Chinese tugboat 281 on
June 7 deliberately rammed into the left side of Vietnam’s fisheries
surveillance ship KN-635 that was undertaking law enforcement in the area
around the oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 that is illegally standing in Vietnamese
waters, according to the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department.
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| A Vietnamese fisheries resources surveillance boat was damaged after being attacked by Chinese ships |
The Chinese fleet,
including about 120 vessels, also blasted sirens, fired water cannon at and
were ready to ram Vietnamese vessels any time, preventing them from approaching
the rig, the department said.
At the same time, fishing
vessels of China, backed by four coast guard ships, kept hampering Vietnamese
fishing boats from operating in their traditional fishing grounds within
Vietnam’s waters, noted the department.
On the day, up to 40
Chinese coast guard ships, more than 30 cargo ships and tugboats, 40-45 fishing
vessels and four military ships - two were minesweepers and the others were
missile-armed frigates - were maintained at the rig’s site. A Y-8 aircraft was
spotted to fly above the rig.
Despite the Chinese
aggression, Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance ships continued to maintain their
operations at about 9-11 nautical miles from the rig to voice protests and
demand China remove its rig immediately out of Vietnam’s exclusive economic
zone and continental shelf, said the department.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese
fishermen continued their normal catching activities about 35-40 nautical miles
from the rig, demanding their fishing grounds, it added.
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 expanded
the rig’s operation by moving it 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 (Paracel) 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
