THE SPRATLY ISLANDS DISPUTE
On Monday, June 28, 1999, Hanoi Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh declared that "Vietnam's stance is that all disputes over the Hoang Sa (Paracels) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in the East Sea (or South China Sea) must go through negotiations for a fundamental and long-term solution."
Ms Thanh's statement came after the reports that Malaysia had occupied two more reefs in the Truong Sa islands. She stressed that "Vietnam has sufficient historical and legal evidence to affirm its sovereignty over the two island groups of the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. Therefore, any countries that encroach upon these islands would constitute a violation of Vietnam's sovereignty."
The dispute really began long time ago, before 1954. At the time, only the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) were maintaining their military presence in the Spratly Islands. Though South Vietnam and Taiwan were anti-Communist allies, they quietly stationed infantry units on the two large islands without challenging each other.
The Paracel Islands case was different. The RVN had an infantry company on the Paracels since before 1954 until 1974. During this period, a South Vietnam business company was processing the huge source of guano on the Paracels for fertilizer.
During the Vietnam War, the two archipelagoes were safe from Communist attacks. On January 17, 1974, nearly a year after the Paris Agreement was signed, Beijing sent its ships to occupy the Paracels after the South Vietnamese Navy and Army troops, though fighting heroically, were defeated by the Chinese invaders.
Meanwhile, Hanoi did not mutter a single word about the Chinese invasion. The Vietnam top Communist leaders kept totally silent because they had supported Beijing claim on the Paracel and the Spratly Islands.
The following is extracted from "Hoang Sa 1974 Sea Battle" <vietquoc/vietnamtoday/war>
In June 1956, two years after Ho-Chi-Minh formed his new North Vietnam government, Ung-Van-Khiem, Deputy Foreign Minister of North Vietnam government told Li-Zhimin, Charge d'affaires of the China Embassy in Hanoi that: "According to Vietnam document, Xisha (Hoang-Sa or Paracel Islands), and Nansha (Truong-Sa or Spratly Islands) are Chinese historical lands." [sic]
On April 9,1958, the China communist government declared their territorial waters is 12 nautical miles, applied to all China territory, including Dongsha, Xisha (Hoang-Sa or Paracel Islands), Zhongsha, Nansha (Truong-Sa or Spratly Islands). Ten days later, Pham-Van-Dong, the then Prime Minister of the North Vietnam sent an official message to Chou-En-Lai, Prime Minister of China to confirm that "the Democratic Republic of Vietnam government recognizes and supports the proclamation of the People Republic of China government on April 9, 1958."
In 1977, Pham-Van-Dong, answering a question about his official message to China Prime Minister Chou-En-Lai, said that "During war time, I had no other choice except that deal."
Nguyen-Manh-Cam, Hanoi Foreign Minister also admitted: "The previous statement from our government about the Paracel and Spratly Islands based on the following fact: At that time, after the Geneva Agreement on Indochina, the territory below 17th parallel, including those two archipelagoes belonged to South Vietnam. Besides, during that period, North Vietnam had to concentrate highest efforts to fight the American war of aggression and to preserve independence. Therefore, we needed a lot of support from friends all over the world. The relationship between Vietnam and China at that time was very close, and we trusted each other. To Vietnam, China was the valuable and enormous sources of support. Based on that fact and urgent demands, the statement of our leadership (acknowledge and agree to the China claim on Paracel and Spratly Islands) was necessary because it directly served the fighting for independence and freedom of the country. Especially, it met the immediate necessity to keep the Americans from using those islands to attack us. That statement does not affect the historical and legitimate basis of Vietnam ownership of the Paracel and Spratly Islands." (Press conference in Hanoi, January 10, 1992, released by Vietnam News Agency on March 12, 1992).
Hanoi is unable to deny its official statements. Its denial could be valid only if it honestly acknowledges the illegal basis of its message to Chou En Lai in 1959, because its government had no authority over islands south of the 17th Parallel at the time.
The 1959 message would serve as a solid evidence for the China side. Therefore, Hanoi is not willing to file any complaint at any international judiciary institution. The only party that could provide undeniable evidence against China concerning the dispute to assert Vietnam possession o the two archipelagoes could have been the now-defunct government of the Republic of Vietnam.
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