Vietnam authorities negate involvement in church looting
Updated
Vietnam's government has denied reports that hundreds of pro-government thugs ransacked a Roman Catholic chapel in a Hanoi parish that has been the scene of a tense land dispute this year.
Church leaders at the Thai Ha Redemptorist parish say riot police stood by as organised groups damaged the chapel and threatened parishioners last Saturday night.
Foreign ministry spokesman, Le Dung, says the government rejects what it calls fabricated information.
The statement added that some Catholics had recently started to build a house on illegally occupied state land beside the church and that local residents were displeased and prevented them working.
It says officials asked both groups to dissolve and restore order in the area.
