HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Hundreds of people in Vietnam launched a third week of protests against China on Sunday amid escalating tensions in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, where both countries recently conducted live-fire military drills.
About 300 people gathered near the Chinese Embassy in the capital, Hanoi, and marched through the streets, yelling "Down With China!" and demanding that their powerful northern neighbor stay out of Vietnam's territory. Crowds also gathered in southern Ho Chi Minh City.
"We will fight for our country if the nation needs us," said student Nguyen Manh Ha, 20. "Not only me, but all Vietnamese people will die to protect our territory."
Protests are extremely rare in Vietnam and are typically quashed quickly by security forces, but Hanoi has allowed the demonstrations to go on for the past three Sundays.
"I'm here today to protect my country from an invading China," said Nguyen Long, 82, who fought in a short, bloody land border war with China in 1979. "I'm sure those in the embassy are listening to us shouting 'Down With China!'"
Relations between the communist countries hit a low point after two incidents in the past month involving clashes between Chinese and Vietnamese boats in the South China Sea.
Vietnam accuses Chinese vessels of hindering oil exploration surveys in an area 200 nautical miles off its central coast that it claims as its economic exclusive zone. China says Vietnam illegally entered its waters near the disputed Spratly islands and endangered Chinese fishermen.
The two sides have a long history of exchanging diplomatic jabs over maritime incidents, mainly involving areas around the believed resource-rich Spratly and Paracel islands, which are claimed all or in part by Vietnam, China and several other Asian countries. But the current spat has become much more hostile.
Vietnam held live-fire naval exercises off its central coast last Monday — the same day the government issued an order outlining who would be exempt from a military draft. On Friday, China announced it had also recently held three days and nights of drills in the South China Sea, though it did not give exact dates.
The United States has said the South China Sea, home to key shipping lanes, is in its national interest. China says territorial disputes should be handled one-on-one, but Vietnam has said it welcomes foreign assistance to maintain regional peace and stability.
The U.S. and Vietnam issued a joint statement Friday following an annual defense dialogue, with Washington saying the recent "troubling" incidents raise concerns about maritime security.
8 comments:
hun sen should copy his youn fuking boss 2 allow cambodians express their opinion toward Youn .
I urge China to use nukes to flat Dai Viet into the red sea.
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 30,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 30,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 30,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
China must teach Vietnam a lesion. China has been suffering from Vietnamese's' political interests for so long. Vietnam brought in French, American and Russia to the regions to make S.E.A unstable. They don't really like to make a real good friends at neighbors. Because they couldn't do land encroachment. They are the worst people on Earth. Karma will come to them soon.
Ah sea bay bok snang. Ah kro puer vong veng bueng.
Plueng ches kol ombol yo youn, Khmer rot puon kla kham chenh.
No compassion for the Vietnamese?
Vietnamese leaders lied to their own people about history and everything. These Viets did not own anything in those islands. Those islands belong to China before these parasite Viets took Champa now Central Vietnam and Prey Norkor now Saigon. They just received little money from the US then started to make noise. Yes these Viets will be taught pretty soon.
Compassion for the Vietnamese? Are you kidding? These biggest liar Viets have never stopped lied. Every fight when they lost 4-5 millions then they told their Viets and the world that they lost only 100,000 people. Their lies to keep their Viets calm and make them stronger to think that they always win regardless.
These Viets are too greedy. When they got Champa and half of Cambodian land, they never wanted to stop right there, but continue to hurt and harm Cambodia, Laos, now Thailand. They will be destroyed sooner or later.
These Vietnamese are the most hated people on the planet earth.
Soviet, US, India try to be friend with these Viets because they want to use the Viets against China. Well, we'll kick azz.
What would it be if Khmers start to protect at Vietnam while the Viets are protesting at China?
China should kill all Yuonese / Vietname teaching second listen, the first year 1979 and the second year 2011 from Australia
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