Vietnam’s law enforcement forces on June 1 detected that China’s oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981, illegally stationed in Vietnamese waters, may not be fixed in a stable position.

According to Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department, on the day, China still maintained up to 40 coast guard ships, 30 transport vessels and tugboats, 45 fishing boats and four warships around the area where the illegal rig is standing.

Meanwhile, Vietnam also kept its law enforcement forces at the site, opposing and requesting the Chinese side to withdraw its rig from Vietnam’s waters immediately.

Vietnamese fisheries surveillance ships operated about 6-8 nautical miles from the rig while fishing boats worked 25-30 nautical miles west and south of the rig, struggling to maintain their normal operations in their traditional fishing grounds.

Regarding the wood-made DNa 90152 ship belonging to Danang fishermen, which was sunk by the iron-made Chinese vessel 11209 on May 26, the fisheries surveillance force, in collaboration with local authorities, is fishing it out and will repair it in the coming time.

The Vietnamese ship was attacked while it was operating in its traditional fishing grounds near Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago. The incident occurred at 4 pm at a site 17 nautical miles from China’s illegal rig.

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 it at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 6 seconds east longitude. The location was 80 miles deep inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

China’s armed vessels aggressively fired high-power water cannons at and intentionally rammed against Vietnamese law enforcement and civil ships, causing damage to many boats and injuring many people on board.

Chinese ships have continuously encircled, constrained and driven away Vietnamese fishing boats and even injured Vietnamese fishermen, threatening their lives.

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.

VNA/VNN