The Vietnam Journalists Association protests against China's actions.

On June 29, the Vietnam Journalists Association issued a statement demanding that China immediately cease its aggressive actions and stop violating Vietnam's maritime sovereignty. The full text of the statement is as follows:

"Following China's illegal placement of the Haiyang-981 oil rig in Vietnam's waters, on May 10, 2014, the Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association sent a letter to the Chairman of the All-China Journalists Association strongly protesting China's actions that violate Vietnam's sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, and demanding that China immediately cease its illegal activities and withdraw the Haiyang-981 rig and its escort vessels from Vietnam's waters."

The Vietnam Journalists Association issued a statement condemning China's wrongful actions in the South China Sea. Photo: VNA.

To date, China continues to act recklessly, disregarding justice and the wave of protests from Vietnam and the international community. Instead of withdrawing the oil rig, China continues to escalate its increasingly dangerous and serious actions, using large ships to ram Vietnamese vessels, damaging ships and equipment, and endangering the lives of Vietnamese citizens, while simultaneously making slanderous accusations and blaming Vietnam.

On May 26, Chinese fishing vessel No. 11209 rammed and sank Vietnamese fishing vessel ĐNa-90152. Following this, on June 1, Chinese vessels repeatedly sprayed water cannons at Vietnamese Coast Guard vessel 2016 and rammed its right side, creating four holes just 40 cm from the waterline. Most recently, on June 23, 2014, Vietnamese fisheries patrol vessel KN-951 was surrounded by seven Chinese vessels, subjected to high-pressure water cannons, rammed, and obstructed while enforcing the law in Vietnam's continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. These are dangerous actions that further escalate tensions, damage relations between the people of the two countries, and directly threaten peace, stability, security, and maritime safety in the South China Sea.

Once again, the Vietnam Journalists Association strongly condemns China's aggressive actions and demands that China respect international law, immediately withdraw the Haiyang 981 oil rig from Vietnam's waters, immediately cease all violations of Vietnam's maritime sovereignty, and immediately stop the use of force and serious threats to the lives of Vietnamese fishermen, fisheries inspectors, and law enforcement forces, which further complicate the situation, increase tensions in the region, and threaten maritime security and safety in the East Sea.

The Vietnam Journalists Association calls on the international press community, including the Chinese press, to understand the situation clearly and correctly, and to condemn dangerous acts of aggression that violate international law, first and foremost the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and infringe upon Vietnam's sovereignty over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. At the same time, the press affirms Vietnam's stance on resolving disputes peacefully on the basis of international law, equality, and mutual respect, for the common interests of the people of both countries, and for peace in the region and the world. The Vietnam Journalists Association believes that every nation, large or small, is equal in its responsibility for common peace and security, and that mutual respect and trust are necessary. In the spirit of peace and harmony of the Vietnamese people, the Vietnam Journalists Association affirms its commitment to and desire to promote the traditional friendship and cooperation between the people and press communities of Vietnam and China.

According to News