Together with local people, the Hoa (Chinese people) community insouthern Long An province has expressed their annoyance about China’sillegal placement of an oil rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone andcontinental shelf.

Huynh Nghiep Tan, from the secondgeneration of the Chinese people living in Vietnam, vice head of adragon dance club in Tan An city, said China’s placement of its drillingrig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 in Vietnam’s waters is an illegal act.

Tan added China needs to respect Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty and the friendship between the two countries.

He said he wants China to remove the drilling rig out of Vietnam’sexclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and Chinese ships tostop ramming against and firing water cannons at Vietnamese Coast Guardand Fisheries Surveillance Force vessels.

He called on theChinese people in Vietnam and the world at large to jointly condemn theprovocative act taken by China and demand China withdraw the oil rig outof Vietnam’s waters.

Tang Thi Kim Dung, a member of thewomen’s association of the Hoa community in Tan An city, also concurredwith Tan’s point of view.

Tan An city is home to more than1,000 Chinese people. Over the recent past, they have criticized andpublicised the illegal action taken by China, hoping that by rallyingthe community they can secure a peaceful life in the interests of thecountry and the world at large.

On May 20, religiousdignitaries, academics and members of the public in the southernprovince of An Giang condemned the illegal act by China in Vietnam’swaters, appealing to all social classes to peacefully raise their voicesagainst the violation.

The same day, the fisheries associationof central Ninh Thuan province held a meeting to protest China’sbehaviour. Local fishermen agreed with the Government’s efforts inprotecting the national sovereignty over its sea and islands by peacefulmeasures in line with international law.-VNA