Ambassador attacks 'obstructive' Vietnamese authorities

The United States ambassador to Vietnam, Pete Peterson, has strongly criticised local officials in an area which was the scene of anti-government protests earlier this year.

Mr Peterson said that during his recent fact-finding visit to Gia Lai province officials there had been obstructive and aggressive.

Mr Peterson said the authorities in two other provinces in the area Dak Lak and Lam Dong had been much more helpful and were actively trying to solve the region's social problems.

The protests in Vietnam's central highlands were staged by members of ethnic hill tribes who say migrants from other parts of Vietnam are taking their land.

The protests - which began in February - led more than 100 hill tribe members to flee to neighbouring Cambodia seeking asylum.

Thirty-eight have been allowed to settle in the United States.

Many of the hill tribe members are Christians, but Mr Peterson said he could find little evidence that the protests had been prompted by concerns over religious freedom.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service