Vietnam asks China to release fishermen

Jun 27, 2009, 4:16 GMT

   Hanoi - Vietnam has requested China release two fishing boats and crew seized by Chinese patrols near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, state media reported Friday.

   Vietnamese government spokesman Le Dung said Thursday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had requested China immediately release its fishermen and their vessels, and cease all operations at sea which impedes Vietnamese fishing.

   Dung said Chinese patrols seized three boats and 37 crewmen from the central province of Quang Ngai on June 21. He called the action 'a clear violation' of Vietnam's sovereignty and maritime rights.

   The state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper reported 25 out of 37 fishermen and one vessel had been released after being forced to pay a fine of 210,000 renminbi (30,000 dollars) for violating China's fishing ban.

   The Thanh Nien newspaper quoted vessel captain Nguyen Chi Thanhas saying Chinese authorities were demanding fines be paid for the release of the other crewmen and two vessels.

   China officially imposed the ban on May 16, in effect until August 1, to prevent overfishing. But the area is a huge exclusive economic zone surrounding the Spratly and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea that has long been disputed by Vietnam and China, as well as other countries in the region.

   Tensions over sovereignty in the South China Sea have risen since a May 13 deadline for countries to submit territorial claims to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Beijing rejected submissions by Malaysia, Vietnam and other countries as violating its own claims in the area.