Chinese ships ram, damage VN vessel

A ship belonging to the Viet Nam Fishing Surveillance Department was deliberately rammed and seriously damaged .

HA NOI (VNS) — A ship belonging to the Vietnam Fishing Surveillance Department was deliberately rammed and seriously damaged by two Chinese ships illegally operating in Vietnamese waters yesterday.
The action continued China's flagrant violation of international law in placing an oil rig in Vietnamese seas and preventing the nation's vessels from engaging in their normal activities.
At 9:30 a.m., two Chinese tugboats 284 and 285 and a maritime patrol ship No. 11 blocked Vietnamese fishing surveillance ship KN-951 and steadied it on one side. The action allowed tugboat coded Xinhai 285 to ram the other side, seriously damaging the ship.

Chinese vessels continue to block Vietnamese ships near oil rig site

Chinese ships constantly followed and obstructed the law enforcement operations of Vietnamese fisheries surveillance authorities, coming as close as 30m from Vietnamese vessels.— Photo AFP

HA NOI (VNS) — Vietnamese fisheries surveillance ships as well as fishing boats refused to be cowed by Chinese aggression in the East Sea yesterday, persisting in asking that the illegally placed oil rig be moved out of Vietnamese waters.
The Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department said that China yesterday mobilised up to 137 ships, including five military ships, to protect oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 that it illegally stationed in Vietnamese waters.
At 06:40 and 08:13, Vietnam's law enforcement forces at sea also detected two Chinese reconnaissance aircraft operating at an altitude of 1,000m-2,000m in the west – southwest and the south – southwest areas, about 12-13 nautical miles from the rig's position.
Chinese ships constantly followed and obstructed the law enforcement operations of Vietnamese fisheries surveillance authorities, coming as close as 30m from Vietnamese vessels.
However, the Vietnamese fisheries surveillance vessels still retained their operations at about 10 – 12 nautical miles from the rig and conducted communication actions requesting the Chinese side to withdraw the rig and ships from Vietnamese waters.
The same day, about 54 Chinese fishing ships, supported by a coast guard ship (coded 46102), formed a line to block Vietnamese fishing boats from operating in their traditional fishing grounds, about 35-40 nautical miles from the rig.
However, the aggression could not stop Vietnamese fishermen from conducting their usual activities in the nation's sovereign waters.
Yesterday was a continuation of Chinese aggression in Vietnamese waters, including the firing of high-power water cannons and deliberate ramming of Vietnamese public-service and civil ships that has damaged many boats and injured many people on board.
Chinese ships have also continuously encircled, constrained and driven away Vietnamese fishing boats and even injured Vietnamese fishermen, threatening their lives.
Meanwhile, the US State Department has expressed concern over more Chinese rigs being placed in "disputed waters" in the East Sea.
Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a press conference in Washington on June 20 that the US State Department did not have enough information about the placement of the rigs and would withhold judgment.
"If a rig were placed in disputed waters, that would be a concern," she told reporters.
She said US has "a national interest in the maintenance of peace and stability in the region."
On the same day, US President Barack Obama and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key stressed the need for peaceful resolution of the East Sea dispute and called for steps to avoid the escalation of tensions.

Illegal acts

Vinh city - Sen village - Cửa Lò beach

Houses in Sen village
Neighboring houses of President Hồ Chí Minh
 in the early 20th century

Central Vietnam, 29 May to 1 June 2014 - We traveled by train from Hanoi to Vinh city and stayed a night there. I used to visit this city in the past, but it was just a day trip on business for submitting tender documents of my company. There was a place that I had not been to in Vietnam yet. It was the home village of President Hồ Chí Minh (1890 - 1969) which is 15km away from Vinh city. The purpose of our trip this time was to visit his home village and Cửa Lò beach.

On 30 May, we made a day trip to Sen village which was the place where President Hồ Chí Minh lived from 1901 to 1906 during his teenage. This is also the home village of his father. We walked around the village and visited an old well, houses of his neighbors, his house and museums.

Students from Sơn La province visiting Sen village
The girl wearing pink traditional dress and conical
hat on the right side was telling stories about
President Hồ Chí Minh and his childhood in
his home village. Other students are from Sơn La
 province in North West Vietnam.
Most of them are ethnic minority people.

The next village we visited was Trù village which is his mother's home village and also the place where President Hồ Chí Minh was born. We met a group of students from Sơn La province in North West Vietnam. They are from different ethnic minority groups and wore their colorful traditional dresses. The local guides shared touching stories about President Hồ Chí Minh's family and his childhood. We spent much time in Sen village as the two major sites were closed during the lunch time. We had to go back at 2pm for visiting them and by chance we met this group of students.

Another interesting experience on the trip was to visit Cửa Lò beach. This is a popular tourist destination for the northern Vietnamese during the summer time. The water was very warm and there were many jelly fish.

Súp lươn (Eel soup)
Eels are local specialty of Nghệ An province.

I got skin burns caused by jelly fish and it was really annoying. We took an electric car and went to Lan Châu island as well as fishing village and Mai Bảng temple. There was a festival at the temple and the local men invited us to join their party.

One of the highlights of our 4-day trip was to meet so many friendly people along the way. We also enjoyed local food made from eel which is local specialty of Nghệ An province. This place is still off the beaten path and we didn't see any foreign tourists during the visit.

Travel tips: It's easy to buy a train ticket between Hanoi and Vinh city. The train ride takes 7 hours during the day and ticket costs about USD 7-10 depending on hard seat or soft seat in aircon wagon.

Traveling to Vietnam for USD30 per day

We chose the $30 per person, per day number after personal experience and research. This budget will allow travelers to stay in private rooms all the time (usually in hostels/guesthouses), typically with air con and often with cable television (cable is often just a byproduct of the private, a/c rooms). This budget assumes you will take buses and trains from the north to the south (or vice versa).

Traveling around Vietnam can be extremely cheap. Extremely expensive. Or anywhere in between. Budget, bare-bones backpackers can probably get around on $10-$15USD per day or less. If you want to pamper yourself by staying in 5-star hotels and eating at the finest restaurants, you can blow through $150USD per day. Then there’s everything in between.

Street food is a great way to save on the budget, but don’t just eat there to save a buck.  Do it because it is delicious. $30US per day will afford you the opportunity to eat out often and drink some beers and cocktails as well, which always makes that budget number soar, even in a country like Vietnam. As far as activities, when we there in 2008, we didn’t say “No” to anything because of cost – we pretty much did what we wanted on our $30/person/day budget. Following is a breakdown of how you, too, can travel around Vietnam on $30 per day, and we’ll offer tips, advice, and practical information for those of you who want to do it on less and more than that.

Transportation

Getting in and around Vietnam is pretty easy, but you are in for some interesting times if you decide to overland it through Vietnam.

Getting in

 You can enter Vietnam by several different methods:

• Plane: If you fly into Vietnam, you’ll most likely be flying into either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If coming from another country in the region, check out AirAsia for the cheapest flights.
• Bus: If you are in Southeast Asia and traveling around the region, you may enter Vietnam by bus from China, Laos, or Cambodia. Make sure you know what you’re getting into before boarding a bus in another country as many journeys are long, uncomfortable, and unpleasant, especially if it involves an overnight trip.  These journeys, though often frustrating, can also be quite memorable with the people you meet and the stories you’ll have to tell.
• Boat:  You can travel to and from Vietnam to Cambodia via boat, and it’s an excellent way to cross the border.  Slow, relaxed, not nearly as cramped as a bus, and floating down the banks of the infamous Mekong is just a unique way to travel.
• Train: There are a few train crossings to and from China, including the long journey all the way from Beijing to Hanoi. Another interesting way to cross the border if you’re looking for something a little different than a bus or plane.

Note: Remember when entering Vietnam, make sure you have your visa situation all squared away before leaving. They don’t offer visas upon arrival, so take care of it at home or at an embassy before coming. If you are in the region before coming to Vietnam, Bangkok is a good place to get your visa, just be aware that you’ll have to part with your passport for a few days.

Getting around

 While not always the most comfortable or easy going, getting around Vietnam is really rather simple. Because of the small, narrow geography of the country, when most people travel around this country, they go either north to south or vice versa, starting in either Hanoi in the north or Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in the south.

• Bus: When you arrive in either Hanoi or Saigon and start wandering around the tourist areas, you’ll notice that you have two options when it comes to bus tickets:
  • A plethora of travel agents will be selling open jaw bus tickets. With these, you choose which cities you want to visit and purchase a ticket in either Hanoi or Saigon. Your ticket will then be covered the rest of your time in Vietnam. You don’t have to schedule the dates up front – you can figure that out once you get to a new city. One cool thing about these are that you can choose sleeper seats and always have a bed for those overnight journeys. Sleep isn’t too easy though as the drivers are a bit crazy and the horn will always be blaring, no matter what time of day or night. Another negative of this is that you have to go with one company for all the bus trips, so if you find out after the first leg that the particular company you chose is no good, you’re stuck with them.  These are generally cheaper than just buying one-way tickets, but the cost isn’t that vast of a difference if you want to have the freedom and flexibility of buying as you go.
  • Buying one-ways as you go is as simple as it sounds.  It can be a bit more expensive, and those with open jaw tickets will have priority, so it may take a bit more planning or you may have to wait an extra day to leave.
• Train: There are a few train journeys in Vietnam, but they are not as prevalent as buses and are more expensive. The comfort is better than a bus in most cases, and there are different classes of seats, each one going up in both comfort and price.
• Air: Checking AirAsia when you in the region is always your best bet, but you many want to check Vietnam Airlines or Jetstar Pacific as well if you are short on time.
• Motorbike:  For those with motorbike experience, a great way to see the country on your terms is to rent or buy a motorbike and take your own road trip. I wouldn’t recommend this for those who have never ridden one before or have limited experience, as the roads can be bad and the drivers worse. Exercise caution if choosing this method.
• Boat: There are also a few boat journeys available, particularly in the south on the Mekong. It’s a great change of pace. If going to or coming from Cambodia, look into the border crossing by boat – it’s a pretty awesome experience.

Transport costs

• Open jaw bus ticket:  They vary from company to company, but as an example, you can get a ticket from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) to Hanoi, with stops in Mui Ne, Da Lat, Nha Trang, and Hue for about $40USD/person (a sleeper ticket and more stops will add to the cost).
• One-way bus ticket:  A one-way bus ticket typically costs a bit more.  You can do the above journey for around $60-$80/person and possibly lower, depending on your negotiating skills.
• Train:  Trains on average cost about 1.5 to 2 times as much as a bus, but they are typically more comfortable, and you don’t have to worry about the poor road conditions.  Plus they have bathrooms.  And food on board and at stops.  Which can be huge on longer journeys.
• Air:  Airfare is always changing, as we all know, but I did find several one-way flights from Hanoi to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) for around $65USD on Vietnam Airlines.

Accommodation

When traveling in Southeast Asia, the sky’s the limit as far as how much or little comfort you want and money you want to spend.  You can get a bed in a hostel or guesthouse for as little as $5USD/night or you can spend hundreds on a room at a 5-star hotel and resort.  Then there’s  everything else in between. When my wife and I spent a  month in Vietnam in 2009, we averaged right around $15-20 per night on accommodations.  

But we always had a private room, had air conditioning the vast majority of the time, and even had cable television in many of our rooms.  Breakfast was often included as well.  We were extremely happy with our accommodation options. Obviously rooms and beds are more expensive in Hanoi and Saigon, but the further away you get from each and the smaller the town, the cheaper the sleeping arrangements. Here’s a price breakdown on what you can expect in Vietnam for accommodations:

• $5USD:  A bed in a dorm room with a fan (hopefully).  Shared bathrooms  They might not be the cleanest, quietest, or brightest, but you get what you pay for.  Spending $5 a night on your sleeping will leave you a lot of money to play with if you are going with the $30/day budget.
• $5-$10:  Spending just a bit more can often make a big difference.  Depending on the city, it may still be a dorm, but the bathroom should be private.  Rooms are often cleaner and nicer, and you may even get a/c if you get near the $10 range.
• $10-$20:  This is pretty standard for those who don’t want to go bare-bone and will get you nice room, especially near the $20/night range.  Expect a private room, most with air con, and often with a cable tv.
• $25+:  When you start getting above $25 and into the $40 and $50 range, you’re really stepping up.  Air con and cable are standard, as is internet (though we had internet most of the time in our $20-$25 rooms).  Everything should be spic and span, and you may even have amenities like a private balcony, large rooms, and even a pool.
• $50+:  This is when you are getting into hotel territory, especially when you reach $75 and $100/night.  Nice hotels, some world class.  Expect everything you would in a $200+ room in most western countries.

China towing second oil rig to East Vietnam Sea amid tensions

China has dispatched another oil rig, Nan Hai Jiu Hao, to the East Vietnam Sea after illegally placing the Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling platform in Vietnamese waters since May 1, despite strong protest from Vietnam.

>> Vietnam opposes China at UN conference over oil rig
>> Vietnam recognizes sovereignty steles in Truong Sa as national relics
>> Chinese ship rams, sinks Vietnamese fishing boat in Vietnam’s waters

In a notice on its website on June 17, the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) said the new rig would be towed between June 18 and 20 by a tugboat from its existing location, at 17°38' North latitude and 110°12.3' East longitude, to the new location at 17°14.1' North latitude and 109°31' East longitude in the East Vietnam Sea.

The new location is near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, a news website of Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television, ifeng.com, reported on June 18.

It is unknown how long the second rig, which is owned by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), will be placed in the East Vietnam Sea, according to ifeng.com.

As shown on the map, Nan Hai Jiu Hao is to be located in the area off the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin.

Vietnam and China are negotiating to fix a line to delineate the maritime boundary between the two countries in this gulf.   

Nan Hai Jiu Hao, a semi-submersible drilling rig, is 600 meters long and weighs 21,714 tons. It moves at four nautical miles per hour, the MSA said.

The towing of the second platform followed the visit of Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi who arrived in Vietnam on Wednesday to discuss the first rig issue and bilateral cooperation.

Yang left the country the same day after meeting with high-ranking Vietnamese officials in Hanoi.

At the talk with Yang yesterday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung affirmed that by placing the Haiyang Shiyou 981 rig in the Vietnamese waters around Hoang Sa, China has seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty and the agreements reached between leaders of both countries as well as broken international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC).

PM Dung requested that China remove its rig and escorting ships from Vietnam’s waters and join talks for the settlement of disputes and differences between the two countries by peaceful measures based on international law and the common perception of the two countries’ leaders.

Earlier the same day, at a meeting with the Chinese official, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh firmly asserted Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa as well as its sovereign right and jurisdiction over the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as defined by the 1982 UNCLOS to which both Vietnam and China are signatories.

The Deputy PM demanded that China withdraw its rig and guardian ships from Vietnam’s waters, control the situation to prevent conflicts, and join talks for the settlement of current tensions.

Source: TuoiTre News

Go Church in Kon Tum

Go (Wooden) Church in the city of Kon Tum in the Central Highlands of Vietnam is an ancient relic with unique architecture of high aesthetic value. With the glossy dark color of the wooden sculptures imbued with the local cultural identities, the church looks striking in the area.

«Chanh Toa Church, often called Go Church by the locals in Kon Tum, is located in the centre of the city. Its name originates from the materials used to build the church. At present, the church is preserved intact with its wooden architecture, patterns and overwhelming shiny dark brown color.                                          »

The city of Kon Tum is located in a small delta, formerly an administrative centre of the French in the Central Highlands so it drew many Catholic priests who came to popularize their religion for the locals. Go Church, with a total area of 700m², was built from 1913 to 1918 with a design by Decrouille, a French Catholic priest. The interior decorations of the church were made from precious wood and the bell tower, 20m high, has a Gothic architectural style that looks elegant and magnificent. Together with its floor which is 1m above the ground, the corridor running around the church shows the typical architecture of the Central Highlands’ house on stilts. The church is the harmonious mixture of Romantic architecture and the houses on stilts of the Bana ethnic people.

Chanh toa church, also called Go Church, is a unique architectural work  which is the pride of the locals in Kon Tum Province. The inner decorations of the church are from precious wood. The blend of Romantic architecture and the Central Highlands’ house on stilts gives the work high aesthetic value. The floor of the church is made from wood and is 1m above the ground. The bell tower, 20m high, has a Gothic architectural style that looks elegant and magnificent. Coloured glass pictures reproduce stories from the Bible. A painting inside the church. Rows of wooden pillars inside the church carved with diverse patterns.

Viet Nam condemns China at Law of the Sea meeting

• 

Vietnam News Agency reporters yesterday took this picture of a Chinese ship, one of more than 120 vessels that are protecting the oil rig illegally placed within Viet Nam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. — VNA/VNS Photo Khanh Hieu–Quang Vu

• Why China's claim to Paracels is not ‘undisputed'
• Paracels may not be China's goal

NEW YORK — Viet Nam has again asked China to withdraw its drilling rig and accompanying vessels from Vietnamese waters, Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations, has said.

Addressing the plenary session of the 24th meeting of states and parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in New York on Friday, Trung also demanded China settle disputes through negotiations and other peaceful means in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS.
As head of the Vietnamese delegation, the diplomat also called for continued attention by the international community, including UNCLOS members to the situation in the East Sea.
He also asked them to oppose unilateral acts that created tensions.
Trung asked for the international community's support against the use of force in the settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, including the UNCLOS 1982.