On the afternoon of July 12, in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich, Germany, hundreds of overseas Vietnamese living in Munich and surrounding areas held a rally to protest China's illegal construction of artificial islands in Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago.
As early as 12 noon, despite the summer heat, many people were present in front of the Chinese Consulate General to carry out preparations and receive banners, slogans and the red flag with a yellow star of the Vietnamese national flag.
During the opening ceremony, all members of the organizing committee and hundreds of overseas Vietnamese sang the Vietnamese National Anthem in unison and spent a minute in memory of the soldiers who heroically 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 protest organizing committee, gave a speech reviewing China's illegal activities in the East Sea over the past decades, especially the occupation of the Hoang Sa archipelago in 1974 and the use of force to occupy Gac Ma and some rocky islands in Truong Sa in 1988.
Mr. Nguyen Lam Son also said that not only Vietnam but many countries in the world condemn China's illegal activities in Vietnam's Truong Sa waters and islands, complicating and escalating the situation in the East Sea. On that basis, Vietnamese people in Munich and the surrounding area call on China to immediately stop 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 East Sea (DOC) to maintain stability and peace in the region.
With the spirit of turning towards the homeland's sea and islands, overseas Vietnamese sang songs such as "Joining Hands", "Get Up and Go" and many songs about the beloved Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands, expressing their unity and determination towards the homeland's sea and islands and resolutely protesting China's illegal actions in the East Sea.
In front of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich, Germany, the Vietnamese community also raised banners protesting China and chanted slogans such as "Hoang Sa-Truong Sa belong to Vietnam," "Vietnam loves peace," "China, please stop invading Vietnam's islands"... These are the messages the group wanted to send to the Chinese government in causing tension in the East Sea at present. The protest ended at 3 p.m. the same day.
The peaceful demonstration of Vietnamese people in Munich, following two previous demonstrations in Berlin and Frankfurt within just one month, continued to demonstrate the solidarity and patriotism of overseas Vietnamese, affirming the spirit of peace and love of peace of the Vietnamese people as well as the determination to protect the territorial integrity, borders and sacred islands of the Fatherland.
Some images at the rally and demonstration of the Vietnamese community in Munich:
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| Mr. Nguyen Lam Son, Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Munich, read a speech at the Chinese Consulate General in Munich protesting China's actions in the East Sea. (Photo: Nguyen Duc/Vietnam+) |
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| Overseas Vietnamese protest in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich, Germany. (Photo: Nguyen Duc/Vietnam+) |
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| Protesters in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich, Germany. (Photo: Nguyen Duc/Vietnam+) |
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| Protesters in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich, Germany. (Photo: Nguyen Duc/Vietnam+) |
According to Vietnam+
