help the Vietnamese Buddhist community in Cambodia connect with the established pagodas, which are guided by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in their activities, to gather and unite Vietnamese Buddhists in Cambodia.

On this occasion, a high-ranking delegation of the Government's Committee for Religious Affairs offered incense at the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Monument in Phnom Penh./.

Some pictures of the Delegation's activities in Cambodia: