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Issues related to Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty should be added to high school education curriculum.
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| Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cam nows works as Chairman of The Vietnam Study Promotion Society |
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| Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty has long been acknowledged. |
On the first day of the 13th National Assembly’s first session, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cam said, this will help Vietnamese students to understand more about the sea and island sovereignty.
He also said that Vietnam needs to seek more international support for its sovereignty claims on the Spratly and Paracel Islands for help in dealing with Chinese violations, because not all countries are aware of these issues.
“International law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea confirm Vietnam’s rights of marine activities and economic privileges on these territories and waters. Vietnam’s sovereignty has long been acknowledged. These islands have their own history, which nobody can distort.”
Vietnam’s ownership of these archipelagos has been set up before Nguyen Dynasty. The country has carried out oil exploration and exploitation activities in the East Sea legally and has received no reactions from other countries, except for China.
Vietnam should make not only its people but also foreign countries to understand this fact to seek their avocations, he added, noting that “These are firm evidences for Vietnam. I believe that Vietnam will be supported by the international community.”
For the Paracel Islands, though China has trespassed on these Vietnamese territories two times, the issue can be solved bilaterally, as it involves only the two nations. But concerning the Spratly Islands and nine-dotted line strategy (China\'s claims over its ownership in 80% of the East Sea\'s total area) involve many other countries.
Under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, such cases can be lodged in the International Court of Justice. But this could be a difficult option, because the court only accepts cases in which both the plaintiff and defendant agree to the arbitration.
Earlier, China said it would install an oil drill in the Spratly Islands in July, but to date, there have been no new developments. “Vietnam should be determined in their opposition to Chinese aggression, and involve other countries," he said.
During this session of the 13th National Assembly (NA), deputies will hear the Government report on East Sea-related issues in order to come to the best policy for dealing with the dispute.
Resolution on the East Sea NA Deputy Duong Trung Quoc said the NA should issue a resolution on the East Sea-related issues to show solidarity and a consistent policy. According to the deputy, the issues of protecting the national sovereignty are quickly becoming an urgent need. For this reason, he said he will address them at the group discussions during the NA’s session. |
