Vietnamese protesting against China's placement of HD-981

The country’s reconstruction and building in peacetime have equal importance as fighting and protecting in wartime. They both are essential to the prosperity and destiny of a country or nation.

In recent days, almost Vietnamese people cannot “stay still” before provocative activities of our neighbor and “friend” named China over its placement of drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 (HD-981) in Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone in the East Sea. From online network to real-life, workplace to café, retirees to young toddlers… everywhere, everyone ware talking, debating about situation between us and “the enemy”.

Most comments are willing to stand up to fight for the country sovereignty on the sea and island. There is a wide variety of ways and types to show the patriotism, but most common are minded "territorial integrity" is above all. I feel really happy and grateful for this traditional patriotism of our people.

Once again, the fighting spirit of Tran Quoc Toan in Binh Than Conference (1282) before the Mongol Yuan invasion has resurfaced. This has shown the ready spirit and strong will of the nation to confront any foreign invaders. We should be proud and flattered of this.

However, the willing to stand up to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity is only half of patriotism.

As we all know, the fighting and building are two parallel elements, never integral, in the history of formation and development of any nation or country. Without one of these elements, the nation/country no longer exist or become weak and then disappear.

Therefore, reconstruction and building in peacetime have equal importance as fighting and protecting in wartime. They both are essential to the prosperity and destiny of a country or nation.

The spirit of struggle and defend the country in times of danger and being threaten has become our tradition and proud. So before, during and after the sensitive period, how’s about the spirit of reconstruction and building in each of us, especially the young generation?

                    In Bình Dương province, workers were incited to violence by bad individual

However, in some provinces and cities has had some legal violations of destroying property of enterprises, including the facilities of foreign investors and resisting on-duty officials, social disorder. This were affecting the business, the normal life of the people, investment environment and foreign policy of the Party and State.

Being patriotic, each person should live more responsibly in thought and action. Each Vietnamese citizen in any position, anywhere should consider carefully between the good - bad, right - wrong, keep the fire of enthusiasm but be conscious in thinking and action. The true patriotism is far different from blindness.

Let's show our fire of patriotism with consciousness, concerning about the fate of the nation, not to be abused, being dragged into the sectarian organizations in the name of patriotism but is actually damaging to the power and interests of the country...

The true patriotism in the spirit of peace and mutual respect, based on the value of international norm will help each nation, each people preserve the territorial integrity; and ensuring peace and prosperity of the nation and of all humanity in a globalized world...

We are not just those willing to stand up when the national in danger but also the constructive generation and asserting national values ​​in the eyes of international friends in time of peace. So, let's transfer the patriotic spirit of fighting and protecting in wartime to the reconstruction and building in peactime. It will be fully patriotism.

Wish us succeeded to bring our country to prosperity and strongness.

China’s placement of the giant state-owned oil rig HD-981 in Block 143 inside Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on May 2 was unexpected, provocative and illegal. This incident marks the first time China has placed one of its oil rigs in the EEZ of another state without prior permission. This was an unexpected move because China-Vietnam relations have been on an upward trajectory since the visit to Hanoi by Premier Li Keqiang in October. At that time, both sides indicated they had reached agreement to carry forward discussions on maritime issues. China’s move was also unexpected because Vietnam has not undertaken any discernible provocative action that would justify China’s unprecedented actions.

China’s perverse action has infringed international law and gone back on its commitments to ASEAN under the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) in 2002, in which parties pledge to refrain from all provocative actions that could make conflicts at sea more complicated and affect the region’s peace and stability. The act has negatively impacted political trust and cooperation between the two countries and hurt the Vietnamese people.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement objecting to China’s illegal operation of a drilling rig in Vietnam’s waters in the East Sea, and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) has demanded that the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) move the rig out of the Southeast Asian country’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

But, the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration even bans all vessels from entering the area where the rig is operating within a radius of one nautical mile. That are so unreasonable and unaccepted.

On the ground, Vietnamese Marine Police ships patrolling Vietnamese waters were rammed by Chinese marine police, Ngo Ngoc Thu, vice commander of the High Command of Vietnam Marine Police said at an international press conference held in Hanoi after China deployed a giant mobile drilling rig to search for oil and gas inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone in the East Sea, also known as the South China Sea.

That China’s move have led to many protests of Vietnamese people in and out the country. Tens of thousands of Vietnamese people took to the streets on Sunday in Hanoi, Hue City, Da Nang City, and Ho Chi Minh City to protest China’s illegal deployment of a giant oil rig to Vietnamese waters in the East Vietnam Sea. At abroad, many protests have been held in a lot of countries like Berlin (Germany), Czech, Japan, Philippines,…The demonstrators included elders, veterans, students, office workers, and even children. They sang together the national anthem and revolutionary songs, with or without loudspeakers. Once agian, the patriotism of our people have rised against the Chinese invading acts.

“Vietnam has full historical evidence and legal grounds to prove its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Le Hai Binh – a spokeman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. And, we, Vietnamese people will keep struggling till Chinese oil rig HD-981 and numbers of escorting vessels are out of our territory./.

Regarding the case China illegally set up the drilling rig HD- 981 in the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam, many  workers at the industrial or export processing zones of of Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai took to the streets for demonstration against aggression and infringement of China on Vietnam’s  sovereignty in the South China Sea.

However, some extreme people, provoked and enticed workers at enterprises invested by Taiwan, China and some other countries to smash gates, fences and assets of the enterprises, disturb security and social order.

Some objects even took advantage of the chaos to rob, burn buildings and assault doorkeepers as well as experts.

To cope with this situation, the local leaders immediately went to the scene to direct functional departments deploying protective measures to stabilize the situation. At the same time, we focused on propagandizing and mobilizing workers in industrial zones understand the policies of the Party, the State on the issue, which were determined to defend the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and preserve the environment of peace, stability, cooperation and development; resolve every dispute over the sea in a peaceful solution; call upon workers to keep calm, restraint, do not absolutely listen instigation or incitement by hostile forces leading to violation of the law.

The local steered functional agencies to punish severely according to the provisions of the law those who take advantage of the situation to cause confusion or destruct property of citizens, businesses and state; resolutely suppress those who coerce others to perform illegal acts; focus on quickly stabilizing the situation in order to protect the rights and legitimate interests of investors and workers.

                                                     Nguyễn Hữu Vình and his blog

In my opinion, Nguyen Huu Vinh (Vinh Khiếu/Anhbasam) should have been arrested for long time ago and today he received what he deserve to. Finally, those against the state would also have to be punished.

To make you more understand about this event and who is Nguyen Huu Vinh, today we will look back and assess about the actions against our Party and State of Vinh and his accomplices.

Security Agency of the Ministry of Public Security said at the time of arrest, Nguyen Huu Vinh - the manager of Ba Sam blog, the functional forces discovered he was connecting to a number of websites, as well as leader of the group which is acting against the State.

On May 5^th, the Security Agency made emergency arrest of Nguyen Huu Vinh (born 1956, permanent residence Dang Van Ngu Street, Trung Tu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi) and Pham Thi Minh Thuy (born 1980, permanent residence at Thanh Cong Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi) for abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, under Article 258 of the Penal Code.

According to authorities, by monitoring the network, they have detected Vinh and Thuy have posted documents on the internet, which containing bad and misleading information to undermine and decrease people’s faith in the Sate agencies, social organizations and citizens.

In addition, the State authorities also discovered Nguyen Huu Vinh has sent many emails back and forth with some leading elements who are living in a foreign country and conducting actions against the State.

Ironically, shortly after the arrest of Nguyen Huu Vinh, there was some distorted information about the arrest, about the reason Nguyen Huu Vinh was arrested. But security agencies - the Ministry of Public Security has dismissed and announced the violations of the law of Vinh and his accomplices.

According to preliminary investigation results, from 2009 up to date, Vinh has established and managed 12 domain addresses named "AnhBaSam" and "ChepSuViet"; he has also published tens of thousands of articles, including the articles that criticize and oppose the policy and guidelines of the Party and State, with the positive help of Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy.

Thuy was former accountant of VPI Investigation and Protection company of which Vinh was director.

Reportedly, before making the tough measures for handling Vinh, head of Public Security, as well as the authorities have repeatedly met to educate Vinh, but he was resistant.

Nguyen Huu Vinh himself studied and had long time of serving in the police, but then branch out and set up his own company.

Born and raised in a revolutionary family but Vinh has gone against his family tradition, contrary to guidelines and policies of the Party and State.

The authorities are continuing the investigation to clarify the behavior of Nguyen Huu Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy.

In the nutshell, those who don’t want to build and protect the country peace and security will soon take the rough price!

The chairman of the Vietnam Petroleum Association says China is attempting to realize its claim of over 80 percent of the East Sea by deploying a deep-water drilling rig into Vietnamese waters.

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In an interview with Thanh Nien on Tuesday, Ngo Thuong San, former general director of PetroVietnam, warned that if China successfully anchors the US$1 billion rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, it will continue to expand into Vietnam’s sea territory in the future.

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Ngo Thuong San, chairman of the Vietnam Petroleum Association. PHOTO by TRUNGHIEU

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The tensions between the two countries have flared since the oil rig’s incursion earlier this month. China dispatched more than 80 vessels to guard the rig, leading to tense encounters with Vietnamese ships which have tried to approach it.

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In your opinion, why did China move the Haiyang Shiyou-981 rig into Vietnamese waters?

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Ngo Thuong San: The rig wouldn’t have been that grand, if it had been strictly used for oil exploration purposes–even if it drills as deep as 4,000 meters underwater. I believe that it serves both an economic and military purposes.

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The video clips I’ve seen so far showed the rig being towed into position by military and semi-military vessels, not commercial ones. Ships hauling drilling equipment should have accompanied the rig, if the vessel’s true purpose were oil exploration.

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The rig’s positioning is obviously part of China’s scheme to violate and then take over sovereign Vietnamese territory. China is plotting to turn an undisputed area into a disputed one, and then seize it.

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Legally and morally speaking, such an act is wrong.

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Has China ever launched any exploratory activities [in lots No.142-143]before?

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It has. But, since it doesn’t hold sovereignty over the area, foreign companies never responded to its invitation to bid on the lots. The invited companies were aware that the area is situated well within sovereign Vietnamese territory.

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Has the state-owned Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) ever explored the lots’ reserves?

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Vietnam first explored the lots in collaboration with Russia in 1979 and PetroVietnam recently sent an exploratory vessel there. We also have records of exploration attempts by the former US-backed government in southern Vietnam in 1969. Data about the area exists but has yet to be made public.

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The area has great potential, but carries many risks; that is: exploration costs could exceed the value of potential petroleum yields. For this reason, Vietnam has yet to exploit the lots and chose to put them up for bidding instead.

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So, China is losing rather than gaining from the deployment of the oil rig into the Vietnamese waters?

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China will not find support, either legally or morally. The move is not economically advantageous, either.

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China’s only ostensible goal is to implement its “U-shaped line” [an infamous map that includes over 80 percent of the East Sea] claim over the East Sea and violate Vietnam’s sea territory.

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Even if it truly wanted to exploit oil in the area, it would likely be unable to do so, as the East Sea is known for big waves, lots of storms and complex hydrographical characteristics.

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Despite looking grand, the Haiyang Shiyou-981 still has its limits – big things are inflexible at sea.

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We used to operate in waters not far from shore under good weather conditions, but we still roughly $100 million a month per well. The cost for China to operate the rig in addition to its fleet of 60-70 guard vessels must be unimaginable.

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What do we need to do to force China to move the rig?

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Currently, the world has many concerns other than the East Sea issue.

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The most important thing is to make the world know that these waters are part of our exclusive economic zone and that what China is doing is not designed to yield economic gains, but to seize Vietnamese territory.

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Our recent moves, from the Prime Minister’s speech [that condemned China’s acts at an ASEAN summit in Myanmar last week] to the people’s street demonstrations, and voices from international leaders have partly publicized China’s actions as wrong.

Thanh nien News

The case of setting up the drilling rig HD- 981 conducted by China in the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam “has seriously violated the sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Paracels, the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam as well as seriously violated the agreement between the two leaders, the spirit of the DOC and relevant provisions of international law” which made our people extremely urgent and the international community discontented. Many politicians, scientists in Vietnam and around the world including a number of Chinese scientists and people all oppose this wrongdoing.

Many people said on some social networking sites that in order to to protect our sovereignty and territory, Vietnam must promote the strength of the entire population. To do this, Vietnam should follow the door of democracy, get rid of the dependence on “ideology” and renounce friendly relations with China at the same time base on the developed Western countries as some countries elsewhere in the world and in the region have done.

There is no denying that most of the comments above were originated from the indignation at the China’s flagrant violation of Vietnam's sovereignty. People desire a fundamental, long-term and effective solution to prevent and repel ambition monopolize the East Sea from China. However, in order to protect national independence and sovereignty, if Vietnam must “transform” the current social system to establish another regimes of “political pluralism and opposition multi-party”, abandon the friendship between the two peoples, two parties that seniors and people of the two countries had fought nurture?

Vietnam's history in the twentieth century has proved that in the struggle against colonialism, imperialism and wars for national defense under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam on the basis of promoting strength of national unity, our people completely liberated country, unified our country and firmly safeguard national independence, sovereignty and national territory. In recent years, Vietnam Communist  Party has firmly maintained the policy of “promoting vigorously synergy of whole nation and whole political system... firmly safeguarding the independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity; sovereignty over sea and islands… do not let be on defensive in every situation. Continuously expand international cooperation in the field of defense and security”. In the case of setting up the drilling oil rig conducted by China in the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam, international opinion has voiced in support of Vietnam to protect our sovereignty and condemned brazen act of China.

In relations with Chinese Communist Party and Chinese people, Vietnam always complies with steadfast opinions that respect, protect and develop the friendly traditional relations between the two parties and two peoples. Regarding the dispute over sovereignty in the South China Sea, the two Parties and the States also agree  the settlement under “Agreement of guiding principles to solve the problems at sea” by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Hu Jintao signed in the visit to China paid by Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong in October, 2011. The instrument of Vietnam shows: " Take the local university as important bilateral relationship derived from high level and global strategy under the direction of the motto “Friendly neighborhood, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability and future orientations” and the spirit of “good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners” to resolve the dispute over sovereignty between the two countries. At the same time, “in the spirit of fully respecting of legal evidence and considering other relevant factors such as history... with a constructive attitude; trying to expand common perceptions, narrow differences and continuously impulse the negotiating process. Pursuant to the legal regime and principles defined by international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea” to find basic and long- term solutions to the issues in the South China Sea dispute.

Unfortunately, the recently actions conducted by China has seriously violated the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of Vietnam over exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as well as in violation of relevant provisions of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, contrary to the spirit and wording of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Behavior and attitude of China are also against the agreement and general awareness of the leaders of the two countries and “Areement of guiding principles to solve the problems at sea”, causing negative effects to the political credibility and aspects of cooperation between the two countries, hurting the feelings of the Vietnamese people. While confirming the view of Vietnam: Protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity is sacred to every nation, ethnic group, Vietnam will use all measures necessary to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Party and State. Vietnamese people still attach great importance to friendship, strategic, cooperative comprehensive cooperation of partners between Vietnam and China, which expresses pesevering willingness to resolve disagreements through negotiations, dialogue and peaceful means on the basis of international law and “Areement of guiding principles to solve the problems at sea” between Vietnam and China. In particular, at the plenary session of the ASEAN leaders in Myanmar, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung proposed the regional countries strongly to reaffirm the principles outlined in the Six-point Principles on the South China Sea at the same time requiring China abide by international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, seriously respect the sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the 200 nautical miles continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of the coastal states and fully implement Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and substantive negotiations on the ASEAN Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

Vietnamese as well as people around the world including the Chinese people are waiting for the answer of the Chinese government about the unilateral act to illegally place oil rig in the continental shelf and exclusive economy zone of Vietnam which created legal and political crisis and in the South China Sea and hurted the good feelings of the two peoples of Vietnam and China.

The acts of invading Paracel Island in 1974 and Gac Ma Island in 1988 and recently sending the HD-981 oil rig to the economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam are clearly illegal and unreasonable.

In the past few days, Vietnamese people from all over the country have held protests to condemn China at once. Peaceful protests erupted in major cities across the country over the weekend, with demonstrators shouting slogans demanding China to remove its oil rig from Vietnamese waters.
In Ha Noi, demonstrators gathered in front of the Chinese Embassy on Hoang Dieu Street and Lenin Park on Sunday, carrying slogans such as "Haiyang 981 get out of Viet Nam" and "We are with the government in protecting the nation, Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly)."
The demonstrations attracted people from all walks of life: war veterans, students, youngsters, intellectuals, office workers and elders, all chanting and singing patriotic songs. Many young protesters wore T-shirts bearing the image of "Uncle Ho".
"Our generation has already shed too much blood to protect the country. We don't want this generation to deal with this. Our sovereignty must be protected," war veteran Nguyen Ngoc Thach told online newspaper Vnexpress.
Social media was flooded with news about China's acts and Viet Nam's reactions, with users calling on one another to spread words of patriotism and join the protests.
In HCM City, about 5,000 people gathered in the downtown area over the weekend, marching toward the Chinese Consulate General's office on Hai Ba Trung Street.

 Furthermore, at abroad many Vietnamese people also have protested before Chinese representative organizations with chants and slogans against that China’s assertiveness. For example, in Praha, Czech, in Berlin and Franfurt, Germany and Tokyo, Japan there were thounsands of people rallying and shouting slogans against China, like “Chinese drilling rig HD-981 out of Vietnam’s territory”, “Paracel is Vietnam’s sovereignty”, “Big China, Bad behaviour”…

 The move has sparked the Vietnamese patriotism through the country. Once again, our national pride and patriotism have rised strongly.

Speaking at the 24^th ASEAN Summit Meeting in Myanmar, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung determined that Vietnam had acted with “utmost restraint” and used all means of dialogue to request China remove the rig.

 “But until now, China not only hasn't responded to Vietnam's rightful request but also slandered and blamed Vietnam while increasing their violations, which are becoming more dangerous and serious,” he said, in his strongest comments yet on the crisis”.

 He also urged ASEAN and other nations to “support the legal and legitimate requirements of Vietnam.”

The world have urge China to put an end to unilateral moves threatening regional peace, stability and security and respect international law and Viet Nam's lawful sovereignty./.

Exchanging on the sideline of the opening of The 11^th UN Day of Vesak Celebrations, Venerable Professor Dr. Phra Prahamapundit ( from Thailand), founding President of the international Council for UN Vesak Day highly appreciated the diversity of belief and religion in Vietnam with the strong development of Buddhism.

This is the second time the UN chose Vietnam as host nation of The 11^th UN Day of Vesak Celebrations because of the initiative and zealousness of Vietnam beside successful result of Vesak 2008 was also held by Vietnam which made good impressions about the country, people and religious life in Vietnam. Moreover, Buddhism has flourished not only in Vietnam but also kept a positive role in economic life and society. As Vietnamese delegates emphasized that Buddhists monks and Buddhist Church of Vietnam with more than 30 years of maturity has contributed significantly to the realization of UN millennium development goals for a good life, good religion. .

The theme for this year Vesak in Vietnam more affirmed meaningful motto of Buddhism in general and Vietnamese Buddhism in particular. Vietnam is one of the best countries to implement the goals of the UN Millennium. Among eight goals  Vietnam has successfully implemented five ones and are striving to achieve three remaining goals with a positive outlook .

Vietnamese Buddhism are traditionally established and longstanding developments. In the exchange, Venerable Professor Dr. Phra Prahamapundit said that he has gone to Vietnam many times and he felt that Vietnam has a plentiful and diversified life of religion with with the rapid development of Buddhism in general as well as other religions in particular. All were clearly expressed through religious infrastructure built quickly that he could observe over the 3 times to Vietnam about a year ago. The Catholics in Vietnam are free to practice.

Vesak 2008 and 2014 are clear proofs show abundant growth of Buddhism in Vietnam. Through the Panorama photos of art exhibition of Buddhist in Vietnam, everybody could admire the image of Vietnamese temples with characteristic architecture features. Besides, the contemporary paintings of the famous painters about Buddhism vividly reflected the spiritual and cultural life as well as the role of Buddhism in Vietnam society.

All those who think that the UN Day of Vesak aimed at “sprucing up” human rights and religious freedom issues in Vietnam should reconsider because Buddhism does not distinguish between religion and different political opinions but all geared to encourage harmony and avoid confrontation as well as the enhancement of human and collaboration. The opinions were deduced from a leading critical event of Buddhism with such political issues are not acceptable.