(Bqp.vn) - Vietnam’s law enforcement forces, including Marine Police and the fishery surveillance force, have been determined to protect Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago and the right to its sovereignty and jurisdiction by peaceful measures in accordance with the international laws and the Charter of United Nations.

This was stated by Major General Nguyen Quang Dam, Commander of the Vietnam Marine Police, in an interview with reporters of the People’s Army Newspaper and some press agencies on May 9th in Hanoi, after China illegally positioned its HD-981 oil rig in Vietnam’s waters, violating Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction rights in the East Sea.

Major General Nguyen Quang Dam.

The general said that the situation in the area continued to be deteriorated as on May 9th China had deployed 79 ships, including three military ships, to protect its HD981 oil rig, and sent many fighters to fly over the area.

This proved that China had planned to violate Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction rights over its exclusive economic zone elaborately by deploying more than 70 ships in the area a day, Dam added.  

The Chinese vessels, including Chinese military ships, were also very aggressive and proactively hit ships and boats of Vietnamese Marine Police and the fishery surveillance force, damaging Vietnam’s ships and threatening the lives of the crewmembers.

Dam said that earlier, China had carried out many actions in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, violating Vietnam’s law and the international laws. However, its recent action of illegally positioning an oil rig in Vietnam’s waters and carrying out its provocative acts were the most serious, intensifying tensions in the East Sea.

This action of China not only seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction rights, but also affected regional peace, stability and security, violated the international laws, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, and Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) in 2002, and ASEAN six-point principles on the East Sea.

Dam said, “Vietnam is worried about the situation which both Vietnam and the international community don’t want it to happen.”

Regarding to China’s denial of its provocative act in the area at a press conference on May 8th in Beijing City, China, Major General Nguyen Quang Dam said that Vietnam had undeniable evidence, including video clips and photos, to show China’s recent provocative action. In the videos and photos, Chinese ships rammed into ships of Vietnamese law enforcement forces.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese forces were exercising restraint by dissuading the Chinese forces from violating Vietnam’s territorial waters, asking China to withdraw the drilling rig and vessels from Vietnam’s waters immediately and stop acting aggressively.

As the evidence was made public, China could not change the fact, Dam affirmed.