Minister Counsellor Pham Thanh Nam at the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand met Thai police’s Public Affairs Division director Major-General Apichart Suribunya in Bangkok on September 21 to discuss the recent fatal shooting of Vietnamese fishermen at sea.

Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh.

The Minister Counsellor expressed deep concern over the issue during the meeting, saying that the use of force has violated international law and demanding Thailand promptly investigate and punish all individuals involved in the shooting. 

He also requested Thailand prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Major-General Apichart Suribunya, who is also Thailand’s Interpol Director, said Thailand is seriously looking into the incident with a special taskforce to be set up for the investigation. He affirmed that Thailand will investigate the case in an open and transparent manner and ensure that those determined to be guilty will be tried in accordance with the law. 

The Thai government will inform the Vietnamese Government on the outcomes of the investigation as soon as possible.

On September 17, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic note requesting Thai authorities verify the incident and take strict measures against those involved in breaking the law. 

The same day, Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh also asked Thailand to scrutinise the case as well as adequately compensate the human and property losses of Vietnamese fishermen, and prevent the recurrence of such incidents which can negatively affecting the two countries’ strategic partnership. 

Vietnamese authorised agencies reported that on September 11, some fishing boats from the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang operating illegally in Thailand’s sea were chased and attacked with weapons by a Thai boat. One Vietnamese fisherman was killed while two others sustained injuries.

VNA