A/HRC/4/21/Add.1 page 79 peacefully and freely observe their religious practices. There have been no conflicts regarding religious situations in the past years. 340. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regrets some entirely groundless statements by particular politicians, statesmen and mass media, which they consider of an explicitly provocative orientation, capable of undermining the mutual understanding among religions. Particularly, it refers to the link which is made between international terrorism and the Muslims. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlights that some slogans coming from the Western press circulate with offensive assessments, which hurt the honour, national dignity and feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslim believers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also affirms that the Republic of Uzbekistan is one of the acclaimed hubs of the development of Islamic culture and philosophy. It consistently pursues the policy of restoring, learning and preserving their rich spiritual heritage. Observations 341. The Special Rapporteur is concerned that she has not received a substantive response to the communication sent jointly on 1 September 2006. She would like to emphasize that her mandate primarily receives information from non-state-entities and not from Governmental sources. The Special Rapporteur would be grateful if the Government of Uzbekistan indicated the legal basis for designating an individual or an entity as “terrorist” as well as the consequences of such qualification under the law of Uzbekistan. Furthermore, the Special Rapporteur would like to refer to her most recent annual report to the Human Rights Council where she also covers the issue of “Violations linked to counter-terrorism measures” (A/HRC/4/21, para. 40): “The Special Rapporteur is conscious of the fact that the States’ obligation to protect and promote human rights requires them to take effective measures to combat terrorism. However, she would like to underline that States must ensure that any measure taken to combat terrorism complies with their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.” 342. The Special Rapporteur hopes to receive a reply from the Government further to her letter sent in 2004 asking for an invitation to visit Uzbekistan to assess the situation of freedom of religion or belief. Vietnam Communication sent on 12 December 2005 343. The Special Rapporteur brought to the attention of the Government information she had received concerning Vo Van Thanh Liem, a Hoa Hao Buddhist. According what is been alleged, on 14 September 2005, Vo Van Thanh Liem was convicted on charges of "opposing public authorities" and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. The trial took place before a closed court. He was arrested by local police officers in front of the Quang Minh Tu Temple, also known as Coc Ong Tu in Cho Moi District, An Giang Province on 5 August 2005. Prior to his arrest, local police officers surrounded the temple and barricaded the gate, preventing people from attending religious ceremonies. There is concern that his trial and conviction may have been linked to his religious activities.