Dr Nguyen Toan Thang from the Hanoi Law University says Vietnam has the right to sue China for violating its sovereignty in the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
He says Vietnam has sufficient legal basis to assert that Haiyang Shiyou-981 has been placed deep inside its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. It can sue China in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
China’s illegal placement of the oil rig and its provocative attitude towards Vietnam is a clear violation of international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS. Accordingly, China violates Vietnam’s sovereign right and jurisdiction in its exclusive economic zone. Its action runs counter to the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).
Dr Nguyen Thi Thuan from the Hanoi Law University says China makes a thorough preparation for its sovereign ambition scheme, but evidence it gives is fabricated.