Vietnamese fine artists have called on their fellows worldwide, including Chinese, to take prompt actions condemning China’s illegal placement of its oil rig deep in Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

The Chinese side is also requested to withdraw its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 out of Viet Nam’s waters and respect international law as well as sovereign independence and territorial integrity of other countries for the maintenance of regional and global peace and stability.

China Coast Guard ship blocks Vietnam force vessel's way

In a statement released on May 26, the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association described China’s perverse acts in the East Sea as a serious infringement of Vietnam’s sovereignty and international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) that China itself is a signatory.

China’s behaviours have also threatened security, safety and freedom of navigation in the sea, the association stressed.

Expressing its belief in the leadership of the Party and State, the association vows to accompany the whole nation in defending the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The artists hope to sustain and develop traditional friendship between Vietnamese and Chinese people. However, China’s deployment of its oil rig in Viet Nam’s waters has gone against the bilateral companionship.

They call on fellows nationwide to demonstrate their patriotism through practical deeds such as responding to the campaign of studying and following the moral example of late President Ho Chi Minh, and creating works that feature the country’s sea and island defence cause.

On May 2, China illegally stationed its oil rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 nautical miles deep into the Vietnamese continental shelf and exclusive economic zone prescribed by the 1982 UNCLOS and 17 nautical miles from Tri Ton Island in Viet Nam’s Hoang Sa archipelago.

It has deployed a large number of ships of various kinds to the area, including military, coast guard, marine surveillance, marine patrol and vessels.

Chinese ships have repeatedly rammed and fired water cannons into Vietnamese coast guard and fisheries surveillance ships which are carrying out their law enforcement missions in the country’s waters, leaving many Vietnamese ships damaged and fisheries surveillance officers injured.

(Source: VNA)