Friday, May 18 4:13 PM SGT
HANOI, May 18 (AFP) - The United States has urged the communist authorities in Vietnam to release dissident Catholic priest Father Tadeus Nguyen Van Ly who was arrested in Hue, central Vietnam, a US embassy spokesman said Friday.
"We are very concerned by reports that Father Ly was arrested in Hue," the spokesman told AFP.
"The ambassador and other US officials have raised our strong concerns with the Vietnam government and urged that Father Ly be returned to his church residence."
He said US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly had raised the issue with Vietnam's Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien when they held bilateral talks earlier on Friday.