Vietnam asks China to end wrong acts against fishermen

Vietnam has required China to stop any wrongful acts in the future against Vietnamese fishermen who fish in Vietnamese territorial waters.  

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga made the statement on December 15 in reference to the three seized fishing boats from the central province of Quang Ngai on December 7. The boats were fishing normally in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago when China seized two of them including equipment, personal properties and marine produce on board, and then crammed 43 fishermen into one boat to be later released.

Nga voiced Vietnam’s concern about the fact that China had many times arrested Vietnamese boats and fishermen while they were operating normally in Vietnam’s territorial waters.

“Such wrongful act is a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty rights contrary to the two countries’ friendship and harmful to the life and property of Vietnamese fishermen.” Nga said.

Nga added the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry on December 15 sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi requiring China to return the boats with all of equipment and properties to the Vietnamese fishermen, and take measures to avoid the recurrence of similar acts in the future.