E/CN.4/2005/61/Add.1 Page 91 359. The Government indicated that the extremists committed acts that caused public disorder. They used dangerous weapons to beat on-duty officers, causing serious injuries. They destroyed public works and property in some communes. More seriously, they even attacked some commune headquarters, and captured local officials. The Government thought that it was clear that these were acts aimed at causing grave public disorder, dividing people of the Central Highlands, damaging national unity and undermining Viet Nam's territorial integrity. In the face of such violent acts, law enforcement forces and law-abiding people had to take defensive action. According to the information provided by the Government, all information pointed to the fact that these extremists were incited and instigated from outside. Such acts seriously violated the laws and were thus intolerable in any country. 360. The local authorities have taken measures to stabilize the situation. People who had been deceived into taking part in the demonstrations were told the truth by the local authorities and provided with means of transportation to go back home. The local authorities hold in custody just the instigators, leaders and those who committed serious acts against public officers who were on duty. At present, life in these areas has returned to normal. Foreign tourists continue to visit the Central Highlands. Recently, officials from the Embassies of the United States, New Zealand, Canada and Norway in Hanoi, Vatican officials and foreign journalists had opportunities to visit the Central Highlands. 361. The Government further wished to reiterate the consistent policy of the State of Viet Nam to strengthen national unity and pay attention to improving, physically as well as spiritually, the lives of people from all social strata. The Prime Minister has approved the realization of the Socio-economic Development Programme for communes in extremely difficult circumstances and ethnic minorities in mountainous, border and remote areas, helping these areas get rid of poverty and backwardness and to fully integrate the indigenous people into the common cause of national development. The Programme has recorded fruitful outcomes over the past years. Basic infrastructure in mountainous areas has been built and improved significantly, which helps promote the development of a multisectoral economy. The economic structure in various areas has been transformed in the direction of commodity production, which gradually lays the basis for socio-economic development along the line of industrialization and modernization. Especially, remarkable progress has been seen in social and economic development and the improvement of people's physical and spiritual conditions in the Central Highland provinces. The rights of people of all ethnicities in the Central Highlands are guaranteed. Socio-economic programmes to meet the need for productive and housing land of ethnic minority people are actively implemented. Recently, the National Assembly has amended the Land Law, providing the local governments with a legal basis for addressing the issue and provide adequate land for cultivation and housing of the people. This task is given special attention in the Central Highlands provinces. Viet Nam's law ensures the right to freedom of religion and belief and non-religion and belief of all citizens, which is clearly enshrined in the Constitution and respected in reality. There is absolutely no question of the so-called “repression of Protestants”. On the contrary, Protestants in the Central Highlands enjoy favourable conditions for religious practices. There are about 25 grass-roots Protestant groups in the Central Highland. On 13 April 2004, the Pay Ro Ngol A Ma Ron Protestant group was inaugurated in A Ma Ron commune, la Pa district, Gia Lai province.