Focus on organizational arrangement

The Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs was officially launched and began operating on March 1, 2025. The department was established on the basis of the provincial Ethnic Affairs Committee, additionally receiving functions, tasks, and the organizational apparatus for State management of beliefs and religions from the Department of Home Affairs; performing the advisory role to assist the provincial People’s Committee in State management of ethnic and religious affairs.

The department currently has 31 officials, civil servants, and employees. Its organizational structure includes: the Board of Directors, Office, Division of Ethnic Policy, Division of Ethnic Affairs Dissemination, and Division of Religious Affairs Management. With the current human resources, the department basically meets the assigned tasks of this phase. However, with broad functions and duties, in the context of preparing to operate a two-level local government, it is forecasted that the responsibilities of the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs in general, and of officials and civil servants in particular, will increase in both quantity and complexity when implementing, guiding, inspecting, and supervising policy execution at the grassroots level, managing religious affairs directly from the provincial level down to each commune (the province has 45 communes after consolidation).

Starting work, along with taking over personnel, work systems, records, and documents, the department quickly organized conferences and meetings to assign tasks to specialized departments and individual staff according to their expertise, capacity, and strengths. Immediately after establishment, the department issued documents regulating the functions, duties, and authority of the specialized departments. The creation of connectivity and enhancement of internal unity have been focused on by the Board of Directors through regular encouragement and motivation of officials, civil servants, and employees; fostering an open, dynamic working atmosphere and favorable conditions to carry out work. Through this, departments and staff feel assured in their duties.

The Division of Religious Affairs Management was transferred from the Department of Home Affairs with 5 civil servants. Members quickly adapted to the new environment, continued to fulfill their assigned responsibilities well, becoming an indispensable “piece” in the common home of the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs. Lò Văn Phong, Head of the Division of Religious Affairs Management, shared: “We fully understand and highly agree with the policy of organizing and streamlining the apparatus. With the Board of Directors’ support and facilitation, and the sharing and assistance from colleagues, our entire department quickly caught up the rhythm. Recognizing that anywhere we work is a trusted assignment matching our expertise and strengths, we are ready to take on and successfully complete all tasks.”

Operations get into “rhythm”

Becoming a multi-sectoral, multi-field managing department, facing higher demands on political tasks, the department’s leadership has emphasized solidarity and efforts to overcome difficulties right from the establishment and in each professional task. Therefore, the activities of the department have quickly stabilized; despite the handover and new launch, there has been no interruption or delay in work.

In nearly 3 months, the department has successfully performed tasks according to its functions and duties. Vũ Văn Công, Deputy Director of the department, said: “2025 is the final year implementing the national target program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas phase 1 (2021-2025). After establishment, the department advised the provincial People’s Committee to issue an implementation plan for 2025 and coordinated with the Department of Finance to advise on allocating central budget career funds to agencies and People’s Committees of districts and towns for implementation.”

Recently, the department advised on preparing the summary report on the national target program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas phase 1 (2021-2025), and simultaneously proposed goals, indicators, and tasks for the next phase of the national target program. At the end of April, the department advised the provincial People’s Committee on working with the National Assembly’s Ethnic Affairs Committee to survey, inspect, and evaluate the implementation of the national target program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas at localities.

“In the upcoming period, the department will continue advising on building and proposing goals and indicators to effectively and practically implement the new phase of the national target program 2026-2030. Simultaneously, it will advise on effectively managing beliefs and religions at localities according to assigned functions and duties,” added Công.

Điện Biên is a province with a large ethnic minority population and diverse religious activities; therefore, ethnic affairs, ethnic policies, and State management of beliefs and religions are very important. The duties of those working in ethnic and religious affairs will be heavy, requiring dedication, vision, close understanding of reality, and attachment to the people... The Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, now in operation, is expected to timely grasp and reflect the thoughts, aspirations, and legitimate demands of the people; to effectively carry out propaganda and implement Party and State policies to ethnic minorities and people with religious beliefs in a practical and efficient manner; while promoting and strengthening great national unity.

Điện Biên currently has more than 650,000 people with 19 ethnic groups; among them, the Kinh people account for 17.38%, the Mông for 38.12%, the Thái for 35.69%, and the Khơ Mú for 3.3%... Regarding beliefs and religions, the province currently has 455 officially registered concentrated religious activity points, belonging to four religions: Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and the Vietnam Christian Reformed Church.