At 5:30 am on May 27, the oil rig Haiyang
Shiyou- 981, illegally stationed in Vietnam’s waters by China, moved 4 nautical
miles east-northeast at a speed of 4.5 nautical miles per hour.
The information was released by deputy head of
the Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance Department Ha Le at a press
conference in Hanoi on the same day.
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At 5:30 am on May 27, the oil rig Haiyang Shiyou- 981, illegally stationed in Vietnam’s waters by China, moved 4 nautical miles east-northeast at a speed of 4.5 nautical miles per hour
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At 10:00 am on May 27, China anchored its rig
at a site of 15 degrees 33 minutes 38 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34
minutes 62 seconds east longitude, 25 nautical miles east-southeast of Tri Ton
Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, 23 nautical miles
east-northeast from the previous location.
The Vietnamese side maintained its presence
about 5-6 nautical miles from the rig.
Le quoted the fisheries surveillance force as
saying that China kept the same number of ships as on May 26 but they operated
at a higher intensity. Two Chinese planes constantly swept over the area where the
rig is standing.
China also deployed larger and higher capacity
military, marine surveillance and patrol vessels.
The Chinese ships besieged, rammed and fired
water cannons at Vietnamese vessels, pushing them far away from the illegal
rig.
China’s marine police patrol vessels, tug and
transport were divided into groups to get close to Vietnamese law enforcement
ships to prevent them from accessing the rig and then shoved them out to a
distance of 10 nautical miles.
Meanwhile, the Chinese fishing ships hindered
and threatened Vietnamese fishermen’s boats operating 15 nautical miles from
the rig. They also made dangerous push against the Vietnamese boats.
China’s warships also increased activities to
approach and even point guns at Vietnam’s fisheries surveillance vessels.
Le also informed reporters about Chinese ship
11209’s sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat with 10 members on board in
Vietnamese waters on May 26.
The incident occurred at 4 pm at 15 degrees 16
minutes 42 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 1 minute 30 seconds longitude
as the ship DNa 90152, from the central city of Da Nang, was conducting its
regular operation in its traditional fishing grounds near Hoang Sa
archipelago.
All the 10 fishermen on board were then
rescued by other ships of Vietnam, he said, adding that the sinking ship is
being towed to shore.
He stated that even more shockingly, Chinese
ships hindered Vietnam’s fisheries surveillance and coast guard vessels from
rescuing the victims.
According to the official, fisheries
surveillance officers and sailors still keep their morale and determination to
fulfill their assigned tasks. Fishermen are also eager to join activities in
the area where the illegal rig is standing despite being chased and hindered by
Chinese ships.
Source: DTinews
