Associations for friendship
with Vietnam in various European countries have issued a joint resolution demanding
that China respect international law and immediately withdraw its oil rig out
of Vietnam’s waters as well as stop all violent actions.
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| Chinese ship chases Vietnam law enforcement vessel |
The resolution issued on June 30 was the common
voice of friendship associations of France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, the
UK, Denmark, the Swedish Committee for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and the
Italian Institute for Vietnam Studies.
It stated that many tense clashes have taken
place near Tri Ton island in Hoang Sa archipelago in the South China Sea which
Vietnam calls the East Sea since May 2. China positioned its Haiyang Shiyou-981
rig together with hundreds of escort ships at this site, which is in Lot 143 in
Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. Many Vietnamese ships
were rammed or attacked by water cannons, and many Vietnamese were injured.
The associations once again expressed deep
concern about escalating tension, while affirming that territorial disputes in
Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago cannot be settled by provocative
and violent acts or unilateral move to create a fait accompli.
The resolution also underscored that in this
situation as well as in all situations, international law must be upheld, and
in any territorial disputes at sea, it is a must to abide by the 1982 United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which both Vietnam and China are
signatories.
The resolution stated that in this situation,
China is running counter to international law by putting pressure on its
neighbours to achieve its ambition, which is totally unacceptable.
It also pointed out that China’s illegal move
has harmed its relations with Vietnam and broke the agreements that China
signed with the ASEAN, including the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties
in the East Sea (DOC).
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 continental shelf and exclusive
economic zone.
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.
On May 26, Chinese ships even sank a fishing
boat belonging to Da Nang fishermen operating in the traditional fishing
grounds near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago.
Source: VNA
