VietNamNet Bridge - Carrying 257 leaflets with Vietnam maps, which do not have the two islands of Hoang Sa (Paracels) and Truong Sa (Spratlys), a Chinese passenger was fined VND30 million ($1,500) at the Da Nang International Airport.

The wrong maps brought by Li Ye into Vietnam were destroyed.

On October 29, the Customs Agency of the central city of Da Nang imposed an administrative fine of VND30 million on a Chinese woman named Li Ye, 31 years old, who carried with her 257 leaflets on Da Nang tourism, which have the Vietnam map without the Paracels and the Spratlys Islands. The maps with wrong content on Vietnam’s sovereignty were destroyed.

A representative of the Da Nang Customs Agency says that Li Ye is a tour guide and she confessed that she took these leaflets into Vietnam to deliver for tourists.

When the Da Nang authorities decided to impose an administrative fine on the act, Li Ye paid the fine. The Chinese tour guide was asked to leave the country. The authorities also reminded her of the misconduct and warned her of more severe penalty if she repeats the offence.

On October 23, the Da Nang International Airport Customs Division detected the above maps in the luggage of Li Ye while scanning her luggage.

At the bottom part of the map, there are very small captions in English and Chinese "The map does not include islands and are not used as the national map."

This is the 4th time this year the Da Nang authorities seized wrong maps carried by Chinese passengers into Vietnam.

Le Ha