Hanoi lauds new cardinal

Hanoi lauds new cardinal

VIETNAM: Communist Vietnam welcomed on Thursday the appointment of a new Catholic cardinal, saying the event underlined improving ties with the Vatican despite a lack of diplomatic relations.

"The fact of having one new cardinal is good news for all Vietnamese Catholics," Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said in a statement, replying to a question from Reuters. It was Hanoi's first direct confirmation it had accepted the appointment.

Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, 69, from Ho Chi Minh City in the south was among 31 new cardinals announced by Pope John Paul on Sunday. Another Vietnamese cardinal, 84-year-old Pham Dinh Tung, lives in retirement in Hanoi.

Vietnam recognizes six religions including Catholicism, but insists on the right to vet leaders, which the Vatican opposes.

Episcopal appointments in Vietnam are usually approved by the government beforehand from a list presented by the Vatican.

Earlier this week several foreign media said Hanoi had rejected Man's appointment, but the prelate himself repudiated the reports on Wednesday after a meeting with the Government Committee on Religion.

The Foreign Ministry said on Thursday the relationship between Vietnam and the Vatican "has been showing progress", citing an exchange of delegations. -- Reuters

;AFP;ANJ; ANPAu..r.. Aglance-USA-RP-rebels MILF accuses RP of lying JP/11/ASEAN

MILF accuses RP of lying

PHILIPPINES: A Philippine Moro separatist group on Thursday denied it had terrorist links and accused the government of making up the allegations to increase U.S. pressure on the group.

Eid Kabalu, spokesman for the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), brushed off U.S. warnings Washington would withhold millions of dollars in development aid to Muslim areas unless the rebels cut their ties to groups such as the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

"This is a recycled allegation and we have nothing to cut because there are really no ties," Kabalu said.

U.S. ambassador to the Philippines Francis Ricciardone said on Wednesday the U.S. Congress had earmarked US$30 million for areas controlled by the 12,500-strong MILF once a peace agreement was signed with Manila.

But he warned that the MILF would lose access to the funds unless they cut all links to the JI, a regional militant group blamed for last October's bombing in Bali that killed more than 200 people and other deadly attacks.

Kabalu said allegations of MILF links to the JI were "part of the pressure which is favorable to the (Philippine) government for us to come to an agreement."

"The MILF will not succumb to pressure because what we want here is genuine peace," he added. -- AFP