Days before a visit by President Joe Biden to Vietnam in which he aims to upgrade diplomatic ties, a U.S. government commission accused the country of backsliding on commitments to ensure religious freedoms.
In a report on Tuesday, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said that since Washington dropped Vietnam from a list of "countries of particular concern" over religious freedom in 2006, the Hanoi government had created "more space in some areas" for expressions of belief.
The report said a May visit to Vietnam by USCIRF Vice Chair Frederick Davie and Commissioner Eric Ueland found that while religious groups experienced relatively greater freedom in urban areas, "serious challenges are pervasive in many rural areas." "Government authorities continue to closely monitor all religious activity, often harassing, detaining, or otherwise preventing unregistered faith communities from exercising their fundamental right to religious freedom," the report said.
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