Vietnam has rejected as “total fabrication” a recent report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) on the “repression” against Khmer ethnic people in the Mekong Delta.

Dzung said people’s basic rights, including the freedom of speech and religion, are clearly enshrined in Vietnam’s Constitution.

The HRW report claimed that a Khmer group in the Mekong Delta region suffered from repression and restrictions to freedom of religion and speech.

Dzung said the Khmer ethnic group in southern Vietnam is an integral part of the community of 54 ethnic groups living in the country. All the ethnic minority groups have been receiving equal treatment and care to improve their living conditions, he said.

However, he noted, in several localities, some people have recently complained about unsatisfactory compensation received for land reclaimed by the government for infrastructure development.

Local authorities have been actively working to resolve all the grievances in line with the laws and specific localities’ conditions, Dzung said.

Source: VNA