Fishermen on the fishing boat QNg 90495 on the evening of August 29 reported to Vietnam’s authorities the incident that was attacked by a Chinese coast guard ship in the Hoang Sa area, causing two people on board to be injured and property damaged.
The Vietnam News Agency announced on August 30, citing a fisherman’s report, stating that the attack occurred at about 5:00 am on August 28 when the fishing boat QNg 90495TS was moving from Phu Lam Island to Bai Xa Cu belongs to the Hoang Sa.
The Chinese Coast Guard ship number 4201 chased and used a high-pressure water cannon to spray on the fishing boat QNg 90495TS, causing the ship’s owner and chief engineer Huynh Van Hoanh, 43, to injure his right arm; Captain Huynh Van Tien, son of Mr. Hoanh, 26 years old, suffered a head injury.
Both the father and the son live in Binh Chau commune, Binh Son district, Quang Ngai province.
At the time of the attack, there were 10 people on board QNg 90945TS.
Fisherman Huynh Van Khanh reported the chase lasted from 5 am to about 3 pm. Foreign ships spray water cannons to make fishing boat QNg 90945TS stall; but the fisherman on the boat struggled, pumped out the water and tried to escape.
Then a foreign iron ship approached, asking to board the fishing boat of Quang Ngai fishermen; However, when seeing the people on the iron train carrying weapons, the fishermen was afraid of being caught, so they refused and drove the boat to the mainland.
The fishing boat QNg 90945TS left Sa Ky Border Guard Station on August 8 to go fishing in the Hoang Sa archipelago.
This is the latest case of Vietnamese fishermen’s fishing boats being attacked by “strange ships” in the Hoang Sa area, which is also their traditional fishing ground; However, for many years, China has prevented, attacked and arrested Vietnamese fishermen while fishing there.
Since 1999, China has annually issued a fishing ban lasting about three summer months in a large area north to 12 degrees north latitude in the South China Sea.
This year’s order from China began on May 1 and ended on August 16.
Thoibao.de translated from RFA: https://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/news/vietnamnews/vietnamese-fishermen-reports-being-attacked-by-foreign-ship-s-water-cannon-in-paracels-08302023100711.html
