Phú Tân Commune police, working with the Executive Board of the Hòa Hảo Buddhist Sangha, meet local residents to raise awareness and discuss public security and order in early December 2025. — Photo phutan.angiang.gov.vn

Minh Hằng

AN GIANG — More than 30 kilometres northeast of the centre of An Giang Province, Phú Tân Commune is a rural community rooted in agriculture, waterways and close social ties.

In recent years, the commune has drawn attention not for rapid urban growth, but for a local governance approach known as the '2 AN' (2 Safety) initiative, a framework that links public security with social welfare to maintain stability and social harmony.

According to local authorities, the initiative reflects a practical understanding of grassroots governance.

“From the beginning, we identified that ensuring public order must go hand in hand with caring for social welfare and respecting and safeguarding people’s freedom of belief and religion in accordance with the law,” said Nguyễn Quốc Bảo, chairman of Phú Tân Commune People’s Committee.

“This is not only a requirement of State management, but also a political responsibility and a vital foundation for building national unity at the local level.”

The 2 AN initiative model – a name that represents public order, security and social welfare – was rolled out in 2020 as part of a collaboration between An Giang Province Police and the Central Executive Committee of the Hòa Hảo Buddhist Sangha.

In Phú Tân, the initiative has been implemented through close cooperation between the commune police, local authorities, mass organisations and religious representatives.

The model prioritises prevention, dialogue and community participation.

“The 2 AN model is about building trust, encouraging voluntary compliance with the law and creating stability from within the community,” Bảo said.

Police officers and local officials work alongside social organisations to address everyday concerns, from traffic safety and fire prevention to crime prevention, while maintaining a visible but non-intrusive presence in the community.

Along with security measures, social welfare forms the second pillar of the 2 AN model.

Over recent years, Phú Tân has mobilised resources from charities, religious organisations and donors to support vulnerable households. More than 1,500 gift packages have been distributed to poor and near-poor families, with a total value of around VNĐ450 million (over US$17,000). 

The commune has also helped build 120 houses, with total funding exceeding VNĐ6.25 billion, and supported the construction of rural bridges to improve local transport.

Local leaders say that these efforts have helped reduce social tensions and strengthen trust between residents and authorities.

The Hòa Hảo Buddhist Intermediate School attracts a large number of students, with learners from a wide range of age groups.

Supporting religious life

The stabilising effects of the 2 AN initiative are particularly visible in Phú Tân Commune’s religious life. More than 95 per cent of the commune’s population follows Hòa Hảo Buddhism, and the area hosts the headquarters of the Central Executive Committee of the Hòa Hảo Buddhist Sangha. 

During major religious festivals, hundreds of thousands of followers travel to the commune to take part in ceremonies.

Local authorities stress that the 2 AN model is designed to support freedom of belief and religion within a lawful and orderly framework.

“We consistently create the most favourable conditions for followers of Hòa Hảo Buddhism to practise their religion in accordance with the law,” Bảo said.

For large religious events, the commune prepares security and traffic plans in advance, coordinates crowd management and ensures fire safety, with the aim of allowing people to practise their faith with confidence while keeping the community orderly and stable, he said.

One clear example of this supportive environment is the Hòa Hảo Buddhist Intermediate School, the first and only formal training institution of the Hòa Hảo Buddhist Sangha.

Nguyễn Quốc Bảo, chairman of Phú Tân Commune People’s Committee. — VNS Photo Đoàn Tùng

After four years of construction beginning in November 2020, the Hòa Hảo Buddhist Intermediate School was officially inaugurated in Phú Tân Commune. Approved by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs in 2016, the school was built on a nearly 6,000sq.m site and funded entirely by donations from followers and benefactors, with total investment close to VNĐ60 billion.

At the inauguration ceremony on August 8, 2025, Trần Thị Minh Nga, deputy head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, said the opening of the school reflected the close attention of both the Hòa Hảo Buddhist Church and authorities at all levels to training a new generation of young religious instructors, who will carry forward the mission of studying Buddhism and cultivating virtue.

She added that the Government Committee for Religious Affairs was confident the school would produce instructors with both professional competence and strong moral character, contributing to the development of the Hòa Hảo Buddhist Sangha and providing skilled workers for the country.

The school recently opened its first academic course for the 2025-27 term on October 21, 2025. The programme aims to improve the quality of religious personnel, promote humanistic values, strengthen community cohesion and prevent the misuse of religion.

According to school rector Nguyễn Huy Diễm, who is also the permanent deputy head of the sangha's Central Executive Committee, the curriculum goes beyond religious instruction. It also places strong emphasis on legal awareness, civic responsibility and the spirit of great national unity. 

Graduates are expected to be responsible citizens and devoted followers, leading lives that are ethically grounded and socially constructive, while actively engaging in patriotic and charitable activities, he said.

To further strengthen the 2 AN initiative and safeguard freedom of religion in Phú Tân Commune, Bảo said the locality would continue to deepen coordination with the Hòa Hảo Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Committee and relevant agencies. 

The goal is to improve the 2 AN model’s effectiveness and build a community that is secure, socially supported and religiously harmonious, with sustainable development as a long-term priority. — VNS