"China has acted unilaterally. They’ve acted
like uninvited guests who enter your home, plop themselves down on the sofa,
and when you start raising objections, accuse you of unfriendliness. This is
unacceptable," said Sicard, a Frenchman.
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On May 24, about 200 Vietnamese
marched in the city of Grenoble, in southeastern France, to protest China’s
deployment of its drilling rig in Vietnam's waters. The protest attracted not
only students and expatriates who have lived for many years in France, but also
many local and international friends. Some local organizations, such as the
French Trade Union, the French Students’ Association in Grenoble (UNEF) and the
Union of Human Rights (LDH) sent representatives to the demonstration to show
their support for Vietnam. Correspondents of many French newspapers, like
Dauphiné Libere and France 3, also reported the event.
The demonstrators walked from
Paul Mistral Park to major streets and stopped at Victor Hugo Square. Banners
proclaiming "China, respect international law!"; "We want
peace" and "China, stop invading!" were raised up with similar
slogans chanted by both Vietnamese and foreigners in multiple languages –
Vietnamese, French, English, and even Chinese.
On May 25, about 300 students,
Vietnamese expatriates and international friends held peaceful demonstrations
to protest China’s acts and to call for peace in the East Sea at the city hall
of Sydney, Australia. The participants wore T-shirts with the Vietnamese flag
and raised banners in Vietnamese and English demanding that China withdraw its
rig from Vietnam’s waters. They also sang songs of patriotism and love of
peace.
The meeting representatives said
that to receive support from other countries and prove that Vietnam is not alone
in any war, Vietnamese should try to bring the truth out to the world as much
as possible.
Before the demonstration,
Vietnamese students in Sydney issued a statement opposing China’s acts and
called on the world community to raise its voice against China’s illegal acts.
The community of Vietnamese
in Sweden grouped up at the Triangeln Square in downtown Malmo in southern
Sweden, to march against China's actions. Representatives of the Communist
Party of Sweden in Malmo also participated in the event. At the end of the demonstration,
organizers collected signatures of Vietnamese people and local residents to
send with a petition to the Government, the Swedish Foreign Ministry and the
European Union to protest China.
That same day, Vietnamese people
in Malaysia gathered outside the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to protest
China’s acts. They gave a protest letter to the Chinese Embassy.
Around 200 Vietnamese and those
who support Vietnam also marched to protest China in Hong Kong on Sunday.
"The whole world knows that China is encroaching on the waters of our
sovereignty. We come here today because we hope that China will withdraw from
Vietnam’s waters. We do not want war," said Mo Pak-fung, a Vietnamese
native who has lived in Hong Kong for 25 years.
More than 200 Vietnamese people
in Montreal, Canada on Sunday demonstrated against China's illegal acts.
A demonstration will be
held in Ottawa on May 31.
In a statement released Sunday,
the Vietnamese Students Association in New South Wales, Australia said China’s
aggressive manoeuvres pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability,
the safety and freedom of navigation in the sea, undermine the friendship
between Vietnamese and Chinese peoples, and directly challenge Vietnamese
national security.
They strongly protested against
China’s brutal violation of Vietnam’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction over
its lawful exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. They demanded that
China immediately and unconditionally withdraw its oil rig and escort vessels
from Vietnam’s waters. They also voiced support for the Vietnamese government’s
efforts to resolve and manage the disputes in a peaceful manner and to take
necessary measures to protect the country’s legitimate rights and interests.
The association called on
peace and justice loving people in China and all over the world to voice their
concern about China’s illegal and dangerous actions, and to support endeavours
towards justice, peace, stability, and cooperation in the East Sea.
Source: VOV/VNA
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