The bond of friendship between An and Ngai

(Baonghean) - During the resistance war against the US to save the country, Nghe An and Quang Ngai were two brotherly provinces. From then until now, the deep bond of friendship between An and Ngai has always been remembered by subsequent generations, becoming a beautiful symbol of a heroic and courageous era. Today, when the rights of fishermen in Quang Ngai are seriously violated by China's illegal placement of an oil rig in Vietnam's continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, the people of Nghe An are also not standing idly by...

We, along with the delegation from the Vinh City Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Fatherland Front Committee, arrived in Quang Ngai on a sunny, windy day in mid-July, with mixed feelings. The main mission of the trip was to convey the heartfelt sentiments of the Vinh City government and people, sharing the difficulties faced by the resilient fishermen of Quang Ngai who are clinging to the waters of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands. Comrade Vo Viet Thanh, a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and Secretary of the Vinh City Party Committee, confided that the trip was not simply about bringing the money contributed by the people of Vinh City to the fishermen of Ly Son Island District, but also a trip of gratitude and kindness.

During the war against the US to save the country, to share the hardships and encourage and help each other in fighting and rebuilding the nation, Nghe An and Quang Ngai formed a brotherhood, with many localities in the two provinces becoming like blood relatives. Many village names, mountain names, farm names, and construction projects in Nghe An have been named after some place names in Quang Ngai province, such as An Ngai Farm, Tra Bong Hotel, etc. Therefore, all 17 members of the delegation felt that coming to Quang Ngai was like returning to their homeland, returning to their home.

Unable to conceal their emotion, Comrade Nguyen Chin - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Quang Ngai City Party Committee; Comrade Nguyen Tang Sinh - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Ngai City; and leaders of the Quang Ngai City Fatherland Front Committee embraced the members of the delegation like long-lost brothers. "With the affection and sincerity of brothers, we hope that our brotherly city of Vinh, with its heroic half-century history, will assist Quang Ngai City in a number of urban development issues as well as strengthen cooperation and exchange experiences in attracting investment," the Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Ngai City confided.

At dawn the next day, we left Quang Ngai City and went to the famous Sa Ky port to catch the first ferry to Ly Son island district. The atmosphere at Sa Ky port, during those days of turbulent East Sea, was unusually bustling with hundreds of tourists and many delegations visiting Ly Son. On the modern high-speed ferry, alongside the fishermen coming and going, there were many young men and women, and many children wearing uniforms with slogans like "Towards the East Sea" or "Hoang Sa and Truong Sa belong to Vietnam." They were students, taking advantage of their summer break to visit Ly Son, a frontier island and gateway to the Hoang Sa archipelago of the Fatherland. Ly Son is located about 15 nautical miles from the mainland, almost the same distance as Mat Island in Nghe An, but its area is ten times larger, covering over 10 square kilometers, with a population of nearly 22,000 people. This district has the highest population density among the 14 island districts of our country, holding a crucial position in the East Sea region and playing an important role in economic development and the protection of maritime sovereignty and security. The fishermen of Ly Son mainly live by fishing and farming. In particular, the fishing fleet of the fishermen always stays in the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa fishing grounds to exploit marine resources and affirm and protect the sacred territorial waters of the Fatherland.

Due to its complete isolation from the mainland and the only means of transportation being by sea, with only two trips per day, the busiest time on Ly Son Island is in the morning, when the ship docks. Speaking with a distinct Quang Nam accent, the leaders of Ly Son district warmly welcomed the members of the delegation right at the dock. Ignoring formalities and polite formalities, the leaders immediately reported on the tense situation in the East Sea and the difficulties faced by fishermen in the district. Since China illegally placed the Haiyang 981 oil rig in Vietnam's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, fishermen have been the most disadvantaged. The rig's location lies directly on the vital route to the Hoang Sa fishing grounds used by fishermen from Central Vietnam, including those from Ly Son.

This has been a traditional fishing ground for generations of people from Ly Son Island as well as Vietnamese fishermen. However, for more than two months now, every time fishermen's boats go to the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands, they encounter obstruction and expulsion from Chinese ships. To continue fishing, the fishermen have had to take detours that are twice or three times as long, incurring much higher costs, and almost every trip results in a loss. Furthermore, many fishermen have been attacked and detained by Chinese ships using water cannons; a prime example is the current situation where six fishermen from Quang Ngai are still being illegally detained by China... “Never before has the situation at sea been as tense as it is now. The fishing grounds and the lives of fishermen are threatened, but the fishermen of Ly Son will not be deterred, because this is the sea of ​​our ancestors, and we must go out to sea to exploit marine resources and protect our sacred territory,” affirmed Comrade Nguyen Tai Luan, Deputy Secretary of the Ly Son Island District Party Committee.

Sympathizing with the difficulties faced by fishermen in Ly Son, the government and people of Vinh City have not stood idly by. Responding to the call of the Vietnam Fatherland Front of Vinh City, for over a month, residents of the city have been raising money to help fishermen and the Coast Guard and Fisheries Surveillance forces enforcing the law in the area where China has illegally placed its oil rig. Mr. Nguyen Dinh Cat, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front of Vinh City, said that this campaign has received widespread support from the people of Vinh City. As of June 30th, the amount transferred to the city's Fatherland Front is over 3 billion VND. Initially, this money will be donated to fishermen in Ly Son island district, the Coast Guard Region 2, and the Fisheries Surveillance Sub-Department Region 2 (1 billion VND each). In addition, the Vinh City Fatherland Front will use this money to encourage and visit the Coast Guard and Fisheries Surveillance officers from Nghe An province who are enforcing the law in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands.

The delegation visited and presented gifts to fishermen in Ly Son island district.

Immediately after donating 1 billion VND to fishermen in Ly Son island district, the Vinh City delegation went directly to the households fishing in the Hoang Sa fishing grounds to give gifts and offer encouragement. Overwhelmed by the concern of the government and people of distant Vinh City, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Nguyet, wife of Captain Le Tuc, could not hold back her tears. Mr. Tuc had just been injured in the neck by a water cannon from a Chinese ship. His family's fishing boat was severely damaged, but he remained undeterred. As soon as his wound was treated, Mr. Tuc continued to go out to sea to catch sea cucumbers in the Hoang Sa waters.

Mr. Phan Trung Thanh, a fisherman from An Hai commune, Ly Son island district, shared that Hoang Sa and Truong Sa are traditional fishing grounds of our ancestors for centuries, and are our territory, so the fishermen of Ly Son have never felt afraid. “We will continue to cling to the sea no matter the circumstances,” Mr. Thanh affirmed. After presenting four gifts to four fishing households, each worth 3 million VND, Mr. Vo Viet Thanh, Secretary of the Vinh City Party Committee, encouraged the fishermen, saying that behind these resilient fishermen clinging to the sea is the Fatherland and the Vietnamese people. “The people of Vinh City, as well as the people of Nghe An, always have faith in the fishermen of Ly Son. Please strive to cling to the fishing grounds not only to exploit marine resources but also to affirm the territorial sovereignty of the Fatherland. We will always stand by and support you,” the Secretary of the Vinh City Party Committee urged.

Our visit to Ly Son Island became even more meaningful when Comrade Nguyen Thanh, Secretary of the Ly Son District Party Committee, expressed to the leaders of the Vinh City People's Committee that the government and people of Ly Son Island district very much wanted to establish a sister-city relationship with Vinh City. A quick ceremony of agreement was held between the heads of the two units, right on the shores of the East Sea. “We have been brothers and comrades, and will always be. Future generations will forever remember and further strengthen the bond of affection between Quang Ngai and Nghe An, as well as between Ly Son and Vinh City. The people of Ly Son are determined never to betray the trust and love of their blood brothers,” the Secretary of the Ly Son District Party Committee said, shaking hands with each member of the delegation, his voice simple, sincere, yet full of deep affection and gratitude.

For us, this is truly a joy, a touching moment during these turbulent times in the East Sea. As the whole nation focuses on Truong Sa and Hoang Sa, the brotherhood pledge between the leaders of the two units becomes more meaningful than ever. This is the clearest evidence of the deep bond between Nghe An and Quang Ngai, a continuation and enhancement of the fine traditions of previous generations.

Nguyen Khoa