Thông Cáo Báo Chí: Vv: Phản Đối Nhà Cầm Quyền Trung Cộng Xâm Lăng Biển Đảo Việt Nam

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Press Release The Federation of Vietnamese Catholic Media

Re: Protesting Chinese Invasion of Vietnam’s Territorial Sea and Islands.

Australia, April 23, 2020.

WHEREAS

Taking advantage of the situation in which most countries around the world are struggling to cope with: the horrific coronavirus pandemic that many governments are pointing fingers at the Chinese authorities as the culprit, China in recent days has blatantly been steamrolling their relentless intent to encroach on Vietnamese territorial integrity, most significantly by asserting its claims on Hoang Sa and Truong Sa- widely known as Paracel and Spratly Islands.

THEREFORE

Before the international community, the Federation of the Vietnamese Catholic Media, in solidarity with the worldwide Vietnamese Community, protests and strongly condemns Chinese Invasion of the Vietnamese territorial sea and islands, an action we see as an attempt to carry out step by step an annexation of our entire homeland in Vietnam.

WE RECOGNIZE

1. Hoang Sa & Truong Sa islands are parts of our homeland and have been under the administration of the People of Vietnam for many thousands of years. This sovereignty has been passing down by Vietnamese Ancestors to generations of Vietnamese People.

2. In 1974 the Communist Chinese government had deployed forces to invade and occupy the Paracel Islands which were then being under the control of the Republic of Vietnam.

3. In the following years, the Chinese Communists continued to encroach more islands in the Spratly Islands of our homeland Vietnam.

4. Since then, the Chinese Communists have continuously been consolidating, renovating, building facilities, organizing civil activities, and proceeded to set up administrative units to legalize and manage their encroachment.

5. Furthermore, on April 18, 2020, the Chinese Communist Party officially announced its decision to establish what is called Sansha City within “Xisha District” on Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands) of Vietnam, and “Nansha District” on Truong Sa (Spratly Islands) of Vietnam.

Despite efforts by Vietnamese Communist authorities to suppress and prevent, massive protests in our homeland, and around the world in recent years by the Vietnamese people have resonated messages of determination to resist the Chinese Communists’ aggression, expose to the world the truth about Communist China, the eternal enemies of peace-loving Vietnamese.

The coronavirus pandemic that the world is facing, has infected nearly 2.5 million people, causing more than 170,000 deaths worldwide, crippling livelihoods and business in major cities, shows us how China is capable of being the agent causing instability not only for Vietnam, Southeast Asia but also for the whole world.

The Federation of Vietnamese Catholic Media fully supports protests of peaceful, rightful protests of the Vietnamese compatriots at home and in diaspora in accordance with the international laws. Empowered by our faith in Our Lady of Perpetual Help’s intercession, and our resolving mentality brought by our ancestors’ spirit, The Federation of Vietnamese Catholic Media demands from both the Chinese and Vietnamese Communist authorities the followings:

1) The Chinese Communist government must immediately cease its encroachment of the Vietnamese territorial sea and islands as happening in Paracel and Spratly Islands of the Vietnamese People.

2) The Vietnamese Communist government must return to the Vietnamese People the right to self-determination and being the true governor of their homeland of Vietnam.

3) The Vietnamese Communist government must respect human rights and religious freedom in accordance with the United Nations’ Charter.

With complete trust in God, we are in communion, sharing, and accompanying the entire Vietnamese People in this painful situation.

We call on all Governments, National Assemblies, Religious Leaders of all religions, political parties of all nations, Human Rights organizations, Amnesty International, the International Commission on Human Rights, and all International organizations to pay special attention to and intervene, to oppose and discourage the intention of the Chinese Communist government to invade the Vietnamese territorial sea and islands in the Paracel and Spratly Islands incident. Meanwhile, we ask that you require the Vietnamese authorities to return to its People the Freedom to Religion and Human Rights in Vietnam.

Please walk beside us in the fight for the territorial sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Vietnamese People, and fight for Independence, Freedom, Human Rights, and Religious Freedom in Vietnam.

Thank you and May God bless you all

Australia, April 23, 2020.

O/B of The Federation of Vietnamese Catholic Mass Media

Rev. John Tran Cong Nghi, Director of VietCatholic News Agency

Rev. Anthony Nguyen Huu Quang, Director of God’s People Magazine, Australian publications

Rev. Stephane Bui Thuong Luu, Director of God’s People Magazine, European publications

Rev. Paul Van Chi Chu, Assistant Director of VietCatholic News Agency

Mr. Nguyen Long Thao, Assistant Director of VietCatholic News Agency