WASHINGTON, Aug 19: Alleging grave violations of religious freedom in India, Pakistan and some other countries, a US commission has asked the State Department to monitor these countries closely in this regard.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom said "grave violations" of religious freedom "persisted" in India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, as they observed a year ago, and urged the State Department to closely monitor these countries.
It is regarded highly unlikely that the department will accept all its recommendations. Commission members themselves said recently at a press conference that while they can afford to take an objective view of the situation as they see it, the administration has to take into account foreign policy, national security, economic interests and other considerations.
The commission also urged re-designation of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan as a "particularly severe violator" of religious freedom.
The commission nominated Myanmar, China, Iran, Iraq, Laos, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Turkmenistan for designation by the State Department as "countries of particular concern". -NNI