US religious freedom body wants Vietnam downgraded

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. federal advisory body says Vietnam should be blacklisted for violations of religious freedom.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom says in its annual report published Thursday that there have been some improvements in Vietnam, but the government continues to "restrict severely independent religious practice."

The commission recommends that Vietnam be designated by the State Department as a "country of particular concern" — a ranking that can lead to imposition of U.S. sanctions.

Among East Asian nations, it also says China, Burma (Myanmar) and North Korea should retain that ranking in an annual report by the State Department, due later this spring.

U.S.-Vietnam relations have improved dramatically since the end of the Vietnam War 40 years ago, but Washington says more progress on human rights is needed.

 

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