President Barack Obama has pressed Vietnam to allow greater freedoms for its citizens, arguing that better human rights would improve the communist country's economy, stability and regional power.
On his second full day in Vietnam, Obama met activists and entrepreneurs, part of a push for closer ties with the fast-growing, strategically crucial country that included the lifting of one of the last vestiges of Vietnam War-era antagonism: a five-decades-old arms sale embargo.
In a speech at the National Convention Centre, Obama sought to ease fears that Washington wanted to dictate terms to Vietnam on improving rights. He has faced calls by activists to more strongly address what's seen as an abysmal treatment of government critics.
Nations are more successful when people can freely express their thoughts, assemble without harassment and access the internet and social media, Obama said.
"Upholding these rights is not a threat to stability but actually reinforces stability and is the foundation of progress," Obama said.
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"Vietnam will do it differently than the United States ... But there are these basic principles that I think we all have to try to work on and improve."
Obama earlier spoke with six activists, including advocates for the disabled, sexual minorities, a pastor and advocates for freedom of speech, press and the internet, but he said that several others were prevented from coming.
"Vietnam has made remarkable strides in many ways," Obama said, but "there are still areas of significant concern."
Obama must balance a desire for a stronger relationship with efforts to hold its communist leadership to account over what activists say is the widespread abuse of dissidents.
From Hanoi, Obama was to fly Tuesday to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. He planned a visit to the Jade Pagoda, considered one of the most beautiful pagodas in southern Vietnam and a repository of religious documents that includes more than 300 statues and other relics.
Activists said the president had given up his best leverage for pressing Vietnam to improve its rights record by lifting the arms embargo.
Vietnam holds about 100 political prisoners and there have been more detentions this year, some in the past week. Hanoi says that only law breakers are punished.
Obama said there had been "modest progress on some of the areas that we've identified as a concern."
