Condemning the Thai ship's pursuit and attack of Vietnamese fishing boat

On September 17, in response to a reporter's question asking about Vietnam's reaction to the incident on September 11, 2015, when Thai ships chased several Vietnamese fishing boats and used weapons to attack, killing one Vietnamese fisherman and injuring two others, Spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Hai Binh said:

“According to information from Vietnamese authorities, on September 11, a number of fishing boats from Kien Giang province were chased and attacked by Thai ships while illegally fishing in Thai waters, killing one Vietnamese fisherman and injuring two others.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh. (Photo: An Dang/VNA)

Immediately after the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated closely with domestic authorities to verify relevant information. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also requested the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand to work closely with the Thai side to clarify the incident. According to the latest information from the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand, a representative of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Thai side had received relevant information and was urgently verifying the incident, and said that an official announcement on the investigation results would be made as soon as possible. On September 17, 2015, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic note to the Thai Embassy in Hanoi expressing deep concern about the incident and requesting that the Thai side investigate the incident.

In any case, Vietnam strongly condemns inhumane acts, the use or threat of force against Vietnamese fishermen. We request that the Thai side promptly investigate and verify the incident, clarify responsibilities and handle relevant individuals, compensate adequately for the loss of life and property of Vietnamese fishermen, prevent similar incidents from happening, and avoid affecting the Vietnam-Thailand Strategic Partnership.

On this occasion, we would like to express our deepest condolences to the family of fisherman Ngo Van Sinh who died, as well as our condolences to the injured fishermen, and strongly believe that the families of the fishermen will soon overcome the difficulties and losses and stabilize their lives.

On the Vietnamese side, Vietnamese authorities have been closely coordinating to strengthen management and supervision of fishing activities of Vietnamese fishermen, ensuring respect for the waters of related countries.

According to Vietnam+