It has been over two months since Chinese located the Hai Duong 981 drilling rig in the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of Vietnam (02/05/2014), China has ignored opposition from other countries in the world and had consecutive acts of aggression, moblized military vessels and aircrafts to threaten legal forces of Vietnam. The Chinese ships deliberately rammed against Vietnamese ships, causing property damage and injuring fishermen and fishery officers of Vietnam. The acts of China led people throughout Vietnam the discontentment and indignation.
In the statement of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) protesting against the illegal placement of the drilling rig of China in the water of Vietnam, it is mentioned clearly that “This is a brutal violation of China against the sovereignty and territory integrity, sovereign and jurisdiction rights of Vietnam, against the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), against the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) signed between the China with ASEAN countries in 2002 and against the commitment that the senior leaders of the two countries have repeatedly confirmed “.
The statement also expressed that the VWU and the entire Vietnam women were extremely indignant at those illigal and dangerous actions of China that hurted deeply the friendship between the people, especially the women between Vietnam and China as well as the confidence that the two sides have worked hard to build up together, the VWU urged international partners, women in countries around the world including Chinese women to speak up to protect peace and justice, required the Chinese government to comply with international law, to withdraw immediately the rig and escorted ships out of the coast of Vietnam. (see the full VWU’s statement on the website: http://hoilhpn.org.vn and TYM website: http://tymfund.org.vn).
As an institution under the VWU with a number of nearly 400 staff and over 100,000 clients, TYM has promptly responded the Statement of VWU with practical actions: sent the Statement of VWU protesting the China’s illegal placement of the rig in the Vietnamese water to partners and international friends and posted the Statement on the official website of TYM, issued dispatchs to direct TYM’s staff to communicate the island issues to all TYM’s members, encouraged TYM’s staff and members to contribute money for the islands, organized visits and encouraged families having members working at the islands, …
As a result, 100% TYM staff supported the program for our beloved islands with contribution amounts higher than expected, members also responded positively and made voluntary contributions to maritime activities, branches held visits to relatives of officers currently working at the islands. Also, TYM made contributions to Vu A Dinh Fund to build schools in Truong Sa Island. The practical and timely activities showed the patriotism and wholehearted commitment to our islands of the entire TYM staff and members, as well as contributed to the overall effort of Vietnamese people to reclaim justice and truth, to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Vietnam against aggressive and invasive actions of other countries.