Representatives from the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department met with officials of the Thai Embassy in Hanoi on July 11 to protest the use of violence against fishermen in any circumstances and request Thailand’s Foreign Ministry to investigate the firing at Vietnamese fishermen.

Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang.

Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang on July 11 answered reporters’ question about Vietnam’s reaction to reports that the Thai navy fired at a fishing boat of Vietnam’s Ben Tre province, injuring two fishermen, while two other Vietnamese fishing boats sank while being escorted to land, leaving a captain missing.

“The Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand is working with local agencies to verify the reports and has taken necessary citizen protection measures for the detained Vietnamese fishermen, while urging the Thai side to urgently search for the missing sailor,” Hang said, adding that the Thai side affirmed they had dispatched helicopters and ships to look for the missing.

According to the deputy spokesperson, the Foreign Ministry is also coordinating with relevant domestic agencies to obtain more related information in order to address the incident.

She also noted that officials from the Vietnamese embassy on July 11 visited the two wounded sailors who were confirmed being in stable conditions.

Thai naval forces have opened fire on three Vietnamese fishing boats from the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre at around 14:00 on July 8.

The fishing boats were chased off by Thai naval police after they were allegedly found illegal operating in Thailand’s waters earlier on the same day, said Nguyen Hai Ngoc, first secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy.

He said the fishermen are currently kept in custody at Naval Zone 2 of Thailand’s Royal Navy in Songkhla province and expected to stand trial on July 11 for illegally intruding into Thai waters and fishing without permission on the area.

VNA