HANOI, Vietnam (Reuters) -- Communist Vietnam barred foreign nationals from travel to its restive Central Highlands after ethnic minorities clashed with police and military with stones and sticks on in a repeat of protests three years ago.
Thousands of the hill tribespeople drove into Buon Ma Thuot city, the capital of Daklak province, on Saturday and massed outside the provincial government office, local residents said.
"They marched as if in a military parade," said one resident.
The Montagnard Foundation Inc, which says it represents some of the hill tribespeople, says they are Protestants protesting against alleged repression by authorities.
Major unrest in the highlands in February 2001 over religious and property rights was crushed by Hanoi and the region has since been under a blanket of security. Diplomats and foreign journalists must get clearance to travel to the area.
An estimated 200 to 300 of the minorities, loosely called Montagnards, were detained after Saturday's melee during which tear gas was used, a local resident said.
A number of people with minor injuries were treated on Saturday at the General Hospital in Daklak, an official at the facility said on Sunday. "We do not know how many people in total...The injuries were minor," she said.
The Buon Ma Thuot resident said conditions in the city, the centre of Vietnam's coffee belt, appeared calm on Sunday.
The U.S. embassy said a delegation of its officials was prevented by police from entering Buon Ma Thuot on Saturday. Their car was stopped en route from southern Ho Chi Minh City and they were told the area was "not suitable for foreigners," a spokesman said.
The diplomats were on a previously scheduled trip to the highlands. The U.S. embassy spokesman said the group was also told it could not travel to Pleiku, another highlands city that was struck by unrest three years ago.
One Vietnamese businessman who was unable to fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Buon Ma Thuot on Saturday said foreigners were pulled off earlier flights to the city.
A foreign resident said he was told by Vietnam Airlines he could not fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Pleiku on Sunday morning. However, the capital city of Gia Lai province, north of Daklak, was apparently unaffected by the protests, according to several local residents.
U.S. citizens have been warned by the embassy against travel to Daklak province.