PANO - Despite danger and difficulties, the Vietnamese coast guards have been determined to enforce law at sea in line with Vietnamese and international laws.
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| Coast guards on board the on-duty ship numbered 8001 |
At present, both of Vietnamese people and international community are witnessing China’s illegal and perverse placement of an oil rig in the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam.
Directing a flotilla of the Coast Guard Region 1 to enforce the law at the area where China illegally placed its oil rig, Lieutenant Colonel Luong Cao Khai, Deputy Chief in charge of Operation of the Coast Guard Region 1 stressed that “people in the mainland could trust us”.
According to the coast guard officer, despite the fact that a number of Chinese ships and aircraft, including military ones, have conducted continuously provocative acts, circled and rammed into Vietnamese vessels, the Vietnamese coast guards still restrain.
“We often encourage and remind our crew members to be brave and overcome difficulties as well as be calm to deal with Chinese ships’ aggressive and provocative acts”, Lieutenant Colonel Luong Cao Khai said.
At 21:30 on May 9th, Captain Nguyen Van Hung of the Vietnam Coast Guard Ship 8003 reported to the headquarters of the Coast Guard High Command that “Chinese ships have many times encircled our ship and Chinese aircraft have flown low above our pilothouse. At present, up to 49 Chinese ships, including 2 patrol vessels numbered 752 and 753, are encircling us. However, we remain calm to fulfill our duty and keep watch”.
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Chinese military ships remain at the area where HD-981 oil rig is placed illegally
At 19:00 on May 10th, Major General Nguyen Quang Dam, Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard revealed that China had deployed 79 vessels to protect the oil rig over the past 24 hours. Among them are 3 military vessels, 39 law enforcement, 14 transport, 6 oil and gas service and 17 fishing ones. Attentively, China had continuously sent some 50 vessels to prevent Vietnam Coast Guard ships from enforcing law at sea. In the air, about 10 Chinese aircraft had kept operating over the area about 30 to 60km off Tri Ton Island of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago.
The same day, Vietnam Coast Guard’s ships many times approached the area where HD-981 was illegally placed and always obeyed the seniors’ orders.
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Captain Hung stressed that, the crew members were aware of their mission at the national exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, their fight for justice and strict observation of international laws. “We are determined to defend national sovereignty over the sea despite acts of aggression of Chinese ships”, he added.
On board another on-duty ship, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Nghiem Long, Deputy Political Commissar of the Coast Guard Region 3 underlined that all cadres and troops on board grasped thoroughly their missions and follow the principles of activeness, calmness, avoidance of clashes and resolute and brave struggle to strongly uphold national sovereignty over the sea and islands and national continental shelf as well as regional peace and stability.
Meanwhile, the information centre in the Coast Guard High Command’s headquarters is updated with images of aggressive and perverse acts of Chinese ships. The centre’s staffs have been keeping close eyes on any signals recorded from the sea.
According to Colonel Ngo Ngoc Thu, Deputy Commander and Chief of the Staff of the Coast Guard High Command, the force’s cadres and troops are in standby and ready to take missions at any time.
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Translated by Mai Huong