Vietnam has strongly protested these China’s illegal acts and demanded China to immediately withdraw its oil rig HD 981 and escorting ships. However, Chinese vessels intensified intimidation against Vietnamese law enforcement forces at sea, aggressively barred Vietnamese vessels from approaching. This current situation in the East Sea are so concerned that Vietnamese people at home and overseas all expressed their strong protest against China’s illegal and intimidating acts.

Together with people and organizations in the whole country raising their voice against China’s recent behaviors in the East Sea, Vietnam Protestant organizations issued appeals, messages and notifications as well as organized prayers for peace and protection of  Vietnam’s sovereignty over sacred islands and seas, and opposition to China’s conducts.

On June 6, the Vietnam Evangelical Church (Northern) issued the Notification to all the Church’s dignitaries and followers calling upon them to pray for peace and stability in the East Seas. the Notification stated China’s placing of oil rig HD 981 deep into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf infringed upon Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereignty right, territorial integrity and jurisdiction, and violated the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS).

Pastor Duong Thành Lâm, Superintendent of the Vietnam Assemblies of God Church appealed to all members of the Church by the Notification “Nation-wide Fasting and Praying” from May 27 to June 7 with the theme “Praying for Vietnam”. The Notification stated that all people with Vietnamese blood, dear love for the homeland and national spirits of undauntedness and self determination understand what have been happening to the country for past weeks. China’s brazen placing of oil rig HD 981 deep into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf created tension in the East Sea, endangered Vietnam’s national security and peace in the region.

On May 27, the Vietnam Baptist Church (Southern) sent Letter to Baptist World Alliance and Asia Pacific Baptist Federation calling on them to pray for Vietnam with specific purposes including: disapproving for China’s illegal placing of its oil rig, calling on China to withdraw its oil rig from Vietnam’s continental shelf, calling for protection of peace and prevention of war.

Not only did China’s brazen placing of oil rig HD 981 deep into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf infringe Vietnam’s sovereignty over its islands and seas but also endangered peace and stability in the region, as well as adversely affected cooperation trend in current world.  Vietnamese people in the home country and abroad regardless of ethnic and religious backgrounds have all raised their voice expressing their opinions and feelings towards China’s illegal placing of oil rig HD 981 and escorting ships deep into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and called for protection of peace and stability and demanded China to withdraw its oil rig and escorting vessels from Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Phương Thủy