Washington: The US says protection of religious freedom has deteriorated in Indonesia and the Maldives, and China has intensified repression of Tibetan Buddhists, contributing to a series of self-immolations.
The State Department also criticised China's "severe" repression of Muslims in the far western region of Xinjiang.
The assessments were made in the department's annual report on international religious freedom released on Monday.
The report, which covers 2011, said Vietnam continued restrictions on Christians, with hundreds of churches facing bureaucratic delays and vague security concerns that impede their official registration in the country's northwestern highlands.
North Korea was said to permit no religious freedom at all.
Myanmar's reformist government took steps to overcome intense religious oppression, easing restrictions on church construction and allowing registered groups to worship but authorities continued monitoring religious activities.
PTI
First Published: Monday, July 30, 2012, 23:35