The Vietnam Fisheries Trade Union (VFTU) has urged its members anddomestic fishermen to continue to go fishing in the country’s exclusiveeconomic zone and continental shelf in the East Sea.

In itsstatement, VFTU described China’s illegal deployment of its oil rigHaiyang Shiyou – 981 and over 80 ships in Vietnam’s waters as counter tointernational law and practices, seriously violating Vietnam’ssovereign right and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone andcontinental shelf.

China has hampered normal activities offisheries trade unions and fishermen in the central region, it voiced,requesting that the Chinese rig and ships must be withdrawn from thearea without delay.

On May 2, China stationed the rig at 15degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 nautical miles deep insideVietnam’s exclusive economic zone and 119 nautical miles from Vietnam’sLy Son Island.

China has so far deployed 86vessels of various kinds to the area, including military, coast guard,marine surveillance, marine patrol and fishing ships.

The provocative acts by China, including the ramming and firing of watercannons into Vietnamese coast guard ships during their law enforcementmissions in the country’s waters, have left many Vietnamese shipsdamaged and nine fisheries surveillance officers injured.-VNA