The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Vietnam Youth Union (VYU) have called on organisations, individuals, political circles and peace-loving people over the world to continue raising their voice to request China to immediately withdraw its oil rig and surrounding ships from Vietnam’s waters.

In a letter released on May 27, VUFO expressed its concern about China’s act of illegally placing the Haiyang Shiyou-981 and a large number of ships and planes in Vietnam’s continental shelf.

It said that China’s unilateral deed seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereign right and jurisdiction over exclusive economic zones and continental shelf and ignores the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) between China and ASEAN member nations.

VUFO also accused China of infringing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), saying that China’s move threatens peace, stability and security in the region and the world, as well as negatively affects the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

It expressed the deep gratitude to the international community for their support to Vietnam over the issue. It also requested the Chinese side to respect international law and Vietnam’s sovereignty and stop its illegal actions in the East Sea.

On May 26, the VYU also issued a statement to protest China’s act of illegally stationing its oil drilling in Vietnam’s waters.

In the statement, the youth union requested China to remove its rig out of Vietnam’s waters, strictly abide by international law, especially the UNCLOS, and end similar actions in the future.

It called on youth organisations at home and abroad to support Vietnam’s agencies and fishermen to maintain their duties and activities in the sea, contributing to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and legitimate interest in the East Sea.

On May 2, China stationed the Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 nautical miles deep inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone.
It has also deployed a large number of ships of various kinds to the area, including military, coast guard and marine surveillance and patrol ships.
Chinese ships have repeatedly rammed and fired water cannons into Vietnamese coast guard and fisheries surveillance ships which are carrying out their law enforcement missions in the country’s waters, leaving many Vietnamese ships damaged and fisheries surveillance officers injured.

Vietnam has exercised utmost restraint, showed 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 drilling rig and armed and military vessels from the Vietnamese waters.

Nevertheless, up to now, China has failed to respond to Vietnam’s legitimate demand. 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