The followers of Caodaism in foreign countries and the administrative relation between believers of Caodaism in foreign countries and Cao Dai church in country

result is conflicts. 
The conflict in administrative relation. 
Cao Dai church in country conflicts with a small part of Cao Dai followers in foreign 
countries. The reason of conflict is divergence in politics. After 1975 many Cao Dai 
followers emigrated to foreign countries. Because of many reasons they left Vietnam 
for other countries, one of these reasons is the political reason. Because of different 
views there is contradiction in administrative relation between Tay Ninh Holy See and 
Cao Dai followers in foreign countries. The regulation of organizational structure of 
Cao Dai church in Tay Ninh has lasted this contradiction. 
On 1st March, 1979, the instruction 01 was promulgated. It also mentioned in 
dissolution of the administrative structure of Cao Dai church. The Executive Power, the 
Legislative Body, Charity Section and other sections were dissolved. The Management 
Council replaced above sections. The Management Council has been the standing 
organization of Cao Dai church. The Management Council has a strong attachment to 
the Vietnam Fatherland Front. This Council executes seriously line and policies of 
Party. This Council encourages all believers to take part in the cause of building and 
defending our country. 
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Some problems are mentioned in Instruction no 01 and some rules of the Management 
Council make some Cao Dai followers in foreign countries uncomfortable. They protest 
Cao Dai church in country and think that modification is contrary to traditional rules of 
Caodaism. They declare that they do not comply with the Management Council and they 
call Cao Dai communities in foreign countries to “defend traditional rules of Caodaism”. 
In fact, not only Cao Dai church in Tay Ninh has the Management Council but also 
other Cao Dai churches have one. But the other Cao Dai churches do not proclaim to 
dissolve administrative structures. So Instruction 01 is the important reason of 
disharmony between some Cao Dai followers in foreign countries and Cao Dai church 
in Tay Ninh. However, the Management Council still have existed. It manages Cao Dai 
church according to the rules of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Basing on New 
Charter that was proclaimed on 5th April, 1997, the Management Council is operating 
agency of Cao Dai church in Tay Ninh. It is directly under Cao Dai Church. According 
to New Charter, Cao Dai church is governing body to manage all religious acts, rules, 
laws, rites of the Great way of the third universal salvation. Cao Dai Church has right to 
supervise all acts of the Management Council. According to New Charter, Charity 
Section undertakes food production and takes part in charitable activities. 
According the New Charter 1997 the Management Council is not the most powerful 
council. Its acts are supervised by Cao Dai Church. 
According to New Charter that was proclaim on 5th December 2007. The Management 
Council was dissolved. Cao Dai Church has operated church. According to this Charter, 
administrative mechanism of Cao Dai Church in Tay Ninh has changes. Executive 
Power and the Legislative power have been restored. But Cao Dai followers in foreign 
countries have not satisfied with changes of Cao Dai church of Tay Ninh. They 
continuously oppose Cao Dai Church in Tay Ninh. Their oppositions are often 
expressed in writings, on website. They call others to oppose Cao Dai Oversea 
Missionary. Their opposition brings about bad effects on the administrative relation 
between Cao Dai church in country and Cao Dai followers in foreign countries. The 
contradiction has not great influence on the development of Cao Dai Church in general 
and Cao Dai Church in Tay Ninh in particular. The contradiction can be seen as 
“reflecting minor”. It helps Cao Dai church to correct itself. 
As already analyzed, in recent years, the administrative relation Cao Dai Church in 
general, Cao Dai Church in Tay Ninh in particular and Cao Dai followers in foreign 
countries has expressed in two trends: “cooperation” and “conflict”. The co-operation 
is the main element to develop Caodaism. But conflict is also the element to help Cao 
Dai church to correct itself. If we look the conflict in negative angle, we find that Cao 
Dai Church has met many difficulties. It may be dissolved because many sects and Cao 
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Dai followers are against each other. In the active angle, the opposition helps Cao Dai 
Church to correct itself, such as its Charter has some changes during 20 years. 
According to us the political reason also creates conflict in the relation between Cao Dai 
Church and Cao Dai followers in foreign countries. Because of political reason, many 
Cao Dai followers emigrated and lived in foreign countries. They often oppose Sate. 
They take advantage of religion to protest policies of State. They spread rumors that Cao 
Dai Church in country as “religion of State” because State can intervenes in Cao Dai 
Church’s affairs; in Vietnam there is not freedom of religions and belief. The political 
difference leads to religious difference. This matter expresses clearly the opposition of 
Cao Dai followers in foreign countries to Cao Dai Church in Tay Ninh. The conflict also 
takes place silently in Cao Dai churches. Many Holy Houses or Oratories do not listen to 
Cao Dai Church. This secession is due to internal difference. It does not relate to political 
element and the change of administrative mechanism. This difference is different from the 
conflict that we have just mentioned 
5. Discussion 
After 1975, the political view of Cao Dai followers who emigrated to foreign countries 
is different from the political view of our Sate. The difference also expresses clearly in 
the conflict between small part of Cao Dai followers in foreign countries and Cao Dai 
church in country. 
In the past some policies of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on religion and belief 
were not logical. In 1990 the Politburo proclaimed Resolution No 24/NQ- TW on Belief 
and Religion with new recognition: 1) Religions is long-standing problem; 2) Religion 
and belief are spiritual needs of a segment of the population; 3) Religious ethics has 
some aspects in accordance with the cause of building new society. Since then our 
State recognizes that religious affairs not only take interest in logic needs of religion 
and belief of people and but also timely struggle against enemies who take 
advantage of religion to destroy revolution. The main content of religious affairs is 
to mobilize the masses. Religious affairs are the responsibility of the entire political 
system (Nguyễn Đức Lữ, 2015). After Resolution No 24/NQ-TW, the Ordinance on 
Belief and Religion came into the world. The religious affairs are strengthened the 
right to freedom of belief and religion is highly appreciated. 
Not only small part of Cao Dai followers in foreign countries but also some 
followers of other religions think that Vietnam has not the freedom of religion and 
belief. However, the active adjustment of Vietnamese government has resolved 
many problems on religious and political differences so the contradiction of Cao Dai 
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followers in foreign countries and Cao Dai Church in country has gradually been 
solved. Many Cao Dai dignitaries in foreign countries return country. They also take 
part in all activities of Cao Dai Church in country. 
In general, the administrative relation of Cao Dai followers in foreign countries and 
Cao Dai Church in our country follows two different tendencies: mutual aid and 
conflict. The reason of conflict is difference on political view. In order to minimize 
conflicts in the administrative relations of Cao Dai religion, it is necessary to have 
specific solutions to be proposed. There are: 
• For Cao Dai church in general and Cao Dai church in Tay Ninh in particular: Cao 
 Dai Church has to develop young dignitaries who are good at foreign languages and 
 well –informed about history, laws, rules of Caodaism. They can participate in 
 meeting, seminar on religion in the world. The can lecture others about Caodaism. 
 At first, this task will meet many difficulties, especially resistance of old Cao Dai 
 followers. Then all difficulties will be resolved. 
• For government: government should have more diplomatic activities with 
 Vietnamese communities and Cao Dai followers in foreign countries. Government 
 should rectify the rumors on policies of State as well as religious policy. In fact, 
 people living in foreign countries who oppose State do not understand situation of 
 country clearly. The only know news what are propagandized by unofficial means 
 of communications abroad and at home. So State should directly get in touch with 
 Vietnamese communities in foreign countries and help them to understand 
 renovation and development of Vietnamese more and more 
State should get into conversations with religious believers in general and Caodai 
followers in particular. The nature of religious conflict is the political difference. This 
difference can’t be resolved by rigid measures. It can be resolved by dialogues of both 
sides. We should consider religion as a part of human society and religion is not 
separate from society; Its function and role are similar to function and role of other 
components in society. Religion only changes not to disappear, so religion can’t be 
annulled in society. The religious conflict in Cao Dai church because Cao Dai 
followers in foreign counties have not understood Vietnamese policies clearly. They 
think any religion which has operated freely is religion of State. That is why they 
consider Cao Dai Church in country in general and Cao Dai Church in Tay Ninh in 
particular as the religion of State because these organizations operate freely, the number 
of their believers is developing, their festivals are performed openly. The dialogues 
between State and Caodiasts in foreign countries help Cao Dai followers understand 
policies of State on freedom of belief and religion. However, these resolutions are not 
realized right away. We should have logical solution to each matter. 
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Huynh Ngoc Thu, Le Thi My Ha – Volume 2 – Issue 4-2020, p.458-469. 
6. Conclusion 
The relationship between the Cao Dai religion in Vietnam and the Cao Dai followers 
abroad has been manifested right from the beginning of this religion spreading abroad. 
However, depending on each period of history, this relationship has different changes. 
Prior to 1975, the relationship between domestic Cao Dai institutions and Cao Dai 
followers abroad was largely based on religious affiliation and development, without 
any significant conflict or opposition. But since 1975, because of diplomatic policies of 
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Western word where most of foreign Cao Dai 
followers immigrated, political conflicts emerged thus leading to opposition. This 
opposition also affects a group of anti-communist domestic followers and resulted in 
instability. However, this has not negatively impacted on the development of the Cao 
Dai religion, especially in the progress of relations with Cao Dai overseas. These 
relationships can be seen as a good development of Caodaism in the South of Vietnam 
during the period of international integration. Therefore, Caodaism has attracted many 
domestic and foreign scholars’ researches, with the presence of some Cao Dai 
dignitaries in World Religions Conferences in recent years. In general, the external 
connections of Caodaism in the South have been taking place in many different 
directions due to the influence of many factors. In particular, the political, cultural 
issues can be deemed as the main factors that affect on these relationships. Depending 
on the factors involved, there will be different relationship including not only 
integration, association, mutual assistance ... but also conflict and instability. This 
basically also reveals the practice of Caodaism in Vietnam nowadays. 
 Acknowledgements 
 This article was originally submitted to the International Conference on Religion Studies 
 in Viet Nam organized by the Institute of Religion Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social 
 Sciences in November 2017. After being presented at the conference, it was commented 
 by the scientists studying religion and ethnicity attending the conference, and then I 
 revised it according to those comments so that it becomes this complete article. 
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