Ministry of Interior: Cross-Strait Religious Exchanges Should Be Lawful and Risk-Aware

(CNA, Penghu County, 9th) The Ministry of the Interior said today that due to differences in systems and environments across the Taiwan Strait, when religious organizations conduct related exchange activities, they should do so in accordance with the law and maintain a sense of risk awareness. The exchanges should return to the essence of religious and cultural exchange, uphold the principles of equality, dignity, and be healthy and orderly to promote normal and benign cross-strait religious interactions.

The Ministry of the Interior held a "Religious Policy Advocacy Seminar" in Penghu County. Minister of the Interior Liu Shih-fang and Penghu County Deputy Magistrate Lin Chieh-hsing attended to have a face-to-face exchange with local religious group representatives on "Legalization of Land and Buildings for Religious Groups," "Financial Reporting and Public Announcement for Religious Groups," and "Cross-Strait Religious Exchange," to discuss the promotion and practical implementation of religious affairs.

Minister Liu Shih-fang expressed her gratitude to all religious groups for their long-term positive role in stabilizing people's hearts and comforting society. She hopes that through the seminar, the ministry can gain a deeper understanding of the practical difficulties and needs faced by religious groups and provide necessary assistance under the legal framework to protect their legal rights and interests.

She said the Ministry is actively promoting disaster prevention specialist training to cultivate public awareness of disaster prevention and skills such as emergency rescue and evacuation response. She hopes that more religious groups will participate in the future, combining their venues to deepen community disaster prevention work, enhance self-help and mutual-help capabilities, and jointly build a resilient and safe community.

Deputy Magistrate Lin Chieh-hsing stated that it is inevitable for questions to arise from cognitive differences in understanding and practicing some laws and regulations. Therefore, it is even more necessary to build consensus through active communication and thorough explanation. He hopes that through this face-to-face exchange, religious groups can fully reflect their practical needs and opinions, and allow central and local governments to better understand the problems faced on the front line, which will serve as an important reference for future policy promotion and law enforcement. (Editor: Li Ming-tsung) 1150609