Vietnam official denies religious persecution

Vietnam Deputy Police Minister Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van Huong met with U.S. State Department roving ambassador on religious issues John Hanford.in Hanoi March 6, to discuss the religious situation in Vietnam and the U.S. designation of Vietnam as a "Country of Particular Concern" for its religious policy. Huong claimed there are no religious prisoners in Vietnam, and that the U.S. has collected wrong information about Vietnam's religious situation. He described improved policies toward Protestant Christians. Hanford agreed on U.S. help in gathering more information about an anti-communist resistance leader, Nguyen Huu Chanh. President Bush has until March 15 to decide whether to impose sanctions on Vietnam because of its designation as a "Country of Particular Concern." (Vietnam News Briefs, March 8).