On June 25, 2014, the Vietnam Lawyers’ Association organized the 3rd press conference and released the statement in protest against China’s illegal placement of its Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig in Vietnam’s sovereign waters. At the conference, Mr. Nguyễn Văn Quyền, Vice-President of the Association read the statement of the Vietnam Lawyers’ Association on bad damage caused by the Chinese ship to Vietnam’s fisheries surveillance ship of Vietnam.
The statement points out that on May 9, in face of China’s placement of its Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig in Vietnam’s waters, the Vietnam Lawyers’ Association released its statement vehemently protesting this action and delanding China to withdraw immediately its Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig from Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
Since then, in spite of the protest of Vietnam and international community, in spite of all efforts of good-will to settle the tension by peaceful means of the Vietnamese Government, China continues to blatantly carry out a lot ot tense escalations.
Chinese vessels escorted by planes have intentionally rammed into Vietnamese ships, damaging a lot of equipment and machines and wounding fishermen and sailors of the fisheries surveillance force. On May 26, Chinese fishing vessel 11209 sunk Vietnamese fishing boat ĐNA-90152, heavily damaging the boat and sending 10 Vietnamese sailors in distress. On June 1, Chinese ships continued to fire water cannon onto the Vietnamese coast guard 2016 and rammed into the right side of the ship, punching 4 big holes, only 40cm away from the sea water’s edge.
On June 23, about 11.5 nautical miles from the Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig to Southwest, the Vietnamese fisheries surveillance ship KN-951 was encircled and rammed into by 7 Chinese ships. These behaviors of the Chinese side are clearly the behaviors of using the force of arms, violating seriously Vietnam’s sovereignty, the human rights, despiting international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The facts speak louder than words. These acts of the Chinese side have not only affected the fishermen who are catching fish in the area, the law enforcement forces of Vietnam in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, but also caused worries to the whole community of countries on the Bien Dong (East Sea) region, running completely counter to morals and international law.
Once again the Vietnam Lawyers’ Association has vehemtnly protested and demanded the Chinese side to immediately withdraw its Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig from Vietnam’s waters, stop its bahvior of using the force of arms, threatening seriously the lives of the Vietnamese citizens and Vietnam’s law enforcement forces and not renew its similar actions in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zones and continental shelf; demanded China to respect international law, stop immediately its actions that have complicated the situation, increased the tension in the region and threatened security and safety of navigation in the Bien Dong (East Sea).
The Vietnam Lawyers’ Association calls on the lawyers’ circle and the entire people of the world to vehemently condemn China for its violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty, of human rights and international law.
The Vietnam Lawyers’ Association has always affirmed its desire to boost the friendly relations and the tradional cooperation between the people and lawyers’ circle of Vietnam and China and will together with the Chinese side to do its utmost to make a contribution to protecting justice and international law, to respecting independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country, maintaining peace, security and stability in the region and the world.
However, if China intentionally does not abide by the UN Charter and international law, intentionally violate Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereignty rights and jurisdiction, the Vietnam Lawyers’ Association will resolutely propose the Vietnamese Government to use the legal measures in accordance with international law to settle the escalating state of China in the Bien Dong.
The Vietnam Lawyers’s Association with over 46,000 patriotic members is ready to go hand in hand with the Government to get ready all the necessary legal documents for this process and is determined not to let the country’s sacred sovereignty be violated./.
