Setting aside Vietnamese fishermen being repeatedly chased, sunk and devastated by China, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said thanks his Chinese counterpart for bilateral cooperation against Covid-19.
On the evening of April 2, authorities in Quang Ngai informed the press of the fact that a fishing boat of fisherman Tran Hong Tho in this province was sunk by a Chinese ship near Phu Lam island.
Around 3:00 am of April 2, the fishing boat of Vietnamese Tran Hong Tho was sunk by a Chinese ship in the Hoang Sa.
On the same day, the Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue in Quang Ngai Province sent a written request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue, the Coordination Center Area II Maritime Search and Rescue reports the incident of a fishing boat of Quang Ngai fishermen sunk China in Hoang Sa.
According to the document, the fishing vessel bearing the number QNg-90617 TS, capacity 420 CV owned by fisherman Tran Hong Tho (born in 1987 in Phu Quy village, Binh Chau commune, Binh Son district).
This fishing boat docked at Sa Ky Border Control Station on March 20 to go to the Hoang Sa to practice, there are 8 employees on board.
When the boat was fishing on the Phu Lam island area in the Hoang Sa, suddenly, a Chinese ship appeared, chased and sank the boat.
After sinking the fishing boat, the Chinese boat detained 8 fishermen and took them to Phu Lam.
Upon receiving the news, the three fishing vessels of Quang Ngai fishermen were QNg 90045 owned by Mr. Dang Tam, and fishing boats QNg 90399 owned by Mr. Dang Dung and fishing vessels QNg 90929 by fishermen Nguyen Thanh Linh (all three (located in Binh Chau commune) came for rescue.
But when they arrived, they did not see the Vietnamese vessel and its fishermen but saw a white Chinese iron ship appearing here.
After that, the Chinese ship chased and forced the two Vietnamese boats to Phu Lam where they handed over the 8 detained fishermen to them and asked them to leave.
Nguyen Thanh Hung – chairman of Binh Chau Fisheries Union, Binh Son district, Quang Ngai province also said that before allowing Mr. Linh and Mr. Dung’s boats with the sunken fishermen, they forced them to sign minutes without clear content. Later, Chinese ships expelled the two fishing boats for hours on the night of April 2, forcing them to leave Hoang Sa.
However, Linh’s fishing boat remained in the Hoang Sa to work and returned in Vietnam later with four fishermen. Another vessel had lost many items and was forced to return to the homeland immediately.
The third Vietnamese fishing boat, although remains free, but was attacked with cannon by Chinese patrol ships. The ship was seriously damaged.
The Chinese chased, attacked, and submerged Vietnamese fishing vessels working in their traditional fishing grounds in the Hoang Sa, which belonging to Vietnam. The illegal detention ofVietnamese fishermen for 15 hours is an unacceptable act.
The Chinese vessels’ continuous pursuit, spraying water cannons, and sinking Vietnamese fishing vessels, even, arresting Vietnamese fishermen are very unruly and inhumane acts.
Sharing on the Chinese shipwrecking action and arrest of Vietnamese fishermen, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung could not contain the frustration and indignation of violating the laws of Chinese ships.
According to the chairman of the Binh Chau fishing union, this is a misconduct by China.
He emphasized that the area where the ship with 8 fishermen aboard was sunk was a fishing ground under Vietnam’s sovereignty.
Commenting on the case of 8 Quang Ngai fishermen who were sunk by Chinese fishing boats and illegally arrested Vietnamese fishermen, Mr. Phung Dinh Toan – vice chairman of Quang Ngai Fisheries Association confirmed that his agency immediately sent documents to the Vietnam Fisheries Association.
Mr. Toan emphasized that he and his agency strongly condemned China’s inhumane acts and violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty.
Vietnam Association of Fisheries holds the 4th National Congress of Representatives (2017 – 2022) in Hanoi on June 29, 2017.
On the afternoon of April 3, the Vietnam Association of Fisheries sent a written request to the Government Office, the Central External Relations Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development about the incident of Quang Ngai fishing vessel sunk by China while operating in the Hoàng Sa.
Prior to the above action, the Vietnam Fisheries Association strongly condemned and objected to the above inhumane action of the Chinese side that endangered the lives and damage to the property of Vietnamese fishermen, when they were fishing in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa.
The Vietnam Fisheries Association also asked the Vietnamese authorities to oppose the Chinese side, request to immediately stop all acts of obstructing, attacking and sinking Vietnamese fishermen’s ships while operating in the sea under Vietnamese sovereignty.
The authorities have determined measures to fight against China’s unreasonable and unreasonable actions in violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty. At the same time, ask the Chinese side to pay damages to Quang Ngai fishermen who were sunk by Chinese ships.
The Vietnam Fisheries Association also asked the Vietnamese functional forces to increase patrol to timely support and ensure the safety of life and property of fishermen operating at sea, in coordination to protect fishermen from China’s attack and intimidation .
Reportedly, it was not the first time the fishing boat operated by fisherman Tran Hong Tho being attacked by China.
According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung, in recent years, Binh Chau fishermen in particular and fishermen in Quang Ngai province in general are very “disgusted” by the actions of Chinese fishing vessels.
Typically, about a year ago, in March 2019, while fishing in Da Loi island area (in the Hoang Sa), about 198 nautical miles from Da Nang coast, the ship had a capacity of 575 CV of fisherman Nguyen Minh Hung and 4 crew members were approached by Chinese vessels.
Chased and sprayed relentlessly by Chinese ships, the Vietnamese hit the reef and sank. The fishermen were later rescued by another ship from the same locality.
When Vietnamese fishign boats were rescuing each others, the Chinese ships were still hovering, emotionless, abandoning Vietnamese ships, while Vietnamese fishermen have repeatedly saved Chinese fishermen.
On the same day, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc telephoned Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to discuss the cooperation in the prevention of Covid-19.
Vietnam’s government leader praised the “great achievement” the Chinese Communist Party in directing the fight against Covid-19, thanked Beijing for its support and discussed “cooperation” in pandemic prevention with neighboring countries.
There is no information that the PM mentioned the Chinese ship’s invasion and illegal arrest of Vietnamese fishermen who are legally fishing on their waters.
Facebooker Dang Phuoc analyzed: Firstly, the behavior of Chinese ships often sinking fishing vessels of Vietnamese fishermen operating in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone is an act of hooliganism, danger, violating international law … now reoccurring in a time when the whole world is focusing on fighting against Covid-19 is so cruel, unacceptable! Secondly, when the ship is sinking, 3 other ships came to rescue people but they were also chased, captured and pulled by the Chinese ship to Phu Lam island of Vietnam which they are illegally occupying. The Chinese acts showed their stubbornness and violations. After that, “handing over” people like a favor to the Vietnamese side. This behavior is both robbing and shouting at the same time pretending to be humane.
So far, what have authorities and the media done? The media only dared to report that “the foreign ship sunk the fisherman of Quang Ngai“, until China confirmed it would dare mention the Chinese ship! When China had just returned, it was quickly reported that the act was their privilege, with the news “China gave it safely” without daring to question the cause and legality of the incident to unmask their hooliganism. The government has yet to make any definitive moves. Only Vietnamese fishermen are miserable, carrying the red flag with a yellow star and the encouragement of the state to go fishing in the country’s waters, but their lives are always threatened by their thugs’ neighbors. For many years, there has not been any practical support from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Binh Chau commune trade union, Quang Ngai Fisheries Association, Vietnam Association of Fisheries promptly accompanied, performed the right functions and fulfilled their responsibilities to the local fishermen who were attacked by Chinese ships. The next responsibility for support rests with the higher authorities, namely the Party and the Government of Vietnam, need to defend the damaged fishermen and ask China to compensate them adequately, but do General Secretary cum President Nguyen Can Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc do this? then we need to observe more closely in the future
Hai Yen from Hanoi- Thoibao.de (Translated)
