Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh (Photo: VNA)
Vietnam demands Thailand to promptly investigate and handle individuals involving in a Thai boat’s chasing and attack of some Vietnamese fishing boats that killed one fisherman and injured two others, Spokesman of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Le Hai Binh said on September 17.
According to Binh, Vietnamese authorised agencies reported that on September 11, some fishing boats from the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang operating illegally in Thailand’s sea were chased and attacked with weapons by a Thai boat. One Vietnamese fisherman was killed while two others sustained injuries.
The Foreign Ministry has immediately liaised with relevant agencies, including the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand, to verify the case, he said.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand cited the Thai Foreign Ministry as saying that Thailand is verifying the incident and will report investigation outcomes as soon as possible, the Spokesman said.
On September 17, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry sent a diplomatic note to the Hanoi-based Thai Embassy, voicing deep concern over the incident and asking Thailand to probe into the case.
In any circumstances, Vietnam strongly condemns inhuman treatments, the use or threat to use force on Vietnamese fishermen. Besides investigating the case and dealing with the involved persons, Thailand must properly compensate for human and property losses of Vietnamese fishermen while preventing similar incidents, ultimately avoiding impacts on the two countries’ strategic partnership, Binh said.
Vietnam’s relevant agencies have been closely coordinating to enhance management and supervision over its fishermen’s fishing activities to prevent violations of neighbouring countries’ seas, he added.-VNA
