Vietnam rejects US criticism on religion

A government spokesman in Hanoi has rejected United States allegations that the Vietnamese authorities impose significant restrictions on some religious organisations.

Vietnam says religious freedom is guaranteed by its constitution.

The US criticism came in an annual report on religious tolerance released on Tuesday which listed Vietnam, China, North Korea, and Burma among countries where religious practice is persecuted.

The BBC Hanoi correspondent says it's not the first time charges of religious intolerance in Vietnam have been raised in the West. Buddhists form the largest religious group in Vietnam, although there are also communities of Christians and other religious minorities.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service