Thousands of overseas Vietnamese in Germany protest against China in East Sea

The march took place from 3pm to 7pm on April 9^th with the participation of thousands of overseas Vietnamese in Postdamer Platz Square in the heart of Berlin. The presence of numerous journalists from major German media, along with Filipino and Indonesian reporters, and the support of international friends along the march represent the spirit of peace, justice-loving and resolute prevention of illegal actions by China in the East Sea.

At the ceremony, representative of the overseas Vietnamese community from across Germany and representative of the Filipino Association in Germany delivered their speeches assessing recent tense developments in the East Sea where artificial islands were built and islands militarized which belonged to Vietnam’s Truong Sa and Hoang Sa Archipelagos, as well as the HD981 rig being brought to the gate of Tonkin Gulf, where the two countries are currently conducting delimitation negotiations.

Representatives of the associations have called on China to immediately stop all activities that violate international laws, particularly the United Nations 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) to maintain stability and peace in the region. They also called on the German government and the international community to continue to strongly protest actions by China disregarding international law in the East Sea.

The organizers delivered more than 6,000 leaflets and maps in several languages to introduce to participants and international friends Vietnam's sovereignty over the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, as well as China’s provoking actions in the islands it occupied illegally.

The marchers stretched out for hundreds of meters, with the participation of many international and German friends on the route of more than three kilometers from Postdamer Platz Square to before the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. They held up banners like: "Determined to protect Vietnam's sovereignty", "Protesting China's invasion of Vietnam’s sea and islands", "Stop militarization in the East Sea", and "China withdraws from the East Sea ".

Mr. Alan Valdez, representing the Filipino community in Germany, confirmed that the desire of the Filipino people, like those of Vietnam, is peace and stability in the East Sea. This is the second time he and his friends in Germany have joined in the rally to express their solidarity with Vietnam and send a message to China to rightly stop the current provoking actions in the East Sea.

Many songs showing patriotism were sung to express the consensus and determination of overseas Vietnamese towards the Sea and islands of the homeland.