The sixteen Chinese people, some of whom were involved in an armed clash along Vietnam’s northern border with China that left seven dead two days ago, were attempting to go to a third country via Vietnam, according to a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper report.

>> Vietnam hands over 11 illegal immigrants back to China >> Illegal Chinese immigrant shoots dead self, 2 Vietnam border soldiers, 4 compatriots

The sixteen – ten men, four women and two children – were detained after illegally passing through the Bac Phong Sinh border crossing located in Quang Ninh’s Quang Duc Commune early Friday.

In a separate case the same day, authorities at the Tra Co border post located in Quang Ninh’s Mong Cai District held other 20 Chinese nationals who were trying to illegally enter Vietnam by sea. The unlawful immigrants have been deported back to China.

However, local authorities said there is no evidence of any connection between these people and the group of sixteen illegal Chinese immigrants, who were involved in the confrontation at Bac Phong Sinh. 

Arrested 20km from border

At about 5:00 am on Friday (April 18), soldiers at the Bac Phong Sinh border post in Quang Duc Commune, Hai Ha District, found a car carrying 16 Chinese people.

They demanded the car driver stop for a thorough check but the latter ignored their request and ran away. The border officials then chased the vehicle.

About 45 minutes later, the illegal Chinese immigrants were transferred to another vehicle to divert their chasers’ attention, according to a report by the People’s Army newspaper based in Hanoi.

Soldiers at the Quang Duc border post nearby and Hai Ha District police officers were deployed to help capture the Chinese.

The illegal Chinese immigrants were arrested when they had traveled around 20km into Vietnam’s territory.  

They were escorted by Quang Duc soldiers to the Bac Phong Sinh border crossing where they were due to be returned to China.

However, while local authorities were dealing with formalities to deport these immigrants at Bac Phong Sinh, one of the detainees snatched a gun from a Vietnamese guard and opened fire while some other Chinese became aggressive and attacked local guards, using furniture at the station.

The Chinese men went on to sabotage the border gate station though they were repeatedly urged to surrender and put down their weapons. Their aggressive act forced Vietnamese border soldiers to take defensive action.

Despite the repeated calls for surrender from Vietnamese and Chinese officials, the illegal Chinese immigrants continued fighting them back.

Some of them ended up hurting themselves, while others committed suicide or jumped down from one of the upper floors of the station.

Ultimately, the stand-off left two Vietnamese border soldiers dead, five other Vietnamese injured whereas it claimed five lives of the Chinese group and hurt some others.

Vietnamese survivor’s recollection of the attack

“After being informed of the illegal crossing by the Chinese through a path close to the Bac Phong Sinh border post at some 5 am on Friday, soldiers at the Quang Duc border post and Hai Ha District policemen were deployed to run after them,” Tran Van Ngoc, head of the anti-drug trafficking team of the Quang Duc border crossing, one of the five Vietnamese injured in the battle, recalled on his hospital bed.

“The illegal Chinese immigrants were arrested at about 7:00 am the same day as they had intruded about 20km into our territory,” Ngoc added.

According to Lieutenant Tran Van Ngoc, while waiting for being repatriated to their homeland at Bac Phong Sinh, one of the detainees said he needed to go to the toilet. Afterward, he was escorted to the restroom by Lieutenant Le Vu Viet Khanh.

When the Chinese man was on his way back to the station, he suddenly snatched a gun from Major Nguyen Van Cuu, who was guarding the border gate.

At the same time, some of the other Chinese suddenly stabbed Tran Van Ngoc in his face using pens and went on to attack him with broken chair and table legs.

Some four or five Chinese later rushed out of the station to attack Cuu and Khanh. When Ngoc saw Cuu was assaulted, he dashed to help his comrade.

After Cuu and Ngoc escaped from the aggressive Chinese attackers, they could not find Khanh.

“When we were in hospital for medical treatment, we were told that the Chinese were captured but Khanh and Major Nguyen Minh Dai were killed,” Ngoc said with his eyes dewed with tears.

Vietnamese authorities are cooperating with the Chinese side to carry out further investigation into the confrontation and deal with its consequences in accordance with international practice and the border defense cooperation agreement between the two countries, said Dang Huy Hau, vice chairman of the Quang Ninh People’s Committee.

Hau also denied that the attack was of terror origin and asserted that it was caused by a spontaneous act of violence by the aggressive Chinese.

A solemn memorial service was organized on April 19 in Quang Ninh to pay respects to the two fallen Vietnamese soldiers Le Vu Viet Khanh, 24, and Nguyen Minh Dai, 43.

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