Nguyen Phuong Nga made the criticism in reply to a correspondent’s query about Vietnam’s reaction to the department’s comments on religious freedom in Vietnam in its annual report.

The spokeswoman said Vietnamese citizens’ right to belief and religion which is clearly defined in the Constitution has been respected and exercised in reality.

“It (the exercising of the right) has been recognised by the international community,” Nga emphasised.

“The 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom by the US Department of State is just based on one-sided evaluation and misinformation about Vietnam,” she concluded.