Vietnamese fisheries
surveillance staff on June 6 detected high-capacity Chinese fishing ships in
the area surrounding the Haiyang Shiyou-981 rig which is illegally standing in
Vietnam’s waters.
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The HD-981 oil rig is located deep in the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam
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The Vietnam Fisheries
Surveillance Department said these vessels, having bulbous bow and bow
thrusters, were accompanied by two Chinese coast guard ships. Together with
other fishing vessels, they kept on hampering and throwing stones and bottles
to Vietnamese ships.
As of June 6, China still
kept a fleet of between 110-115 ships around the rig, including around 40 coast
guard ships, about 30 cargo ships and tugboats, 35-40 fishing vessels and four
military ships, according to the department.
Chinese ships continued to
operate in groups to prevent Vietnamese law enforcement ships from approaching
the rig. They blasted sirens, fired water cannon at and were ready to ram
Vietnamese vessels any time, the department said.
However, Vietnamese law
enforcement ships persistently maintained their operation at about 9-11
nautical miles from the rig, while Vietnamese fishermen continued their normal
catching activities about 25-20 nautical miles from it, said the
department.
At the beginning of May
2014, China illegally dispatched the rig as well as a large fleet of armed
vessels, military ships and aircraft to Vietnam’s waters and positioned the rig
at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes
06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 miles deep inside Vietnam’s
continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.
On May 27, China moved the
rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 22 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34
minutes 36 seconds east longitude, 25 nautical miles from Tri Ton Island in
Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago and 23 nautical miles east-northeast from the
old location.
On June 3, the oil rig
moved yet again to another new position, at 15 degrees 33 minutes 36 seconds
north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 11 seconds east longitude. The new
position is still completely within Vietnam ’s continental shelf.
Source: VNA/VOV
