Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam has asked Malaysia to treat detained Vietnamesefishermen humanely and handle issues relating to Vietnamese fishermen and fishing vesselsin line with international law, taking into account that the two countriesboast a strategic partnership and are members of ASEAN, Foreign Ministryspokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said.
The spokesperson made the remarks during a press briefing in Hanoi on August20, informing the press that the Malaysian law enforcement chased Vietnamesefishing vessels that led to the death of a Vietnamese fisherman, and 18 other fishermenwere detained in a recent incident.
The Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 18contacted and handed over a diplomatic note to the Embassy of Malaysia inVietnam to express its concerns over the matter.
Vietnam has asked Malaysian authorities to investigate the case, punish thoseresponsible for the death of the Vietnamese fisherman, and not allow similaracts to happen again, Hang said.
The ministry has instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia to work with theMalaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and requested Malaysian authoritiesprovide detailed information regarding the incident, and facilitate representativesfrom the Vietnamese Embassy to pay consular visits to the detained fishermenand take necessary citizen protection measures, she said.
“Vietnamese authorities and the Embassy of Vietnam in Malaysia are maintainingclose contact with the Malaysian side to seek details on the case and haveurged them to facilitate consular visits,” she reaffirmed.
Also during the meeting, Hang told the press of a case in which threeVietnamese fishing vessels, with 26 fishermen on board, have been detained byIndonesia.
After being notified of the incident, the Embassy of Vietnam in Indonesiaimmediately contacted local authorities to verify the information and askedthem to soon provide formal information.
According to reports fromIndonesia, the three fishing boats and fishermen were brought back to afacility of the marine and fisheries resources surveillance agency in Pontianakfor further investigation. They face charges of illegal fishing and using banned fishing tools./.
