Lawyers oppose China’s sovereignty breach

The Chinese surveillance vessel no 84 violated Vietnam's sovereignty on May 26.

The Vietnam Bar Federation (VBF) Sunday  issued a statement to oppose China’s violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction rights over its continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.
In its statement, the VBF asked the Chinese side not to make the East Sea situation more complicated by threatening to use forces or using forces, and to conduct itself in line with the role as a member of the United Nations, especially a member of the UN Security Council and in capacity of a nation with important role in Asia-Pacific and the world.
According to the Vietnam Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson and concern agencies, on May 26, three Chinese marine surveillance vessels cut surveying cables of Binh Minh 02, a surveying ship of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group at 12 degrees 48’25” north latitude and 111 degrees 26’48” east longitude, some 116 nautical miles off Dai Lanh cape in the central coastal province of Phu Yen and about 340 nautical miles off China’s Hainan island coast.
On late May 31, three Chinese naval vessels fired to threaten four fishing boats of Vietnamese fishermen while they were fishing at 8 degrees 56’ north latitude and 112 degrees 45’ east longitude on the continental shelf of Vietnam.
On June 9, a Chinese fishing boat supported by two Chinese fishery administration vessels deliberately hit the survey cables of Viking II, a ship hired by the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group to conduct seismic surveys, at 6 degrees 47’5” north latitude and 109 degrees 17’5” east longitude on Vietnam’s continental shelf.
Based on the UN Charter, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties on the East Sea between governments of ASEAN countries and China, China’s above-mentioned acts seriously violated Vietnam’s the sovereignty and jurisdiction rights to its continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, making the East Sea situation continue to be tense.
The VBF has enough legal basis to announce that the acts of the Chinese side seriously violated fundamental principles of international laws – not threatening to use forces or using forces in international relations to fight the territorial integrity or political independence of any nation.
The acts also seriously violated the sovereignty and jurisdiction rights of Vietnam to its continental shelf and exclusive economic zone according to Article 55, Article 56 and Article 57, Article 76, Article 77 and Article 301 in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and went against clause 1 and clause 4 in the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea between ASEAN member countries and China.
The federation demanded the Chinese side, for the strategic height and long-term relationship between Vietnam and China, to immediately stop and not repeat any violating actions within Vietnam ’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone in the East Sea and to take responsibility for paying damages caused to the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group and the Vietnamese fishermen.
The group always treasures and wants the friendship as well as the traditional cooperation between the two peoples and bar organizations to be further promoted in the spirit of respecting independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of each other, jointly dealing with differences between the two countries by peaceful means, preventing and opposing actions that harm peaceful and friendly relations between the two countries.
It requested the national bar organizations of ASEAN countries, the Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA) and the China Bar Association to jointly bear responsibility for protecting justice, international law, respecting independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, maintaining peace and international security, jointly building a democratic, fair and civilized world.
The federation will do its utmost to contribute to the legal fight of the Vietnamese State and people to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity in general and seas and islands in particular in every forums by international legal institutions.

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Posted in: Asia,China,Politics,Vietnam

Vietnam in live-fire drill amid South China Sea row

Vietnam is holding live-fire drills in the South China Sea amid high tensions with China over disputed waters.

Anti-China demonstrations have been held in Hanoi for a second weekend in a row

A Vietnamese naval officer said the "routine" drills were being held about 40km (25 miles) off central Quang Nam province, outside the disputed area.
The second stage of the exercise will be held at night; shipping has been warned to stay clear of the area.
Chinese state media denounced the exercises as a military show of force to defy Beijing.
The drills are taking place within days of an escalation in the long-standing maritime border dispute between China and Vietnam.
The South China Sea includes important shipping routes and may contain rich oil and gas deposits.
Vietnam last month accused China of cutting the exploration cables of an oil survey ship. In a similar incident last week it said a Chinese fishing boat had "intentionally rammed" the exploration cables of another of its boats.
China said that its fishing boats were chased away by armed Vietnamese ships in the incident last Thursday.
The fishing net of one of the Chinese boats became tangled with the cables of an Vietnamese oil exploring vessel, which was operating illegally in the area, and was dragged for more than an hour before it was cut free, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
China accused Vietnam of "gravely violating" its sovereignty and warned it to stop "all invasive activities".
'Official sanction' The BBC's Southeast Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey says that military drills are not usually given such advance public prominence and the timing is extremely sensitive.
A Vietnamese naval officer said the "routine annual training" exercises have "nothing to do with the recent incidents involving China".
The first part of the nine-hour drill is being held around the uninhabited island of Hon Ong - well within Vietnamese territorial waters.
A second phase of live firing lasting about six hours will be staged at night, officials said.
China has not commented officially on the naval exercises, but a newspaper controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, the Global Times, said the drills were "a military show of force to defy Beijing".
Demonstrations have been held in Hanoi for the second weekend in a row, calling for China to get out of Vietnam's territorial waters.
Demonstrations are not usually tolerated in Communist Vietnam, but the authorities appear to be allowing protests related to the South China Sea dispute, our correspondent says.
China is engaged in maritime border disputes with several countries.
The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have rival claims in the area. The US has also expressed concern about China's rising naval ambitions.

source BBC

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Posted in: Asia,China,Politics,Vietnam

China accuses Vietnam in South China Sea row

China has accused Vietnam of "gravely violating" its sovereignty in an escalating row over disputed waters in the South China Sea.

Beijing said Vietnam had endangered Chinese sailors' lives and warned it to stop "all invasive activities".

It follows an accusation by Vietnam that a Chinese fishing boat rammed cables from an oil exploration vessel inside its exclusive economic zone.

China is engaged in maritime border disputes with several countries.

Both China and the US have increased naval drills in the Asian region

The South China Sea includes important shipping routes and may contain rich oil and gas deposits.

The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have rival claims in the area; China's claim is by far the largest.

The US has also expressed concern about China's rising naval ambitions.

Escalating dispute

China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Chinese fishing boats were chased away by armed Vietnamese ships on Thursday.

He said that during the incident the fishing net of one of the Chinese boats became tangled with the cables of a Vietnamese oil exploring vessel which continued to drag the Chinese vessel for more than an hour before the net had to be cut.

Hackers have taken up where protesters left off

China insists the Vietnamese vessel was operating illegally in the area.

"By conducting unlawful oil and gas surveys in seas around the Wanan Bank of the Spratly archipelago and by driving out a Chinese fishing vessel, Vietnam has gravely violated China's sovereignty and maritime rights," said Mr Hong.

"China demands that Vietnam cease all violations," he said, adding that Vietnam should "not take actions that would complicate and expand the dispute".

Beijing's strong-worded statement followed Vietnam's accusation that a Chinese fishing boat had "intentionally rammed" the exploration cables of a Vietnamese boat - the second such incident in two weeks.

That vessel, chartered by state energy giant PetroVietnam, was conducting a seismic survey inside its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone on Thursday, said foreign ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga.

She described the "premeditated and carefully calculated" attack as part of China's attempts to control disputed waters.

"This is unacceptable to Vietnam," she said, adding that her colleagues had met Chinese embassy officials "to express our opposition to such acts".

On Thursday, hackers from both countries planted patriotic messages on hundreds of websites, including government sites.

It follows anti-China protests by hundreds of Vietnamese over the weekend.

Seeking resolution

China's ambassador to the Philippines, Liu Jianchao, has insisted China's intentions were peaceful and said that China was not looking for oil in the disputed waters and, therefore, no other country should.

"We're calling on other parties to stop searching for the possibility of exploiting resources in these areas where China has its claims," he told reporters.

"We will never use force unless we are attacked," he said.

The Philippine government has accused two Chinese patrol boats of harassing a Philippine oil exploration ship on 2 March this year.

The Philippines has said it has seen new structures being built on islands which it claims.

"That's part of our exercise of jurisdiction. It's not harassment," Mr Liu said.

He also rejected the involvement of the United States in regional attempts to resolve the long-running territorial dispute.

China prefers to tackle each conflicting claim with each country separately.

Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines have led regional efforts to seek a multilateral resolution of the conflict.

Source BBC

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Posted in: China,Politics,Vietnam

President Obama hails 'special relationship' at banquet

 US President Barack Obama has hailed his country's "special relationship" with the UK in a speech delivered at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

He thanked the UK for its solidarity since 9/11 and in tackling the security threats that have followed.

President Obama said he was honoured to be in Britain to reaffirm enduring bonds

He also paid tribute to the UK's military forces for "standing shoulder to shoulder with the US for decades".
The banquet was hosted by the Queen and attended by royalty, politicians and film stars.
It came at the end of a packed first day of the president's state visit.
The banquet was attended by all three main political leaders, Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband, as well as former prime ministers Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Sir John Major.
Other famous names seated around the horseshoe-shaped table included former athlete and politician Lord Coe, actors Tom Hanks and Kevin Spacey, actress Helena Bonham Carter, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson and London Mayor Boris Johnson.
The 170 or so guests dined on new season lamb, roast potatoes and a vanilla charlotte, accompanied by vintage champagne.

The Queen opened proceedings by telling Mr Obama and his wife Michelle that she was "so glad" they were visiting the UK again.

She said: "I firmly believe that the strength of our links and many shared interests will continue to ensure that, when the US and the UK stand together, our people and other people of goodwill around the world will be more secure and can become more prosperous."
She proposed a toast to "celebrate the tried, tested - and, yes, special relationship between our two countries".
The president then told the guests: "As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I'm particular grateful for the solidarity that the United Kingdom has shown to America over the past decade.
"From that day to this you have been our closest partner in the struggle to protect our people from terrorism attacks and violent extremism from around the world despite very heavy sacrifices here."
To conclude, the president proposed a toast to the Queen, but there appeared to be a mistake as the band played the opening bars to God Save the Queen before he had finished.
The Obamas arrived in London on Monday night from the Republic of Ireland, a day ahead of schedule because of the threat of disruption from the volcanic ash cloud.
On Tuesday, the president and his wife joined the Queen at Buckingham Palace where they briefly met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge before moving to the palace gardens for a ceremonial welcome, including a 41-gun salute.
The presidential pair's visit to Westminster Abbey included an impromptu meeting with choirboys, when Mr Obama was teased by his wife for his lack of singing talent.
Mr Obama briefly met the prime minister in Downing Street ahead of talks on Wednesday. They then left together for a surprise visit to the Globe Academy in Southwark, south London, where they teamed up for a table tennis match against schoolboys.
The leaders' talks on Wednesday are likely to focus on the Middle East and the ongoing conflict in Libya.
The day's itinerary will also include a barbecue at Number 10 with British and American military veterans and a speech about US foreign policy to MPs before a return banquet at Winfield House, where the Queen will formally say farewell.
In a joint article in the Times on Tuesday, Mr Obama and Mr Cameron said of their countries' relationship: "Ours is not just a special relationship, it is an essential relationship - for us and for the world.
"When the United States and Britain stand together, our people and people around the world can become more secure and more prosperous.

The president and prime minister played table tennis during a surprise visit to a south London academy

"The reason it thrives is because it advances our common interests and shared values. It is a perfect alignment of what we both need and what we both believe."
They also vowed not to abandon the protesters fighting for democracy in Arab countries, writing that they would "stand with those who want to bring light into dark, support those who seek freedom in place of repression, aid those laying the building blocks of democracy".
"We will not stand by as their aspirations get crushed in a hail of bombs, bullets and mortar fire.
"We are reluctant to use force, but when our interests and values come together, we know we have a responsibility to act."

 BBC

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Posted in: Politics,Society,USA

Insurance firm Bao Minh sued for denying $4.1 mln claim

Workers of the Dung Quat Shipbuilding Industry Company

Vietnamese insurance company Bao Minh has been sued by a local shipbuilder for allegedly denying an insurance claim of US$4.1 million for damages caused by a storm in 2009,VnExpress reported Saturday.

According to the Dung Quat Shipbuilding Industry Company (DQS), a unit of state-owned oil and gas group PetroVietnam, the companies signed a two-year contract in 2006 under which the shipbuilder was required to pay a total premium of VND4.7 billion ($228,700) to have a business project covered.
The contract stipulated that DQS had to pay half of the premium, or around VND2.4 billion, within the first 15 days. The rest of the money would be paid on the project completion.
DQS, however, paid only VND2 billion. But it noted that during the two-year term of the contract, Bao Minh never issued any document to end the contract on ground that the shipbuilder failed to hold up its end.
When the contract expired in December 2008, DQS was still working on the project to build an oil tanker of 100,000 tons. As a result, it agreed to an additional premium fee of VND2.5 billion to have the contract extended through February 2010.
During this extension period, on September 28, 2009, a major storm hit the central region and caused damage to the ship. The loss was valued by assessment company Matthews Daniel at around $4.1 million, VnExpressreported.
DQS insisted that the claim was covered under the policy, but Bao Minh denied it, arguing that its client did not fulfill the payment obligation in the first place.
“Under the Insurance Law, when the client did not pay the premium fees, the insurer has the right to deny a claim,” an unnamed official of Bao Minh said, adding that DQS can bring the case to court.
Nguyen Ngoc Tuyen, a representative of DQS, told VnExpress that Bao Minh was wrong when refusing to cover the damages. Even if his company was behind on its payments, the insurer never said anything about ending the contract, he said.
“If Bao Minh wanted to end the contract because of the late payment, why did they agree to extend it for another year?” he asked.
Tuyen added that the claim of $4.1 million cannot hurt Bao Minh’s business because, at the end, it was foreign insurers who would have to pay for most of it. “I think Bao Minh would only have to pay no more than VND5 million.”
The People’s Court in the central province of Quang Ngai is still processing the case. No trial date has been announced.

Source: Thanh Nien

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Posted in: Business,Society,Vietnam

Vietnam may disclose foreign reserves data in 2012: report

Vietnam, which has kept the precise level of its foreign reserves undisclosed, may publicize the data regularly next year via its national statistics office, VnExpressreported.

Vietnam’s foreign exchange reserves last year dropped 12 percent, ADB said

The General Statistics Office in Hanoi has announced a new national statistical indicator system which has 76 additional indicators, including statistics on money supply, credit, interest rate, budget deficit, government debts and foreign reserves.
The foreign reserves data will be calculated from foreign currency holdings at the central bank, deposits and loans to other countries, and the special drawing rights holdings – an interest-bearing asset created by the International Monetary Fund, news website VnExpress said.
Around half of the brand-new indicators will be announced this year while the rest, including that of foreign reserves, will be publicized later.
Central Bank Governor Nguyen Van Giau said at the Asian Development Bank’s annual meeting in Hanoi last week that the State Bank was considering the disclosure of national foreign exchange reserves, a policy already adopted by many other central banks. But he noted that such a plan needs to be approved by the government.
International institutions like IMF and ADB regularly announce the data for Vietnam. Vietnamese officials at times mention the forex reserves, but they often just comment on whether the level is safe.
Vietnam’s foreign exchange reserves last year dropped 12 percent from 2009 to US$12.4 billion, ADB said in its Asian Development Outlook 2011 April report. The country’s reserves were enough to cover 1.9 months of imports at the end of 2010, the Manila-based bank said.

Source: Thanh Nien 

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Posted in: Asia,Business,Society,Vietnam

Vietnam in prostitution crackdown

Vietnam has unveiled a five-year multi-million-dollar crackdown on prostitution, which is widespread but considered a "social evil" in the country.

The plan aims to reduce prostitution by an initial 40 percent by 2015, the government said in a statement on its website dated Thursday.

With a budget of 629 billion dong ($30 million), the program "looks to free communes and towns from prostitution and minimize harms of this social issue on society," it said.

Investigations, job training for former sex workers and public awareness are among the measures the government said will be taken to battle prostitution, which is illegal.

Local media have reported estimates of 30,000-40,000 prostitutes nationwide, and the industry has continued to flourish despite previous campaigns against it.

tuoitrenews.vn

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Posted in: Asia,Society,Vietnam

IMF chief Strauss-Kahn undergoing tests over sex charge

IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has consented to a medical examination over allegations of serious sexual assault.

Mr Strauss-Kahn, who was arrested on Saturday, denies charges of attacking and attempting to rape a hotel maid.

He had been due to appear in court in New York on Sunday but the hearing was postponed until Monday to allow the forensic tests to be carried out.

The former French finance minister is also considered a possible Socialist candidate for the presidency.

He had been scheduled to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday in Berlin and then attend an EU finance ministers' meeting in Brussels on Monday on bailouts for Portugal and Greece.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

I do not believe for one second the accusations brought against my husband”

Anne SinclairWife of Mr Strauss-Kahn

William Taylor, defence lawyer: "He denies any wrongdoing"

Correspondents say he has been central to efforts to stabilise the finances of struggling eurozone member states and his detention is likely to complicate the process.

The Euro fell half a cent to $1.4063 when Asian markets opened on Monday - a six-week low against the dollar - reflecting concerns about the impact the arrest could have on bailouts plans for Portugal and Greece.

Mr Strauss-Kahn - often referred to in France simply as DSK - was detained at JFK airport on Saturday night as he prepared to fly to Europe.

He is believed to have been in New York on personal business. He does not have diplomatic immunity, a New York police spokesman said.

The 62-year-old was kept overnight in a special unit for sexual harassment in New York's Harlem borough. On Sunday he was charged with a "criminal sexual act, unlawful imprisonment, and attempted rape".

Police say the 32-year-old woman who made the allegations has formally identified him in a line-up.

Mr Strauss-Kahn's clothing will be tested for DNA traces, the New York Times reported.

'International conspiracy'

Speaking outside court in Manhattan, lawyer William Taylor said Mr Strauss-Kahn had "willingly consented to a scientific and forensic examination", adding that he was "tired but fine".

A second lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said his client "intends to vigorously defend these charges and he denies any wrongdoing".

Mr Strauss-Kahn's wife, prominent French journalist Anne Sinclair, has also said she believes he is innocent.

"I do not believe for one second the accusations brought against my husband," she said in a statement sent to the AFP news agency on Sunday.

The BBC's David Chazan says there has been a mixed reaction to the arrest in France, with some people seeing it as a national humiliation but others suggesting that he might have been set up by his political opponents.

Mr Strauss-Kahn was widely expected to announce his intention to run for the French presidency soon, and was seen as having a genuine chance of beating President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Paris regional councillor Michelle Sabban told AFP: "I am convinced it is an international conspiracy... This is a new form of political assassination."

Socialist legislator Jean-Marie Le Guen said: "The facts as they were reported today have nothing to do with the Dominique Strauss-Kahn whom we know."

Career damaged

Meanwhile, a centre-right opponent of Mr Strauss-Kahn's, Dominique Paille, said if the allegations were true, it would be "an historic moment, but in the negative sense, for French political life".

"I hope that everyone respects the presumption of innocence. I cannot manage to believe this affair," he told French TV.

But the leader of the National Front party, Marine Le Pen, said Mr Strauss-Kahn had been "definitively discredited".

Mr Strauss-Kahn has won praise for his stewardship of the IMF, which he has guided through difficult times including the recent world financial crisis.

The IMF said John Lipsky would temporarily take over Mr Strauss-Kahn's role

In 2008, he was criticised by the IMF board for an affair with a subordinate member of staff. The board said the affair had been consensual but reflected a "serious error of judgement".

John Lipsky has been appointed acting managing director of the IMF in his absence.

The fund's director of external relations, Caroline Atkinson, said the organisation remained "fully functioning and operational".

bbc

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Posted in: Society

HCMC taxi overcharges foreigners by 40 times

A Mai Linh taxi (for illustration purposes only)

Three Malaysians have fallen victim to a Mai Linh taxi scam in Ho Chi Minh City, paying VND6 million (US$300) for a ride that should have been VND150,000 (US$7.50).

One of the customers, Nasiniya Mohd Taib, said she and two friends took a taxi with a Mai Linh Taxi Group logo and the phone number 0839620620 on the side of the car from Ben Thanh Market to Tan Son Nhat Airport on the morning of May 10.

Upon arriving at the airport, the taxi driver charged them VND4 million (US$200) and 300 Malaysian ringgit (US$100), overcharging them by VND5.8 million ($US285).

Nguyen Tuan Sinh, head of Mai Linh Taxi Group’s labor union, said he went to Ben Thanh Market after the incident was reported to him and found the car was a scam taxi operating under Mai Linh’s name.

When Sinh and his officers found the car, which has license plate number 52V-0160, they tried to take photos but the driver attacked them.

Nguyen Ngoc Hieu, head of Mai Linh Taxi Group’s subsidiary Communist Party Committee, said taxi scams are not new and there have been numerous cases where drivers use the Mai Linh name to trick customers.

A representative for Mai Linh said scam taxi’s using Mai Linh’s name usually frequent Ben Thanh Market, Bach Dang Port and the Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Mai Linh said they have asked the authorities for a solution, but the scam taxis still exist.

The company advised its customers to pay close attention to the driver’s uniform, the logo and the phone number on the cab in order to avoid the ploy.

Recently, there have been an increasing number of scam taxis in HCMC reported by foreign customers.

tuoitrenews.vn

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Posted in: Asia,Society,Tour in Vietnam,Vietnam

NATO Bombs Strike Tripoli; Rebels Advance in Misrata

A Libyan rebel fighter shouts slogans as he welcomes comrades heading towards the front line outside the Libyan eastern city Ajdabiya on May 10, 2011.

NATO bombings shook the Libyan capital Tuesday, as rebels claimed to have pushed government forces further away from the besieged port city of Misrata.

The alliance says airstrikes in Tripoli targeted a military command and control facility run by pro-government forces.  Residents said one of the bombs hit a building used by Libya's military intelligence agency.

NATO officials again denied they are targeting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, but one strike sent up smoke from what appeared to be Mr. Gadhafi's compound.

In Misrata, a rebel military spokesman said opposition forces have pushed government troops back about 15 kilometers from the city as opposition fighters advanced to the town of Dafniya.  Colonel Ahmed Bani also said rebels had dislodged pro-Gadhafi forces from around the airport after two days of heavy fighting.

In eastern Libya, rebels reported advances between the towns of Ajdabiya and Brega.

In another boost to the opposition, the U.S. State Department said the first load of non-lethal American military aid for the rebels landed Tuesday in their stronghold of Benghazi.  The Associated Press quoted spokesman Mark Toner as saying the shipment consists of more than 10,000 meals, with further deliveries of medical supplies, boots and protective gear to arrive soon.

The shipment comes ahead of planned meetings in Washington this week between U.S. officials and senior members of Libya's opposition Transitional National Council.

voa

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Posted in: Politics,Society