Religions and Development in Daklak Province (Vietnam)

The diverse religions and indigenous populations in Daklak challenge policymakers in Vietnam. This paper analyses the change in top-down policies to build a more sustainable community in the border province. The province’s natural geopolitical location imposed high attention from the Vietnamese government on the political economy and security. The extremists exploited religions to organize terrorist attacks in 2001 and 2004. Instead of restricting religious groups after the attack, the government created a mechanism for people to attain both spiritual and material life. The paper argues that having a balanced policy framework allows ethnic minorities to practice the new religion, thus influencing household economics positively. The development of new religions and livelihoods at the same time and place increased the well-being of ethnic minorities in Daklak. Religious groups thus act as social capital to open schools and healthcare centres networks in remote areas, establishing community bonding, and mitigating the chance for terrorist attacks.