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President George Bush used his visit to Vietnam to promote religious freedom -- amid mounting pressure on his administration to talk tough with Hanoi about human rights.

Bush, only the second American president to visit since the end of the Vietnam war, joined worshippers with his wife Laura at the Cua Bac Church in Hanoi's diplomatic quarter. Mr Bush said later: 'It's our way of expressing our personal faith and, at the same time, urging societies to feel comfortable with, and confident in saying to their people, if you feel like praising God you're allowed to do so in any way you see fit.'

Bush's visit last month was primarily to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit - and signal a new era in relations between the US and Vietnam. Not everyone is as keen as Bush to 'normalise' these relations. Just before Bush left for Vietnam, the US House of Representatives defeated a Republican motion to make Vietnam a full trading partner. The Financial Times reports that the bill is likely to be put to
the vote and passed later this month but says its defeat is an embarrassment for Hanoi. Many commentators believe US is blinkered by trade interests and accuse Bush of appeasing Hanoi. The US recently dropped Vietnam from its religious freedom blacklist. The Augusta Free Press notes that Hanoi sent a large deployment of troops to the Central Highlands to quash any potential demonstrations by the Montagnards during Bush's visit.

• Thank God for Bush's strong statement of solidarity with Vietnam's church.
• Pray that he and his administration would do more to hold Hanoi accountable for its poor religious rights record.

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