The State Department did acknowledge a slightly greater openness toward the possibility of greater religious liberty in China, and openness to discussion on the subject of unregistered churches. Relations between state-approved bishops and the Vatican have also improved in recent years.
Although President Barack Obama recently praised Indonesia for its “inclusive philosophy” and “rich diversity,” the State Department report was less sanguine. It noted that “decrees issued by the Indonesian Council of Ulama, the top Muslim clerical body,” had been “influential in enabling continued official and societal discrimination” against non-Muslims as well as minority Islamic sects.
While the Council of Ulama is not a government body, the State Department's 2007 report noted that the Indonesian government founded the council, in addition to funding it and appointing its members. The 2010 report took note of unsuccessful challenges to Indonesia's “blasphemy law,” which allows the 88-percent Muslim country to prosecute those guilty of “denigrating religion.”
Alongside these trading partners and allies, the report also criticized a range of countries with whom the U.S. has a tense, antagonistic or indeterminate relationship. Burma, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Uzbekistan were all designated as “countries of particular concern” for their attitude toward disfavored religions.
The Venezuelan government reportedly “respected religious freedom in practice”– with the exception of “those religious groups that criticized the government,” including the Catholic Church. In Cuba and Vietnam, where Marxist-oriented governments have historically endeavored to suppress or restrict religion, the report noted a mix of positive developments and continued problems.
The Vietnamese government “permitted the expansion of charitable activities by religious organizations” and began allowing more large-scale religious gatherings, although many restrictions remain. During the State Department's reporting period, President Nguyen Minh Triet met with Pope Benedict XVI to discuss the Church's presence in Vietnam.
While similar restrictions remain in Cuba, including “regular surveillance and occasional detentions,” the report said “many religious groups reported improvements in religious freedom.” President Obama recently renewed a ban on Cuban trade and travel for another year, making Cuba the only country in the world that the U.S. government currently sanctions under its 1917 “Trading With the Enemy Act.”