Vietnamese authorities have been working with the organisers of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Thailand regarding inaccuracies in the depiction of Vietnam’s map during the Games’ opening ceremony, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)'s spokesperson Pham Thu Hang told the press on December 11.
She was responding to reporters’ questions about the December 9 opening ceremony, where the organisers used visual effects to display maps of Southeast Asian countries, with Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly), as well as Phu Quoc Island absent from the map shown for Vietnam.
“Vietnam once again reaffirms its indisputable sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa in accordance with international law,” Hang stated.
Also at the briefing, when asked about the safety of Vietnamese citizens in the Thailand–Cambodia border area and ongoing citizen protection efforts, the spokesperson said that on December 9, Vietnamese representative missions in both countries advised Vietnamese citizens to consider before travelling to areas with complicated security developments.
Those already in such areas should move to safer locations to protect both themselves and their property, she said, adding citizens were also asked to strictly follow local authorities’ regulations and maintain contact with Vietnamese missions in the two countries.
According to the latest updates from Vietnam’s representative missions in Thailand and Cambodia, most Vietnamese citizens in the affected areas have been evacuated to safe zones, away from clashes, and are complying with guidance from local authorities.
Hang added that, given the evolving situation, the MoFA is coordinating closely with relevant domestic agencies to assess developments, and has instructed Vietnamese representative missions to monitor the situation closely, maintain communication with local authorities and Vietnamese community networks, and prepare necessary citizen protection measures.
Vietnamese citizens in need of assistance are advised to contact the hotlines of Vietnamese representative missions or the MoFA’s citizen protection hotline at +84 981 848 484 or +84 965 411 118, or via email at baohocongdan@gmail.com./.
