A United Nations official who spent 11 days in Vietnam assessing religious freedom says there are serious violations in the country.
Heiner Bielefeldt, the U.N. special rapporteur, said Thursday that security agents closely monitored his visit. People he was scheduled to meet with also reported heavy surveillance and even harrassment.
"I received credible information that some individuals whom I wanted to meet with had been either under heavy surveillance, warned, intimidated, harassed, or prevented from travelling by the police," he said.
"I was closely monitored of my whereabouts by undeclared 'security and police agents' while the privacy and confidentiality of some meetings could have been compromised. All these incidents are in clear violation of the terms of reference of any country visit," he added.
The official said he heard many stories of religious leaders being imprisoned, as well as the destruction of houses of worship.
Christians in Vietnam are allowed to worship in state-approved churches, but those who worship outside the official churches are subject to persecution.
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