VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Bar Federation has proposed that the government of Vietnam bring China to the international court.

Lawyer Hoang Ngoc Giao.

The federation on Sunday afternoon held an extraordinary session to issue its statement against China’s deployment of its oil rig in Vietnam’s waters.

Attorney Nguyen Minh Tam, Deputy Secretary General of the federation, stressed the following: China’s acts are a serious violation of fundamental principles of international law and the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, which unilaterally denies the stance of the Chinese government in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), signed with ASEAN countries, and violates high-level agreements between Vietnam and China.

Vehemently objecting to China's actions, the Vietnam Bar Federation called for international lawyers, scholars and researchers of the East Sea to condemn China’s acts, called for the Chinese people and the people who love peace and justice worldwide to support Vietnam to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, protect international law and justice, maintain peace, stability and freedom of navigation on the East Sea and the Asia-Pacific region.

Chairman of the Vietnam Bar Federation Le Thuc Anh said: "Lawyers are defenders of justice and we have promised to the state to protect sovereignty and jurisdictional rights of Vietnam by law”.

Lawyer Hoang Ngoc Giao, an expert on the law of the sea, proposed that the government take China to the international court. The opinion was avidly supported by other lawyers.

C.Hoang