Vietnam presses China to release fishermen

Vietnam says it has asked China to “immediately” release vessels and fishermen detained in the South China Sea.
“Vietnam demands China to compensate properly for losses and stop the recurrence of acts of harassment and illegal detention of Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen in Vietnam’s Paracel archipelago,” said Doan Khac Viet, deputy spokesman for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Viet was commenting on an incident in which Vietnamese boats were chased, confronted and had their property seized by China in late September, according to a statement on the government website. It is unclear from the statement how many fishermen were detained and injured.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian, asked about Vietnam’s allegations on Friday in Beijing, said: “China urges the Vietnamese side to do more to ask their fishermen to stop being engaged in illegal activities in waters under China’s jurisdiction.”
Lin urged Vietnam to strengthen “education and management” of its fishermen, so that they do not get into trouble.
Vietnam has a long-standing territorial dispute in the South China Sea with China, which claims the majority of the area as its territory — an assertion that overlaps with separate claims by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines.
The arrest of Vietnamese fishermen and vessels conducted by Chinese authorities in the Paracel Islands “seriously” violates Vietnam’s rights over the waters and legitimate interests of its fishermen, Viet said. Vietnam “resolutely” protests and demands China to respect its rights over the Paracel Islands.
Last month, Vietnam accused Chinese law enforcement of a “brutal” attack on a Vietnamese fishing vessel that threatened the lives of crew members in the disputed waters.