China on June 22 mobilised
up to 137 ships, including five military ships, to protect its oil rig Haiyang
Shiyou-981 that is illegally standing in Vietnam’s waters, according to the
Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department.
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The Chinese side continues
violently defending its oil rig that is illegally standing in Vietnam's waters.
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At 06:40 and 08:13, Vietnam’s law enforcement
forces at sea also detected two Chinese reconnaissance aircraft operating at an
altitude of 1,000m-2,000m in the west – southwest and the south – southwest
areas, about 12-13 nautical miles from the position that China illegally places
its drilling rig.
Chinese ships constantly followed close behind
and obstructed law enforcement operations of Vietnamese fisheries surveillance
authorities. Sometimes, Chinese ships were only 30m from Vietnamese vessels.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese fisheries surveillance
vessels still retained their operation about 10 – 12 nautical miles from the
rig and conducted communication actions requesting the Chinese side to withdraw
the rig and escort ships out of Vietnam’s waters.
The same day, about 54 Chinese fishing ships,
supported by coast guard ship coded 46102, formed a line to violently block
Vietnamese fishing boats from operating in their traditional fishing grounds,
about 35-40 nautical miles from the rig.
However, the Chinese aggression could not stop
Vietnamese fishermen from conducting their usual catching activities in Vietnam’s
waters.
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,
80 miles deep into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
Despite Vietnam’s protest, China expanded its
scale of operation and moved the rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 36 seconds north
latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 11 seconds east longitude, 60 nautical
miles deep inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.
China’s armed vessels have aggressively and
consistently fired high-power water cannons at and intentionally rammed against
Vietnamese public-service and civil ships, causing damage to many boats and
injuring many people on board.
Chinese ships have also continuously encircled,
constrained and driven away Vietnamese fishing boats and even injured
Vietnamese fishermen, threatening their lives.
Source: VNA
