A large number of Chinese
ships continue to violently defending the rig Haiyang Shiyou-981, which is
illegally placed in Vietnam ’s waters, by ramming and firing water cannon at
Vietnamese law enforcement ships, reported the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department.
Chinese ship fired high-power water cannons at Vietnamese
law enforcement vessel
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Chinese
vessels kept on hindering Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance ships and driving them
about 7-9 nautical miles away from the rig, it said. The department told
the press on June 4 afternoon that China maintained 35-40 coast guard vessels,
about 30 cargo ships and tugboats, 40-45 fishing vessels and four military
ships at the site, along with a renaissance aircraft.
However, the Vietnamese law
enforcement vessels still persistently stay to protest to China and asked it to
immediately withdraw the rig from the Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and
continental shelf, reported the department.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese
fishermen continued conducting their catching activities in their traditional
fishing ground in Vietnam’s water about 20-25 nautical miles Southwest from the
rig, despite the aggressive attacks of about 30 Chinese fishing vessels
accompanied by two coast guard ships, according to the department.
At the beginning of May
2014, China illegally dispatched the rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 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.
Chinese ships have
continuously encircled, constrained and driven away Vietnamese fishing boats
and even injured Vietnamese fishermen, threatening their lives.
On May 26, Chinese ship
11209 sank a Vietnamese fishing vessel while it was operating normally in its
traditional fishing ground near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.
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. The new location is 25 nautical miles from
Tri Ton Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago and 23 nautical miles
east-northeast from the old location, still completely within Vietnam ’s
continental shelf.
As of June 3, the oil rig maintained
its position at 15 degrees 33 minutes 36 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees
34 minutes 11 seconds east longitude. The location is 25 nautical miles from
Tri Ton Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago, completely within Vietnam’s
continental shelf.
Source: VNA/VOV