VOA (Translated by Danlambao's reader) - Victim of a shooting on the East Sea last month, a fisherman from Quang Ngai province said he wanted to carry a gun on his next return to the fishery in order to “cling to the sea and defend national sovereignty”.
Mr. Bui Van Cu spoke to VOA (Voice of America) on 16th December, 2015, three weeks after the shooting at the Spratly Islands that killed one fellow-fisherman on his fishing boat.
Though the investigation is still under way, Cu said he believed the 8 assailants wearing casual clothes on the two boats “were Filipino.”
“Boats of different countries have different features, so I reckon that they were Fillipino civilians. But they might have been Chinese disguising as some Filipino… who knows !”
Bui Van Cu (red shirt) with Quang Ngai investigators on his return.
Truong Dinh Bay, a 45-year-old fisherman, was shot dead on 26 November while he was fishing with more than 10 others at the Spratly Islands’ fishery.
As the incident happened, captain Bui Van Cu and Mr. Bay were working on deck and others were diving.
“I’m stil scared and confused,” said Mr.Cu. But he claimed that he would sail back out to sea for fishing.
Cu added: “Once I’ve recoverd, I must get back there to work. It’s our livelihood. What will we laborers do if we stay home? We suggest that our superiors should do something; otherwise, they’ll have us fishermen worried and confused while we fish in such a situation. We’re confused because their civilians are armed while ours aren’t. Thus, they can overpower us and rob our property.”
Shortly after the deadly shooting on open sea, Le Hai Binh, spokeman of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claimed that Hanoi “has directed the relevant agencies of Vietnam in countries around the East Sea to urgently clarify this serious incident.”
“In any circumstances,” added the spokeman, “ we strongly condemn the inhuman behaviors of using or threatening to use violence against Vietnamese fishermen.”
“Defending the sea and the islands”
Cu said he suggested measures to protect Vietnamese fishermen and to allow them to carry guns at sea.
“On this occasion,” Cu added. “I hope the superiors will handle the matter in such a way that we fishermen can go out fishing and protect out sovereignty over the sea and the islands. Fishermen get really scared in the current situation. They’re frightened. Just like us fishing at sea, but the Filipino fishermen are armed while we aren’t. I’ve made the suggestion to our superiors, but so far I’ve heard nothing in reply. Will the State allow us to carry guns?
In case the State agrees, that’s what I will do to protect our property and also to defend national sovereignty over the sea and the islands. The only thing I’m afraid of is that they won’t allow us to do it.”
A Vietnamese fishing boat (left) rammed and sunk
by a Chinese vessels at Paracels islands in May, being towed ashore.
Vietnam Fishing Society, an agency to protect Vietnamese fishermen’s interets, once declared that it would not jeopardize their fishermen’s lives when calling on them to keep going out fishing on the East Sea, despite Chinese aggressive moves to assert their sovereignty over the disputed waters.
“The sea belongs to Vietnam,” said Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Duc, an official of the Society once spoke to VOA, “so, Vietnamese fishermen have the right to fish there.”
According to the State press, Vietnam’s surveillance forces will be equipped with guns using rubber bullets, gas and the ammunition used with these guns.
In addition, these forces wil be armed with military weapons such as pistols, automatic rifles and relevant ammunition.
Those equipped with military weapons, according to sources, are supposed to have proper conduct and be in good health. Also, they will be technically trained, periodically checked on relevant skills and certified by the authorities concerned.”
A high-ranking fishing official of China, a claimant in the East Sea dispute, has suggested that the government should supply weapons and military training for about 100,000 fishermen to protect their sovereignty over the East Sea, according to Chinese press.
VOA
