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Sweden, Canada marches staged against China’s illegal acts

Hanoi, May 26 (VNA) – The Vietnamese communities in Sweden and Canada on May 25 held peace rallies to protest China’s illegal placement of the oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

About 400 Vietnamese people, together with representatives of the Communist Party of Sweden, gathered in downtown Malmo city to condemn China’s move in the East Sea.

Le Son Ha, Chairman of the Vietnamese Culture Association in Sweden, said their demonstration aimed to show their solidarity in denouncing China’s violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty.

Holding banners with messages in Vietnamese, English and Swedish, protesters rebuked China for violating Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea through acts that have marred regional peace and security.

They also demanded China withdraw its oil rig from Vietnam’s waters immediately.

The protest organisers collected signatures of Vietnamese people and locals for a letter opposing China to be sent to the Swedish Government and the European Union.

At the same time in Canada, more than 100 Vietnamese people marched in front of the Chinese Consulate in Montreal city.

They carried placards declaring Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes.

They called on the Chinese Government to act responsibly, respect international law and promptly remove its rig from Vietnam’s waters.

Two similar demonstrations are expected to be staged in front of the headquarters of the Canadian parliament in Ottawa and the Chinese Consulate in Toronto.

On May 2, China illegally stationed the 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 inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and 119 nautical miles to Vietnam’s Ly Son Island.

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.
VNA/VNP


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