Vietnam opposes a recent report of the U.S. Human Rights Watch which accused it of mistreating ethnic minority people in the Central Highlands (Tay Nguyen) region, local newspaper Vietnam News reported Thursday.

"The report of the Human Rights Watch based on totally fabricated information slandered Vietnam with bad intention of smearing Vietnam's policies to ethnic minority people in Tay Nguyen," the paper quoted the spokesman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Le Dung, as saying.

Vietnam has facilitated improving material and spiritual life of people in Tay Nguyen, he said, noting that there is no repression of ethnic minority people, or religious groups in the country, and that nobody has been detained for religious reasons.

"Vietnam respects and protects the rights of people to adhere or not to adhere a religion or belief," he said.

Regarding local ethnic minority people who illegally crossed borders to Cambodia, Dung said Vietnam has maintained consistent policy of ensuring the returnees not to be punished. They are not prosecuted, punished or discriminated against for their activities in the past. Moreover, they have received assistance from the local authorities to stabilize their lives.

Vietnam has organized many tours for representatives of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, embassies and international organizations to Tay Nguyen to witness the government's efforts in promoting the socioeconomic development in the region in general and for ethnic minority people in particular, Dung said.

Source: Xinhua