October 9, 2010
Hanoi – A banned Vietnamese pro-democracy party on Saturday demonstrated against China’s actions over disputed maritime territories.
About 70 members of the Viet Tan, or Vietnam Reform Party , called on all Vietnamese to ’to assume the responsibility and right to defend the nation’s interests.’
China claims sovereignty over a large swathe of the South China Sea and has seized hundreds of Vietnamese fishing boats for violating what it considers its territorial waters around the disputed Spratly and Paracel Islands.
The nation is threatened by Chinese encroachment, said Nguyen Dinh Tich, a 62-year-old activist. ’We would like to call on all Vietnamese people to fight against Chinese aggression.’
He accused the Chinese navy of having occupied the Spratlys and Paracels, saying the ’East Sea is falling under China’s domination. Vietnamese fishermen are being killed and detained in our own waters.’ The protestors said it was their responsibility as citizens to speak out. The ruling Vietnamese Communist party des not allow any parties to co-exist and has faced criticism for arresting critics of its handling of the border issues.
’This is the first time I have heard a party calling to fight against the Chinese aggression,’ a young onlooker said. ’The Communist party never does that.’
