HANOI (REUTERS) - Vietnam has arrested a dissident over allegations of propaganda against the state, police said on Wednesday (Sept 27).

Nguyen Viet Dung, 31, was detained in the central Nghe An province.

Witnesses said he was arrested while having a meal.

He was jailed for 12 months in 2016 for disturbing public order, Phap Luat newspaper and VnExpress news website said.

Despite sweeping economic reforms and growing openness to social change, Vietnam's Communist Party retains tight media censorship and tolerates little criticism.