Vietnam has unveiled a new law that it says guarantees religious freedom, while reinforcing state management of religious activity.
But the Ordinance on Beliefs and Religions, made public Monday, also warns that those who use religion to, in its words, "undermine the state," will be punished.
The ordinance prohibits religious activities that affect Vietnam's public order.
Vietnam permits state-run houses of worship, but bans religious activity that is not controlled by the government. Several Vietnamese religious dissidents remain in jail or under house arrest.
The United States has long criticized Vietnam's religious rights record.