Fishermen on two Vietnamese fishing boats have reported to authorities that officers of a Chinese fishery patrol boat have beaten them, destroyed equipment on the vessels, and taken away their navigation equipment, fish, and oil while they were operating in Vietnam’s territorial waters.
The two boats, from central Quang Ngai province, were operating off Da Loi Island, part of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, on the night of July 6 when they were attacked by a Chinese fishery patrol boat with code number 306 in two separate incidents, fishermen said.
After suffering heavy damage caused by the Chinese boat, the two fishing ships, QNg 96787 TS and QNg 90153 TS, with 30 crew members, returned to Quang Ngai’s Ly Son Island on Tuesday morning.
Vo Minh Vuong, 38, a fisherman who owns the QNg 96787 TS boat, said, They (crew from the Chinese boat) threatened us with guns, forced us to put our hands on the back of our neck, and then used bludgeons to beat some of us.
The Chinese also used hammers to destroy anchor ropes and air hose reels and broke the cabin glass windows, Vuong said, adding that they then searched the ship and took away an Icom system, a sounder, a global positioning system, two coracles and more than 3,000 liters of oil.
The total loss is estimated at nearly VND400 million (US$1,920), Vuong said.
The second attack occured three hours later when the QNg 90153 TS was operating nearby, also in Vietnam’s territory.
40-year-old Mai Van Cuong, the captain of the boat, said, They jumped into our boat and destroyed the air hose reels, beat fisheremen with cudgels, and took away an Icom system, a sounder, a global positioning system, and more than two tons of fish.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy head of the Ly Son Border Guard Station, said that the station is varifying the reports from fishermen and will report the incidents to superiors.
Through examination, it has been confirmed that the two boats have been damaged. Many fishermen still have signs of physical abuse on their bodies as well, the official said.
Tuoi Tre/Tuoi Tre News