(VOVworld) – The Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations on Monday issued a statement strongly protesting China’s illegal placement of an oil rig in Vietnamese waters.

People in Hanoi held a meeting to protest China’s illegal actions. (Photo: Nhu Y)

In the statement the union said that it, along with other organizations of Vietnamese intellectuals, denounces China’s illegal act and demands that China immediately withdraw its rig and escort ships from Vietnamese waters, refrain from similar acts in the future, and strictly abide by international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.  The union called on its Chinese and ASEAN counterparts to add their voices to protest in the interest of justice and international law.