On the afternoon of July 12th, in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich, Federal Republic of Germany, hundreds of Vietnamese expatriates living in Munich and the surrounding areas held a rally and protest against China's illegal artificial island construction activities in the Spratly Islands of Vietnam.
From noon onwards, despite the summer heat, a large number of people had gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate General to carry out preparations and to receive banners, slogans, and the red flag with a yellow star, the national flag of Vietnam.
During the opening ceremony, all members of the organizing committee and hundreds of overseas Vietnamese sang the Vietnamese national anthem in unison and observed a minute of silence in remembrance of the soldiers who bravely sacrificed their lives to protect the borders and islands of their homeland.
Present at the ceremony, on behalf of the participants, Mr. Nguyen Lam Son, Head of the Organizing Committee of the protest, delivered a speech reviewing China's illegal activities in the South China Sea over the past decades, particularly the occupation of the Paracel Islands in 1974 and the use of force to seize Gac Ma and several other islands in the Spratly Islands in 1988.
Mr. Nguyen Lam Son also stated that not only Vietnam but many countries around the world condemn China's illegal activities in Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands, which complicate and escalate tensions in the South China Sea. Based on this, Vietnamese people in Munich and the surrounding areas call on China to immediately cease its activities that violate international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), in order to maintain stability and peace in the region.
With a spirit of devotion to the homeland's islands and seas, overseas Vietnamese sang songs such as "Joining Hands in Unity," "Rise Up and Go," and many other songs about the beloved Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands, expressing their solidarity and determination to support the homeland's islands and seas and resolutely oppose China's illegal actions in the East Sea.
In front of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich, Germany, the Vietnamese community also held up banners protesting China and chanted slogans such as "Hoang Sa and Truong Sa belong to Vietnam," "Vietnam loves peace," and "China, stop invading Vietnam's islands and seas"... These were the messages the group wanted to send to the Chinese government regarding the current tensions in the South China Sea. The protest ended at 3 PM on the same day.
The peaceful demonstration by Vietnamese people in Munich, following two previous demonstrations in Berlin and Frankfurt within just one month, continues to demonstrate the solidarity and patriotism of overseas Vietnamese, affirming the spirit of harmony and love for peace of the Vietnamese people, as well as the determination to protect the territorial integrity, borders, and sacred islands of the Fatherland.
Here are some photos from the rally and protest by the Vietnamese community in Munich:
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| Mr. Nguyen Lam Son, President of the Vietnamese Association in Munich, delivered a speech in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich protesting China's actions in the South China Sea. (Photo: Nguyen Duc/Vietnam+) |
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| A group of Vietnamese expatriates protested in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich, Germany. (Photo: Nguyen Duc/Vietnam+) |
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| A group of protesters stand in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich, Germany. (Photo: Nguyen Duc/Vietnam+) |
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| A group of protesters stand in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich, Germany. (Photo: Nguyen Duc/Vietnam+) |
According to Vietnam+
