Collective Action for Paracel and Spratly Islands

Today, the international community agrees that the People’s Republic of China is carrying out increasingly aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the South China Sea. These hostilities began 49 years ago with the Chinese invasion of the Paracel islands (Hoàng Sa) on January 19, 1974, under Vietnamese sovereignty. The PRC again violated international law on March 14, 1988 when it attacked and illegally occupied Vietnamese islands in the Spratlys.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam has been inept at responding to the foreign encroachment. Hanoi has not filed a complaint against Beijing before the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Even worse, the Hanoi regime often prevents its own citizens from commemorating the fallen heroes of these battles and represses citizens who criticize China’s expansionism in the region.

On the 35th anniversary of the Chinese military invasion of the Spratly islands, 136 Vietnamese organizations from around the world have signed onto an open letter reaffirming Vietnamese sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly archipelagos. The letter also urges the Hanoi government to file a case against the People’s Republic of China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. A copy of this joint letter will be presented to the PCA in The Hague on March 11, 2023.

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Joint Letter: Collective Action for Paracel and Spratly Islands

On January 19, 1974, the People’s Republic of China blatantly invaded Vietnam’s Paracel islands. Seventy four Republic of Vietnam Navy officers and soldiers heroically sacrificed their lives to protect the country’s sovereignty.

On March 14, 1988, China, once again, invaded and occupied six Vietnamese islands in the Spratlys. Sixty four soldiers of the Vietnamese People’s Army bravely gave their lives to safeguard the country’s sovereignty.

Since then, China has continuously increased its military expansion in the East Sea, carrying out increasingly wanton acts of aggression, causing much loss of life and property to the Vietnamese people. More recently, Beijing introduced its “Maritime Law”, which allows the Chinese Navy to open fire on Vietnamese vessels and people in waters that China unilaterally claims.

In the past decades, however, the Vietnamese communist government has not adequately worked to assert the country’s sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, regain its territorial waters, and protect the people. Moreover, Vietnamese people protesting against China’s aggression and openly condemning Beijing’s aggressive acts have been suppressed and imprisoned.

Protecting the country’s sovereignty, economic interests, and fishermen in the East Sea is the collective responsibility of all Vietnamese people. In that spirit, we call on all Vietnamese inside Vietnam and overseas to:

First, let’s strongly condemn China’s aggression on all forums so that the international community does not forget that the Paracel and Spratly Islands are being illegally occupied by Beijing. Let’s act jointly to empower the movement and strive to regain sovereignty over the sea and islands of the Vietnamese people.

Second, let’s stand with the people of free and democratic countries around the world to denounce and demand that Beijing stop its aggressive acts in the East Sea in order to protect the fishermen.

Third, let’s work together to pressure the current government of Vietnam to immediately release Vietnamese patriots who are being imprisoned for their stance against China; the Hanoi government must end the policy of preventing mass gatherings to protest against China’s aggression or to honor the sacrifices of fallen soldiers in the two battles of the Paracels and Spratlys, as well as the northern border war.

Fourth, let’s raise our voices to demand that the Hanoi government file a case against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration to affirm Vietnam’s sovereignty.

China is being viewed by free and democratic countries as a threat to international security and the global order. Now is the time to undertake more concrete actions and contribute to the global effort to deter China’s expansionism and to regain Vietnamese sovereignty over the Paracels and Spratlys.

Jointly,