Vietnam commits to ensuring safety for foreign citizens

Vietnam's Foreign Ministry affirmed that it will use all necessary measures to ensure the safety of people and property of foreign businesses, after some protests against China's oil rig turned violent.

A group of female workers protested against the vandalism and violence of many people in Binh Duong. Photo: Nguyet Trieu

At the Foreign Ministry’s press conference this afternoon, spokesman Le Hai Binh recalled the incident that occurred in Binh Duong on May 13, in which some people took advantage of a peaceful march to incite workers to destroy business property, disrupting security and order. Immediately after the incident occurred, Vietnamese authorities promptly suppressed and strictly handled those who incited.

"The acts of property destruction were incited by some individuals. Those actions were condemned by the state and the vast majority of Vietnamese people," Mr. Binh said.

"We affirm that we will use all necessary measures to ensure the safety of people and property, and to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of businesses, including Taiwanese businesses, throughout Vietnam, as well as in Binh Duong."

Referring to a similar incident that occurred in Ha Tinh yesterday, Mr. Binh cited information from the provincial authorities saying that the fight occurred due to a conflict between two groups of workers, leaving one person dead and several injured. The authorities are urgently verifying the incident, arresting the troublemakers and taking the injured to the hospital.

He also denied a foreign news agency's report that 20 people died in a clash last night in Ha Tinh. "That information is baseless," Mr. Binh said.

"Showing patriotism and determination to protect sovereignty is a completely legitimate and natural thing to do, but it must comply with the law and be in line with friendship with peoples around the world," Mr. Binh affirmed.

According to him, the situation in the above localities has now stabilized. In terms of trade, trade in the border areas between Vietnam and China is still going on normally.

Previously, on May 13, about 19,000 workers in Binh Duong organized a march to protest China's illegal placement of an oil rig in Vietnam's waters. At first, the march was peaceful, but some people were later agitated, broke into businesses, vandalized, robbed, demanded that business owners let workers go and enticed these workers to join.

Hundreds of companies were broken into and their property was vandalized, mainly Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean companies, including 15 businesses whose factories were burned down, causing billions of dong in damage.

By yesterday, when the situation in Binh Duong was gradually under control, in Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh province, a group of extremists incited thousands of workers to go to the Formosa factory to provoke Chinese workers there, leading to clashes. These people also vandalized companies and burned two blast furnaces in the steel factory. The incident lasted until nearly midnight before being controlled, killing one person and injuring dozens.

Binh Duong police have arrested more than 400 people who are believed to have incited workers to cause trouble at an industrial park in the area, while 76 people have also been detained by Ha Tinh police for investigation.

According to VNexpress