Fishermen called to continue to go offshore
(VOV) - The Vietnam Fisheries Society has called on fishery associations and fishermen to continue to go offshore and cooperate with law enforcement force in protest against China’s violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty.
The society said that China’s deployment of a drilling oil rig Ocean 981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic
zone and continental shelf was illegal and runs counter to international law and is a serious violation of Vietnam's sovereignty.
China’s violations have detrimentally affected and hindered normal activities of Vietnam's fishery associations and fishermen.
Vietnam has sufficient historic and legal basis to assert its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos and sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf according to provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The society strongly condemned China’s illegal acts and requested China withdraw its giant drilling rig Ocean-981 and escort vessels from Vietnamese waters.