Society
Merit money at Vietnam religious facilities not subject to state management: new fiat
Merit money donated to religious establishments, whether they are located in classified or listed relic sites, is not subject to state management but it is under control by those facilities themselves, according to a new rule included in a circular recently issued by Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance.
The circular, which ‘guides the management of financial revenue and expenditure for festival organization and merit money, funding for monuments and festival activities,’ was promulgated on January 19, 2023 after its draft version was released to the public for feedback in 2021.
Under the new rule, which will take effect on March 19 this year, representatives of belief and religious establishments will be responsible for the management and use of merit money voluntarily donated to them by individuals and organizations during their visits to such places of worship.
This regulation, which is in contrary to the previous one in the draft version, is applied to every religious and belief facility, whether they are located in relic areas under state management or those belonging to private ownership.
If a belief or religious establishment is located within a relic site that is put under the management of a public non-business unit, then such a facility is required to pay that unit a part of the cost related to its repair, maintenance, renovation, upgrade or new constructions, if any, in addition to expenses for the maintenance of security and order, environmental sanitation, and others.
In the event that the relic area belongs to private ownership, then the owner of the relic will be entitled to manage and use merit money collected from relevant belief or religious facilities.
In April 2021, the ministry introduced the draft version of the circular including a rule putting merit money at belief and religious facilities under state management.
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| A woman is shown putting merit money into a box at Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Thien Dieu/ Tien Phong |
After the draft document was released for public comment and feedback, the suggested rule encountered strong opposition from the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and some local churches such as the VBS in Quang Ninh Province.
These religious organizations sent documents to the finance ministry and other ministries and agencies requesting that the state not manage merit money at any religious establishment.
In its written proposal dated June 17, 2021, the VBS commented that such a rule secularized the sacredness of merit money offered by individuals and organizations to belief and religious establishments.
The proposal was sent to the Government Committee for Religion, the Central Committee for Mass Mobilization, the Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
The VBS said in its document that the term ‘merit money’ was not defined or explained in the draft circular as well as in any other legal documents of the state.
It commented that putting merit money under state management would not ensure the private ownership of the VBS and Buddhist practitioners as provided for in the Vietnamese Constitution and current legislation.
The VBS cited provisions in the 2016 Law on Beliefs and Religions and the 2015 Civil Code as affirming that religious organizations have the right to receive and own lawful assets voluntarily offered to them by domestic and foreign organizations and individuals.
The VBS also cited Article 53 of the 2013 Constitution as stipulating that merit money is not ‘public property that is owned by all the people, and represented and uniformly managed by the state.’
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Merit money donated to religious establishments, whether they are located in classified or listed relic sites, is not subject to state management but it is under control by those facilities themselves, according to a new rule included in a circular recently issued by Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance.
The circular, which ‘guides the management of financial revenue and expenditure for festival organization and merit money, funding for monuments and festival activities,’ was promulgated on January 19, 2023 after its draft version was released to the public for feedback in 2021.
Under the new rule, which will take effect on March 19 this year, representatives of belief and religious establishments will be responsible for the management and use of merit money voluntarily donated to them by individuals and organizations during their visits to such places of worship.
This regulation, which is in contrary to the previous one in the draft version, is applied to every religious and belief facility, whether they are located in relic areas under state management or those belonging to private ownership.
If a belief or religious establishment is located within a relic site that is put under the management of a public non-business unit, then such a facility is required to pay that unit a part of the cost related to its repair, maintenance, renovation, upgrade or new constructions, if any, in addition to expenses for the maintenance of security and order, environmental sanitation, and others.
In the event that the relic area belongs to private ownership, then the owner of the relic will be entitled to manage and use merit money collected from relevant belief or religious facilities.
In April 2021, the ministry introduced the draft version of the circular including a rule putting merit money at belief and religious facilities under state management.
|
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| A woman is shown putting merit money into a box at Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Thien Dieu/ Tien Phong |
After the draft document was released for public comment and feedback, the suggested rule encountered strong opposition from the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and some local churches such as the VBS in Quang Ninh Province.
These religious organizations sent documents to the finance ministry and other ministries and agencies requesting that the state not manage merit money at any religious establishment.
In its written proposal dated June 17, 2021, the VBS commented that such a rule secularized the sacredness of merit money offered by individuals and organizations to belief and religious establishments.
The proposal was sent to the Government Committee for Religion, the Central Committee for Mass Mobilization, the Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
The VBS said in its document that the term ‘merit money’ was not defined or explained in the draft circular as well as in any other legal documents of the state.
It commented that putting merit money under state management would not ensure the private ownership of the VBS and Buddhist practitioners as provided for in the Vietnamese Constitution and current legislation.
The VBS cited provisions in the 2016 Law on Beliefs and Religions and the 2015 Civil Code as affirming that religious organizations have the right to receive and own lawful assets voluntarily offered to them by domestic and foreign organizations and individuals.
The VBS also cited Article 53 of the 2013 Constitution as stipulating that merit money is not ‘public property that is owned by all the people, and represented and uniformly managed by the state.’
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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20230128/merit-money-at-vietnam-religious-facilities-not-subject-to-state-management-new-fiat/71163.html
A Vietnamese married couple had their scooter seized by police officers and will face punishment for performing acrobatics while riding at a dangerous bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam.
Police officers in Phu Loc District, central Thua Thien-Hue Province said on Monday afternoon that they determined the couple in question include Nguyen The A., 35, and Nguyen Thi Kim Ng., 24, both of whom are local residents.
A 30-second video capturing A. and Ng.’s daredevil stunts circulated on social media on Sunday.
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| This supplied photo shows Nguyen Thi Kim Ng.’s scooter being seized by police officers in Phu Loc District, Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam. |
In the video, Ng. carried A. on the scooter while both were not wearing helmets at a double-hairpin bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass, which connects Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang City.
Then, A., from the passenger seat, leaned forward and held the handlebars to steer the scooter while his left leg was still left in the footrest for the back seat and the right leg was stretched out on the vehicle.
At that time, there were many vehicles running on Hai Van Mountain Pass, with some motorcyclists worried about the couple’s performance and pulling over to the side of the road for their safety.
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| A bird’s-eye view of a dangerous bend where reckless riders often show off their riding skills on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam. Photo: T. Tri / Tien Phong |
The video drew the attention of police officers and prompted an investigation, which resulted in Phu Loc District officers’ summoning A. and Ng. to the police station.
According to their testimony, A. and Ng. are husband and wife and the scooter with the plate number 75K1-510.16 they used in the video is registered to Ng. at the district’s police office.
The couple performed the acrobatics after they and a group of friends had just returned from bathing in a stream near Hai Van Mountain Pass.
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| A young man shows off his skill of steering a motorbike with no hands at the slope of a dangerous bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam. Photo: T. Tri / Tien Phong |
The incident was recorded by a person at the site and posted on social media.
Phu Loc police officers seized Ng.’s scooter and handed the case over to their colleagues in Da Nang’s Lien Chieu District, where the bend is located, to handle the couple in accordance with the law for their dangerous and unsafe behavior on the street.
The 24km scenic and twisty road of Hai Van Mountain Pass is always a favorite of motorbike adventurers, with many reckless riders often showing off their riding skills there.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A Vietnamese married couple had their scooter seized by police officers and will face punishment for performing acrobatics while riding at a dangerous bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam.
Police officers in Phu Loc District, central Thua Thien-Hue Province said on Monday afternoon that they determined the couple in question include Nguyen The A., 35, and Nguyen Thi Kim Ng., 24, both of whom are local residents.
A 30-second video capturing A. and Ng.’s daredevil stunts circulated on social media on Sunday.
|
|
| This supplied photo shows Nguyen Thi Kim Ng.’s scooter being seized by police officers in Phu Loc District, Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam. |
In the video, Ng. carried A. on the scooter while both were not wearing helmets at a double-hairpin bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass, which connects Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang City.
Then, A., from the passenger seat, leaned forward and held the handlebars to steer the scooter while his left leg was still left in the footrest for the back seat and the right leg was stretched out on the vehicle.
At that time, there were many vehicles running on Hai Van Mountain Pass, with some motorcyclists worried about the couple’s performance and pulling over to the side of the road for their safety.
|
|
| A bird’s-eye view of a dangerous bend where reckless riders often show off their riding skills on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam. Photo: T. Tri / Tien Phong |
The video drew the attention of police officers and prompted an investigation, which resulted in Phu Loc District officers’ summoning A. and Ng. to the police station.
According to their testimony, A. and Ng. are husband and wife and the scooter with the plate number 75K1-510.16 they used in the video is registered to Ng. at the district’s police office.
The couple performed the acrobatics after they and a group of friends had just returned from bathing in a stream near Hai Van Mountain Pass.
|
|
| A young man shows off his skill of steering a motorbike with no hands at the slope of a dangerous bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam. Photo: T. Tri / Tien Phong |
The incident was recorded by a person at the site and posted on social media.
Phu Loc police officers seized Ng.’s scooter and handed the case over to their colleagues in Da Nang’s Lien Chieu District, where the bend is located, to handle the couple in accordance with the law for their dangerous and unsafe behavior on the street.
The 24km scenic and twisty road of Hai Van Mountain Pass is always a favorite of motorbike adventurers, with many reckless riders often showing off their riding skills there.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20230321/vietnamese-couple-cited-for-performing-scooter-stunts-on-mountain-pass/72186.html
The seriously-degraded, stinky state of public toilets has become an affliction for people in Hanoi, which has about 400 public bathrooms serving a population of more than 8.3 million.
Using public toilets has become a nightmare for people and tourists in the Vietnamese capital city.
At My Dinh Bus Station, one of the biggest bus depots in Hanoi handling thousands of passengers every day, many public toilets are overgrown with wild plants as observed by Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper reporters.
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| A public toilet is overgrown with wild plants on Nguyen Hoang Street in Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
At the back of one of those bathrooms on Nguyen Hoang Street, a beverage stall has been established.
Inside the bathroom, there are two toilet compartments for males and females, with one of them being closed, accompanied by an overpowering stench.
In that sole operational toilet compartment, one broken urinal was unusable and sealed with a plastic bag.
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| A urinal is sealed with a plastic bag inside a public toilet in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The handle to flush the toilet was missing and the hand wash basin was not working.
After using the toilet, people have to use a bucket to pour water into it.
Despite all of those problems, toilet users are expected to give an employee stationed there from VND3,000 (US$0.13) to VND5,000 ($0.21) after every use.
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| A man relieves himself outside a public toilet at My Dinh Bus Station in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The Tien Phong reporters witnessed the same situation at another public toilet along Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District.
“This toilet is completely free, users don’t have to pay anything,” said Lieu, a sanitation worker there.
On the same street, a different public toilet designed with four stalls was closed on Sunday afternoon.
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| A public toilet on Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
According to a staff member, the toilet has just been repaired and cannot be used yet.
“There are really very few public toilets around this large West Lake,” said Nguyen Anh Minh after using a public toilet near the lake.
“I had to go a long way before finding one here, but its quality is very poor as the inside is smelly and dirty.
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| A public toilet is closed on Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
“I was reluctant to use it but I had no choice.
“After using it, I think I feel sick.”
As counted by Tien Phong, there are only two public toilets around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, insufficient for the large number of visitors to the top tourist attraction in the capital city.
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| A public toilet around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The outside of those two public toilets looked quite modern and new, but the inside smelled strongly and one of the doors was also broken.
People often have to get in line for their turn to use the restrooms.
“I find the smell here unpleasant and the number of people with demand are high,” said Hoang Hai Yen, 21.
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| A door is broken at a public toilet around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
“Every time I step into similar public toilets across Hanoi, I feel disgusted.
“I hope Hanoi will build more public toilets in tourist destinations for residents and tourists to use.
“Moreover, public toilets need to be deodorized and cleaned more often.”
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The seriously-degraded, stinky state of public toilets has become an affliction for people in Hanoi, which has about 400 public bathrooms serving a population of more than 8.3 million.
Using public toilets has become a nightmare for people and tourists in the Vietnamese capital city.
At My Dinh Bus Station, one of the biggest bus depots in Hanoi handling thousands of passengers every day, many public toilets are overgrown with wild plants as observed by Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper reporters.
|
|
| A public toilet is overgrown with wild plants on Nguyen Hoang Street in Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
At the back of one of those bathrooms on Nguyen Hoang Street, a beverage stall has been established.
Inside the bathroom, there are two toilet compartments for males and females, with one of them being closed, accompanied by an overpowering stench.
In that sole operational toilet compartment, one broken urinal was unusable and sealed with a plastic bag.
|
|
| A urinal is sealed with a plastic bag inside a public toilet in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The handle to flush the toilet was missing and the hand wash basin was not working.
After using the toilet, people have to use a bucket to pour water into it.
Despite all of those problems, toilet users are expected to give an employee stationed there from VND3,000 (US$0.13) to VND5,000 ($0.21) after every use.
|
|
| A man relieves himself outside a public toilet at My Dinh Bus Station in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The Tien Phong reporters witnessed the same situation at another public toilet along Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District.
“This toilet is completely free, users don’t have to pay anything,” said Lieu, a sanitation worker there.
On the same street, a different public toilet designed with four stalls was closed on Sunday afternoon.
|
|
| A public toilet on Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
According to a staff member, the toilet has just been repaired and cannot be used yet.
“There are really very few public toilets around this large West Lake,” said Nguyen Anh Minh after using a public toilet near the lake.
“I had to go a long way before finding one here, but its quality is very poor as the inside is smelly and dirty.
|
|
| A public toilet is closed on Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
“I was reluctant to use it but I had no choice.
“After using it, I think I feel sick.”
As counted by Tien Phong, there are only two public toilets around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, insufficient for the large number of visitors to the top tourist attraction in the capital city.
|
|
| A public toilet around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The outside of those two public toilets looked quite modern and new, but the inside smelled strongly and one of the doors was also broken.
People often have to get in line for their turn to use the restrooms.
“I find the smell here unpleasant and the number of people with demand are high,” said Hoang Hai Yen, 21.
|
|
| A door is broken at a public toilet around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
“Every time I step into similar public toilets across Hanoi, I feel disgusted.
“I hope Hanoi will build more public toilets in tourist destinations for residents and tourists to use.
“Moreover, public toilets need to be deodorized and cleaned more often.”
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20230321/public-toilets-cause-for-concern-in-hanoi/72172.html
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