More than 200 Vietnamese people in Canada on May 31 congregated in front of the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa to raise their objections to China’s illegal placement of its oil rig deep in Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, which has seriously violated Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty.

Holding up banners confirming Vietnam ’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, the demonstrators demanded China stop its illegal acts and withdraw the oil rig from Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone.

They also demanded China publicly apologise to Vietnam for its unilateral provocative acts that have caused injuries and compensate for the country’s economic loss.

At the beginning of May 2014, China illegally dispatched its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981, as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft, to Vietnam’s waters. The location was 80 miles deep inside Vietnam ’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

On May 27, China moved the rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 22 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 36 seconds east longitude. The new location is 25 nautical miles from Tri Ton Island in Vietnam ’s Hoang Sa archipelago and 23 nautical miles east-northeast from the old location, still completely within Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

With the move, China has kept on violating Vietnam’s sovereign right and jurisdiction.

At the same time, China ’s armed vessels aggressively fired high-power water cannons and intentionally rammed against Vietnamese law enforcement and civil ships, causing damage to many boats and injuring many people on board.

“The major parade aims to draw attention from the local residents and international friends to the current situation in the East Sea and to advocate the protection of peace,” said Bui Quang Hien, an engineer from Montreal city.

He also expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Government will soon prepare its legal case to take China to an international tribunal.

China ’s extremely dangerous acts have been directly threatening peace, stability and maritime security and safety in the East Sea .

Vietnam has exercised utmost restraint, shown every gesture of goodwill and exhausted all dialogue channels to communicate with the Chinese authorities of different levels for expressing protest and demanding China to immediately withdraw its rig and armed and military vessels from Vietnam’s waters.

Nevertheless, up to now, China has failed to respond to Vietnam’s legitimate demands. On the contrary, it has been slandering and blaming Vietnam while continuing to escalate the use of force and acts of violation in an increasingly dangerous and serious manner.-VNA