The National Assembly Committee for External Relations has sent a letter to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), informing about China’s violation of Vietnamese sovereignty in the East Sea, and proposed the IPU and other international organisations support Vietnam in settling the dispute peacefully.

Vietnamese people in Canada took to the street protesting China's illegal oil rig placement

In the June 6 letter to the IPU President and General Secretary, the committee said since May 1 China, backed by hundreds of vessels, including warships and aircraft, positioned its floating drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 deep inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the East Sea.

China’s move is a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction; international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), as well as the high-level agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime disputes between Vietnam and China.  

The move is also detrimental to friendship, solidarity and neighbourliness of the two countries’ peoples.

Peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea is being seriously threatened, the committee stressed.

Vietnamese people in Canada took to the street protesting China's illegal oil rig placement

The National Assembly and people of Vietnam are indignant and determined to struggle to defend their sovereignty. Vietnam has exercised restraint, shown goodwill, and taken peaceful measures in accordance with international law asking China to withdraw its oil rig and escort forces from Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

China has failed to respond to Vietnam’s legitimate request, but continued its aggressive actions, by using its force to intimidate and attack Vietnamese law enforcement boats, injuring sailors and damaging their property. It even sank a Vietnamese law fishing boat.

The committee said Vietnamese people understand and respect the noble value ​​of peace, independence, freedom and sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the country. Vietnam will resolutely struggle to defend national sovereignty.

The Committee thanked countries, parliaments and peace-loving people worldwide for criticising China’s dangerous act and supporting Vietnam’s struggle for justice.

It proposed that inter-parliamentary organisations of regions and the world voice stronger support for Vietnam’s just stance, take necessary measures to demand China to abide by international law, respect Vietnam's sovereignty, and immediately withdraw its oil rig and escort forces from Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

VOV/VNN