PH hits China bullying of Vietnamese fishers

Published October 5, 2024

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday denounced the use of force in the South China Sea after Vietnamese fishermen were beaten up by Chinese maritime law enforcers.

The DFA told reporters it is aware of the Sept. 29 incident where 10 Vietnamese fishermen fishing in the waters of Paracel Islands were allegedly beaten up by Chinese personnel using iron bars.

“The Philippines has consistently denounced the use of force, aggression and intimidation in the South China Sea, and emphasized the need for actors to exercise genuine self-restraint,” the DFA said.

“It is a paramount obligation to ensure the safety at sea of vessels and their crew, especially fisherfolk,” the DFA added.

According to reports by local newspapers in Vietnam, there were 40 attackers that ganged up on the fisherfolk with the incident lasting for three hours. One fisherman had a broken leg while two others suffered broken arms.

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SOURCE: www.inquirer.net

RELATED: Vietnam Accuses China Of ‘Brutal Attack’; Reports Say Chinese Soldiers Thrashed Fisherman With Iron Rods

Published October 5, 2024

In an incident that is capable of sparking more tensions in the already volatile South China Sea, two Chinese vessels attacked a Vietnamese fishing ship over the weekend. The incident has left the Vietnamese government, which has maintained a cordial relationship with China, fuming.

The initial reports in Vietnamese media stated that a shipping vessel belonging to the country was attacked by two foreign ships near the Paracel Islands, which remains disputed between Vietnam and China. The incident resulted in injuries to at least ten fishermen.

Vietnamese newspaper Tien Phong reported that 40 individuals from the foreign ships thrashed the fishermen aboard the Vietnamese ship with iron pipes and stole their fishing gear. Later, it was disclosed that these foreign vessels belonged to China, which maintains a constant presence at the Paracel Islands.

The injured Vietnamese fishermen were seen being carried from their boats on stretchers in the footage that was posted on Tien Phong’s website. According to the report, two fishermen had broken arms and one a broken leg. The incident has left Vietnam fuming.

Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry condemned the incident, calling it a “brutal attack” by China. The ministry spokesperson, Pham Thu Hang, said in a statement that Vietnam “resolutely protests the brutal behavior of Chinese law enforcement forces against Vietnamese fishermen and fishing vessels operating in the Hoang Sa archipelago of Vietnam,” referring to the Vietnamese name for the Paracel Islands.

Without mincing words, the statement added that the actions by Chinese law enforcement forces “seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty” over the archipelago.

The Vietnamese foreign ministry further stated that the government had “sternly communicated with the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi, strongly protesting the above-mentioned actions of Chinese law enforcement forces.”

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SOURCE: www.eurasiantimes.com