VietNamNet Bridge – Overseas Vietnamese across the globe have continued to raise their strong objections to China due to its blatant deployment of a giant oil rig and a large number of surrounding vessels into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Overseas Vietnamese in the Czech Republic show anger at China's violation of Vietnam's sovereignty. Photo: VNA

The Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic on May 20 released a statement requesting China to withdraw its oil rig and vessels out of Vietnam’s waters as well as respect international law, including the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) between China and ASEAN.

Elsewhere, in Austria hundreds of Vietnamese expatriates congregated in front of the Chinese Embassy in Vienna, shouting slogans and holding up banners calling on China to respect Vietnam’s sovereignty and international law.

On May 19, the Pacific bridge association “Le Pont du Pacifique” in Geneva shared a letter with international friends, which decried China’s illegal acts in the East Sea and asserted that the global community, including Switzerland will stand by the side of Vietnam.

The same day, the Vietnamese Association in Cuba also expressed its indignation against China, in a letter sent to the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

China’s moves have seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereign right and jurisdiction as regulated in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the DOC and related agreements reached by leaders of both countries.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese community in Sri Lanka gathered at a meeting in the capital Colombo with national flags and banners denouncing China’s wrongful behaviour and stating that Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spartly) belong to Vietnam.

Secretary General of the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Solidarity Association Sudasinghe condemned China for infringing Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and demanded it to stop its aggressive behaviour towards its neighbour.

As of May 20, China maintained the presence of more than 90 ships of various kinds defending rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 which it has illegally placed in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf prescribed in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea since the beginning of May, 2014.

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

China’s moves gravely violate international law, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), to which China is a signatory. This extremely dangerous action has been and is directly threatening peace, stability and maritime security and safety in the East Sea.

Source: Vietnam Plus