Vietnam resolutely denounces Chinese law enforcement’s recent brutal treatment of Vietnamese fishermen operating in the waters near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

The foreign ministry's spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang protested China’s actions following an incident in which Chinese law enforcement detained, injured, and seized assets from Vietnamese fishermen on September 29.

The fishers were operating vessel QNg 95739 TS, registered to Quang Ngai Province, near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa in the East Vietnam Sea.

Hang emphasized that China’s actions constituted a serious violation of Vietnamese sovereignty over Hoang Sa and an infringement of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

She stated that such behaviors contradict the common perception of senior leaders from both countries that maritime disputes should be better controlled and managed.

Vietnam strongly opposes and is deeply concerned and outraged by the brutal actions of the Chinese law enforcement against the Vietnamese fishermen and their vessel in Hoang Sa, Hang stated.

"These actions injured the fishermen, endangered their lives, and damaged their property," she said.

The ministry has sternly communicated with the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi, strongly protested the actions of the Chinese law enforcement, and demanded that China fully respect Vietnam's sovereignty over the archipelago.

The agency also requested that the Chinese side promptly investigate the aforementioned incident and notify Vietnam of the results of its investigation.

It asked that such acts not be repeated.

Hoang Sa consists of more than 30 islands, coral reefs, sandbars, and shoals in the East Vietnam Sea.

In the 17th century, several groups of fishermen were dispatched to Hoang Sa by the Nguyen Lords of Vietnam to exploit aquatic resources and proclaim sovereignty over the archipelago.

Over the following centuries, Hoang Sa remained a traditional fishing ground administered by Vietnamese authorities.

China began its illegal occupation of the archipelago on January 19, 1974.

Over the past several years, the foreign ministry has repeatedly proclaimed that Vietnam has enough historical evidence and legal foundation to prove its sovereignty over Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa archipelagoes, asserting that the sovereignty over Hoang Sa was established in the 17th century in accordance with international law and has been “exercised peacefully, continuously, and publicly by successive administrations in Vietnam.”

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!