The Committee to Protect Journalists told Vietnam Monday (May 23) to stop censoring the BBC and harassing journalists.
That came after the BBC reported that its news team was prevented from reporting on President Barack Obama's three-day visit to the country.
CPJ says it was told by Jonathan Head, a Bangkok-based BBC correspondent who said his teams accreditation had been pulled by Vietnamese authorities, that the authorities had suspected them of meeting with a leading dissident. The team denied it, but the credentials were pulled anyway.
"Vietnam's harassment of the BBC on such a high-profile occasion shows just how blasé authorities have become about censorship," said Shawn Crispin, CPJ senior Southeast Asia representative, in a statement. "President Obama should make clear to his hosts that the obstruction of journalists will have significant repercussions for bilateral relations."
