The Vietnam Union of Geological Sciences (VUGS) and the Vietnam Cinematography Association (VCA) have strongly condemned China for the country’s illegal act of placing its Haiyang-Shiyou 981 oil rig in Vietnam’s waters. In a statement issued on June 12, VUGS claimed that China’s move seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereign right and jurisdiction in the East Sea and international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), of which both countries are members. This also runs counter to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) signed between China and ASEAN member nations in 2002 and agreements reached between the two states, and negatively impacts on their traditional friendship and cooperation, thus raising tensions and threatening peace, stability and navigation freedom in the East Sea, the statement stressed. (more…)