Vietnamese blogger prevented from travelling to US

HANOI (AP) - Vietnamese authorities stopped a blogger from flying to the United States to pick up a human rights award on behalf of his father and sister, triggering criticism from the US embassy.

Mr Huynh Trong Hieu said on Wednesday that police detained him at Ho Chi Minh airport on Sunday night as he was checking in.

They questioned him for two hours and took his passport, which had a valid American visa. He was then released.

"I was prepared for the fact that they would ban me from leaving the country as they had prevented many people who dared to promote democracy and human rights in Vietnam," Mr Hieu said by telephone.