Violations misrepresenting or destroying cultural heritage in Vietnam

Violations misrepresenting or destroying cultural heritage in Vietnam

Pursuant to Article 4 of Decree 98/2010/ND-CP, violations misrepresenting or destroying cultural heritage include:

(1) Acts of misrepresenting relics:

- Changing the original constituents of a relic such as adding to, removing or changing exhibits of a relic, or embellishing or restoring a relic at variance with its original constituents and other acts without permission of state agencies competent in culture, sports and tourism, incorrectly disseminating or introducing the contents and values of a relic;

- Changing the environment and landscape of a relic, such as tree felling, rock destruction, digging, illegal construction and other acts adversely affecting a relic.

(2) Acts of threatening to destroy or reducing the values of intangible cultural heritage:

- Incorrectly disseminating or practicing the contents of intangible cultural heritage;

- Groundlessly adding inappropriate new elements to intangible cultural heritage, reducing its value;

- Making use of the propagation, dissemination and performance of and training in intangible cultural heritage for self-seeking purposes or committing other unlawful acts.

(3) The following acts are regarded as illegally digging archaeological sites:

- Digging without permission to search for vestiges, antiques or national precious objects in relic protection zones or sites under archaeological planning such as relics of residence, tombs, tool making workshops, citadels and other archaeological sites;

- Searching and salvaging without permission underwater vestiges, antiques or national precious objects.

Violations misrepresenting or destroying cultural heritage in Vietnam (Internet image)

State policies for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage values in Vietnam

Pursuant to Article 3 of Decree 98/2010/ND-CP, state policies for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage values in Vietnam are as follows:

- To formulate and implement target programs on conservation of typical cultural heritage.

- To commend organizations and individuals with achievements in the protection and promotion of cultural heritage values; to consider and confer state honorable titles and adopt spiritual and material incentives for craftsperson’s and artists who keep and popularize traditional arts and professional secrets of special value.

- To study and apply scientific and technological achievements to the following activities:

+ Archaeological exploration and excavation; conservation, upgrading, embellishment and promotion of the values of relics;

+ Evaluation, management of collection, preservation of exhibits, adjustment and renovation of contents and forms of display and educational activities of museums;

+ Collection, conservation and dissemination of the values of intangible cultural heritage; formation of a database bank for intangible cultural heritage.

- To train and retrain professionals in the protection and promotion of cultural heritage values.

- To encourage and create conditions for domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to make spiritual and material contributions to, or directly participate in7 the protection and promotion of cultural heritage values.

- To expand international cooperation in the protection and promotion of cultural heritage values; to formulate and implement international cooperation projects under law.

Mai Thanh Loi

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