18^th PROTEST STATEMENT AGAINST CHINESE INVADING AUTHORITIES AND VIETNAMESE SELLING - MOTHERLAND REGIME

Vietnam, December 20^th, 2007

Dear fellow citizens inside, outside Vietnam and international friends:

Recent political incidents in Vietnam since the government of China has announced its decision to merge Paracel and Spratly Archipelagos of Vietnam (Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos) to Tam Sa precinct in Hai Nam province of China on February 12, 07 has helped Vietnamese People and international communities further understand the politically and militarily aggressive natures of the two Communist political parties and illegitimate regimes based on many historical facts as follows: 

I- Chinese administrative directives authorizing invasions of Vietnam step-by-step

• September 4, 1958 Chinese government issued diplomatic declaration determining “Chinese territorial waters are 12 nautical miles from its shore including Vietnamese Paracel and Spratly Archipelagos”. 
• September 14, 1958, President Ho Chi Minh ordered Prime Minister of Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Pham Van Dong wiring a diplomatic statement to Prime Minister of China, Chu An Lai, which friendly acknowledged the above declaration.
• December 30, 1999, Vietnam - China border treaty which was secretly signed between the two governments, has ceded 700 square kilometers of Vietnamese land to China (Singapore is only 647 square kilometers). 
• December 25, 2000, Vietnam - China territorial waters treaty, which had been secretly signed between the two governments, has ceded 10,000 square kilometers of Vietnamese territorial waters to China. Comparing to Patenotre Treaty in which France signed with Chinese (Thanh) government in 1885 Vietnam had lost 9% of Vietnamese East Sea (Vietnam/ China = 62/38% in 1885 compared to 53/ 47% now).

II- Escalating invasion activities of China

• January 19, 1974. Chinese Navy deployed warships and fighter airplanes to invade Paracel archipelago. In this unequal fight, 58 Navy soldiers of the Armed Forced of Republic of Viet Nam (AFRVN) were killed. Paracel archipelago has been fallen into China.

• February 17, 1979 to March 26, 1979, China attacked six provinces along northern border of China and Vietnam and injured tens of thousands of Vietnamese innocent civilians. After withdrawal, China has stretched out southwards its border and erected military posts at strategic locations and other tactical areas of high value.

• March 14, 1988 Chinese Navy attacked Spratly archipelago, sank 3 Vietnamese cargo ships and killed 74 soldiers of People Army of Socialist Republic of Vietnam. A number of islands at Spratly archipelago have been fallen into China. 

• January 8, 2005 Chinese Navy fired at fishing boats at Thanh Hoa province, killed 9 fishermen and arrested 8 others. February 28, 2007, while 12 fishermen in Quang Ngai province were net fishing near Paracel archipelagoislands they were arrested by Chinese authorities and cash was demanded for their releases. June 27, 2007, while hiding from sea storms near Paracel archipelago, 13 fishermen of Quang Ngai province were attacked and injured by Chinese fire and their boats were consficated. Recently on July 9, 07, Chinese navy opened fire to Vietnamese fishing boats near Spratly archipelago killing 1 fisherman and many other fishermen were injured.

• April 2007, China protested that Vietnam has violated its territorial waters sovereignty after Vietnam had signed contract with Bristish Petrolium Inc. (BP) for oil and gas drills at the sea area near Spratly archipelago of Nam Hai sea. As a result, BP had to cancel the contract wth Vietnam and withdrew. China also protested that BP ran gas pipes from Con Son island into the inland of Vietnam and forced BP cancelling its project which had been signed with Vietnam earlier.

• August 10, 2007, China decided to grand-open sea tours at Paracel and Spratly archipelagos, a way to illegally confiscate and exploit Vietnamese territory for its illegitimate benefits. 

• According to a national statistics, in April 1975 there were 102 small islands belonging to Paracel and Spratly archipelagos, which were legally under the ownership of the Republic of Vietnam. In 1988, there were 90 islands left untouched and in 2007 there are only 21 islands under Vietnam’s sovereignty. Other small islands have been likely to be invaded and confiscated by China step-by-step.

III- Weakening reactions of the Communist authorities of Vietnam

• After China’s Declaration on September 4, 1958, Communist Vietnam has illegitimately but respectfully gifted to China Paracel and Spratly archipelagos which were originally belonged to the Republic of (South) Vietnam according to Geneve Treaty of 1954 because these islands are located below 17th parallel, closer to Vietnam and very far away from China.

• February, 1972, Vietnamese Geography Division, directly reporting to Prime Minister of Communist Vietnam, published a world map in which Paracel and Spratly archipelagos of Vietnam have been renamed Tay Sa and Nam Sa of China. Since then, in the geography books published by the government, Communist Vietnam has confirmed that “the islands among group of islands of Nam Sa, Tay Sa to Hai Nam, Dai Lam is a long strong frontier to protect China“. 

• In 1974, when Chinese navy attacked Republic of Vietnam’s navy and completely confiscated Paracel archipelago, Communist Vietnam kept its mouth completely shut. Since then, it has shamelessly prohibited various studies of many highly respected scholars inside Vietnam concerning the sovereignty of Vietnam on these two archipelagos.

• Before signing with China two treaties regarding the land border and territorial waters in 1999 and 2000, Communist government of Vietnam has never consulted with the People and the Congress of Vietnam. And it has never published these two treaties in completely accurate texts. It has even harrassed and jailed whoever dared to unearth the truth or demand the truth of these two unjust, unequal and unconstitutional treaties.

• Since 2005 until now, Vietnam authorities have always kept their mouth completely and horribly sealed. It has never dared to protest Chinese Navy that impeded, arrested, blackmailed, confiscated Vietnamese fishermen’s properties or more tragically China navy killed Vietnamese fishermen who net fish to earn their daily livings in Vietnamese territorial waters. 

• Most recently, China has publicly and formally confirmed the Communist Vietnam’s secret sale of Paracel and Spratly archipelagos to them by merging these two archipelagos into Tam Sa Precinct in Hai Nam Province of China on December 2, 2007. There was only a weakest statement from Le Dung, Speaker of Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs instead of formal appeal statements of the Prime Minister, National President or President of Congress. Instead of presenting this major national disaster to the United Nations requesting immediate international intervention, Vietnam Communist authorities only sent Chinese Ammbassador in Hanoi a terribly brief protest memorandum. 

• During December 9 through 16, 2007, many college students, homeless victims, journalists, intellectuals, novelists and artists, etc. have simultaneously gathered in Saigon and Hanoi to protest Chinese invasions. However, secret police of all kinds, schools leadership and management of Communist Youth Groups at all levels have created all kind of obstacles and harassments to forbid and threaten those protesters. They accused the protests of “conspiracies of anti-Communism“ and “against Vietnam’s laws“, etc. Then, they impeded, oppressed, arrested, interrogated and fired these protesters from employment. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stunningly announced “These protests were people’s self-initiated campaigns which have not been approved by resposible governmental departments“.

• December 11, 2007, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Relations threatened Vietnamese government that the People protested on December 9, 07 in Vietnam “have seriously damaged friendly relations between China and Vietnam” and then it arrogantly threatened “China has been highly focusing in the issue and hoping that Vietnam authorities will have fully responsible attitude to implement concrete plans to prevent those protest activities to avoid further damages between the two nations”. Nevertheless, Communist Vietnam government has never dared to open its betraying mouth to protest China, not a single word. 

IV- Bloc 8406’s assessments

• Paracel and Spratly archipelagos have belonged to Vietnam in the past, present and future. It has been a solid truth. People of Vietnam have never accepted those above-mentioned declarations, diplomatic memorandums, accords and/ or treaties, etc which have been simply administrative agreements of invasion and sale of Vietnamese land and sea territories between Communist China and Vietnam. One of the first tasks of the newly elected National Congress with participation of many different political parties in future will be voiding those above illegitimate and unequal treaties and other associated diplomatic accords and agreements. 

• These days, Vietnamese People are fully able to preserve completely our beautiful and valuable Motherland, which has been built up by sweat, tear, bones and blood of our ancestors who have eventually willed it to Vietnamese People intact. Our military victories against China in ancient history such as Bach Dang, Chi Lang, Dong Da, etc. were compelling evidences, which strongly justify our determination to defend for our nation. In addition, our People nowadays are also in a much more favorably political position compared to our ancestors in defending and well preserving the land, air and sea territories of our Motherland via political solutions instead of military ones.

• Vietnamese People have lost their land and sea to China because they have been led by a sole dictatorship political party and mostly incompetent, corrupted administration that are against their own People’s will and democracy ideal. In one way, they always put the interests of their governing groups above interests of the People. In other way, they understand their deadlocked political situation and do not dare to rely on People’s will and power because Vietnamese People have never delegated authorities to them and recognized their illegitimate power. Their crimes, resembling to the famous saying of our most popular and powerful Top General Tran Hung Dao in his ”Heartfelt Appeal to generals and soldiers” as:”Thousands of years from now worst notorious impact will be persistent and stained names will be always recollected”. Argument of “The Communist Party of Vietnam’s interests strongly attach to Vietnamese People’s interests” is only a dishonest and unproven argument.

• China only acts when it is convinced Vietnam does not have allies’ determined supports or Vietnam only has a group of sickening leadership. Evidence was China’s Declaration about Chinese territorial waters of 12 nautical miles in September 1957 were issued when Communist Vietnam was dreadfully scared of China and needed China to provide them with military and economic assistance to invade South Vietnam. The act of seizing Paracel archipelago in January 1974 occurred after Paris Accord in Vietnam had been signed a year before (January 1973) and American troops had been withdrawn from Vietnam. The act of attacking Spratly archipelago in April 1988 happened when USSR was aggressively implementing Secretary-General Mikhail Gorbachev’s policy of 1986 to reduce the assistance to “international proletarian revolution” around the world including Vietnam.

V- Bloc 8406’s Declaration

• Respectfully honor and appreciate the sacrifice of the deceased soldiers for our Motherland, who had defended Paracel archipelago in January 1974 and Spratly archipelago in March 1988. Even though these soldiers had served in two different political regimes, they have been national heroes and historic tombstones should be erected on which their name be engraved for permanent memory. 

• Wholeheartedly praise the patriotism, responsibility spirit to our Motherland and persistent braveness of our fellow citizens, high school and college students, homeless victims, intellectuals and artists, etc. who gathered in front of Chinese Embassies in Hanoi and Saigon on two Sundays of December 9 and 16, 2007 to directly condemn the acts of invasion of Communist China and indirectly condemn the acts of selling Motherland of Communist Vietnam.

• Strongly condemn the acts of Vietnam communist authorities in the past, which illegitimately sold off national land and secretly gave away national territorial waters to China, extremely weakening before the enemy, and compromised with foreign invaders. Now, Communist Vietnam authorities impede, threaten, isolate and arrest citizens who express their patriotism. They mentally poison our citizens, cover and hide up information, misinterpret the true meaning of citizens’ protests therefore the patriotism of majority of citizens cannot be expressed freely and publicly. Vietnam Communist authorities have to quit those ignorant acts, which were originated from their dreadful fear that citizens inside Vietnam have been fully aware of their “capital crime of selling off our Motherland” to China. They fear the unification of all citizens inside and outside Vietnam which has been progressively developing in greatest spirit and today’s protests may become tomorrow’s giant protests of all citizens who ultimately demand true Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights for Vietnamese People and will be able to overthrow the current dictatorship and illegitimate regime.

• Urgently demand Vietnamese communist authorities to publicly publish complete and accurate above-mentioned unequal treaties and announce all related historical information via public media to Vietnamese People. They have to arbitrarily annul those unjust and unequal treaties with China, which had been signed between the two Communist governments, and at same time re-activate and put in effect Patenotre Treaty, which was signed between French government and Chinese (Thanh) Emperor in 1885. Request that the Congress of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam urgently meet to discuss and issue a Congressional Resolution to condemn the invasions of Chinese government to Paracel and Spratly archipelagos and also the acts of selling off Motherland of Communist Vietnam authorities. Warmly remind Vietnam People Army and the public security officers be uniting with the People to defend our country. 

• Earnestly call on Vietnamese People inside and outside Vietnam to further enrich the spirit of loving our Motherland to continue organizing peaceful, non-violent yet strongly determined and repeated protests in front of the Embassies and Consulates-General of China and Vietnam around the world to regain, protect and preserve our Motherland intact, to campaign with international communities to support our legitimate interests and noble causes of Vietnamese People, to disseminate truly historical and legitimate documentation about Paracel and Spratly archipelagos to our People inside Vietnam, boycott Chinese products and services as well as the World Olympic organizing in Beijing in 2008. 

• Earnestly call on concrete supports from civilized world communities, United Nations, democratic governments, human right groups and unbiased historians, etc. Suggest to organize an international conference sponsored and administered by the United Nations to solve our major dispute of Paracel and Spratly archipelagos and associated issues of territorial land and waters regarding Chinese illegitimate invasions and its illegal confiscations of Vietnamese territories in compliance with applicable international laws, judicial and diplomatic precedents.

Lastly, on the coming occasions of Christmas and New Year of 2008, our Bloc 8406 joyfully celebrate these great events and sincerely extend our best wishes to appreciate Vietnamese fellow citizens inside and outside Vietnam as well as our truly international friends who have strongly supported and spiritually encouraged our Bloc 8406 during the past years.

Composed and signed in Vietnam on December 20^th, 2007

Bloc 8406’s Acting Representatives

- Do Nam Hai, Engineer, Saigon, Vietnam

- Nguyen Chinh Ket, Professor, Saigon, Vietnam (On duty in overseas)

- Tran Anh Kim, Former Officer of Armed Forces of Vietnam, Thai Binh Province,

Vietnam

- Peter Phan Van Loi, Roman Catholic Priest, City of Hue, Vietnam

- Nguyen Xuan Nghia, Novelist, Hai Phong Province, Vietnam

English version by Viet Si, San Jose, California, dedicated activist for Democracy & Human Rights in Vietnam