The overseas Vietnamese community in Malaysia have been updated on the latest development in the East Sea, with China’s illegal placement of its rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Meeting representatives from the community on May 13, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao, who is also an expert on maritime law, described China’s move as a serious violation of international law. He stated that it counters the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, to which China is a signatory.

He made it clear that the Vietnamese Government expects to peacefully settle the dispute with China in line with international law on the basis of equality and mutual trust.

Vietnam will take all necessary steps to stop China’s wrongful acts, he noted.

The same day, the Vietnamese Association in France issued a communiqué protesting China’s violation and expressed its gratitude to the Vietnam coast guard working in the area.

It also called on the French and people around the world to side with Vietnam in its fight for peace and stability.

In its announcement on May 12, the Vietnam Business Association in Australia also called for support from Vietnamese and peace lovers worldwide. It asked China to pull its rig and escort ships out of Vietnam’s waters without delay.

The Vietnamese Community in Singapore has expressed their anger at China’s perverse act of positioning a drilling rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

In a letter sent to Vietnamese leaders on May 12, the Liaison Committee of the Vietnamese Community in Singapore affirmed that the Vietnamese in Singapore are willing to return home to join with their fellows in building and protecting the country.

In the letter, they stated that China’s current move in the East Sea is a brutal violation of international law as well as the principles on peaceful conduct committed by China and Southeast Asian countries.

Meanwhile, the Association of Vietnamese Students in France also issued a statement calling on all Vietnamese students in the country to unite with people at home in strongly condemning China’s illegal act, demanding that it withdraw the Haiyang Shiyou- 981 out of Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

The statement, released on May 10, clarified that China’s escalating actions are totally against international law and a severe violation of Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty.

“It is an undeniable act of invasion,” the statement said.

China’s dangerous and frenzied act is a carefully calculated plot aiming to occupy the East Sea, which seriously violates sovereign right and jurisdiction of Vietnam as prescribed in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it said.

The move also badly infringes the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea as well as other relevant agreements reached by the two countries’ leaders, escalating tensions, igniting violation, causing difficulties for sea-related sovereignty dispute negotiations, threatening peace, maritime safety, security and freedom of navigation in the East Sea, and harming peace and stability in the region and the world, said the statement.

Hundreds of Vietnamese in Ukraine on May 12 held a mass rally in front of the Chinese embassy in Kiev, holding aloft banners asking China to pull its illegally-placed oil rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 and escort ships out of Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone without delay.

Demonstrators read a note of protest signed by hundreds of them, which described China’s acts as a flagrant violation of international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, to which China is a signatory.

The note also stated that China’s violation has posed a direct threat to peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the East Sea, undermining friendship between the two nations.

The Vietnamese community in Ukraine strongly opposes and stands firm to join efforts with their fellows both at home and abroad in the defence of national sovereignty and interest, it wrote.

Numerous Ukraine residents also expressed their support to Vietnam in its fight for justice.

Meanwhile, in Angola, the national Vietnamese association also issued a statement requesting China to earnestly abide by international law, especially the UNCLOS.

Many suggested hosting a demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy in Luanda and sending more youngsters back home to stand up for national sovereignty.

At the request of its members, the association will launch a one-month fundraising drive from May 14, with the total proceeds coming home for the endeavour.

During working trips to Benguela and Kwanda provinces, Ambassador Do Ba Khoa assured the Vietnamese there that the Party, State and people at home are determined to keep territorial sovereignty intact by all means, taking advantage of worldwide support while fighting both in the field and on diplomatic and media fronts.

On May 2, China stationed the rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 nautical miles deep inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and 119 nautical miles from Vietnam’s Ly Son Island.

China has so far deployed 86 vessels of various kinds to the area, including military, coast guard, marine surveillance, marine patrol and fishing ships.

The provocative acts by China, including the ramming and firing of water cannons into Vietnamese coast guard ships during their law enforcement missions in the country’s waters have left many Vietnamese ships damaged and nine fisheries surveillance officers injured.

Vietnamese Student Association in the US condemns China’s violation

The Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) in the US took to the streets to call on the world to unite in protest of China’s illegal placement of an oil rig in Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

A press release posted on the website of the VSA at http://www.sinhvienusa.org on May 13 affirmed that all Vietnamese repudiate war and wish to maintain friendship with the Chinese people. However, once Vietnam’s national sovereignty is threatened, Vietnamese people, wherever they are, will stand united for the protection of their nation.

The VSA vehemently condemned China’s recent actions and called on people all over the world including the Chinese and citizens of the US who love peace to protest against these illegal acts and demand Beijing to deescalate tensions in the region by removing the oil rigs.

The VSA also urged Vietnamese students in the US to act cohesively in response to the violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty and called on Vietnamese students around the world to disseminate information on the issue to help millions of people learn about China’s wrongful actions.

Vietnamese-American community protest China’s illegal act

Elders from the Association of Hung Kings Temple in San Jose city, the US state of California, have handed a letter demanding China’s withdrawal of its rig from Vietnam’s waters over to the Chinese General Consulate in San Francisco.

The association is a non-political charitable organisation established by Vietnamese-American people in San Jose some 30 years ago to worship the Hung Kings – the legendary founders of Vietnam – along with other heroes in the countries’ history.

The letter read that by positioning the oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, China once again deliberately violates the 1982 United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

The elders requested China to respect the sovereignty of its neighbouring countries, abide by international laws of the sea, and immediately withdraw its oil rig from Vietnam’s waters.

At their demonstration in front of the Chinese Consulate on May 12, hundreds of leaflets in English and Chinese opposing China’s act were handed out to passers-by and they expressed a supportive attitude to Vietnam.

The association plans to stage sits-in on every Monday until China removes its oil rig.

China on May 2 stationed the drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 nautical miles deep in Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and 119 nautical miles to Vietnam ’s Ly Son Island.

China has deployed 86 ships of various kinds to the area. They include military, coast guard, marine surveillance, marine patrol and fisheries ships backed by rescue, transport, refuelling and fishing ships.