Torpedo With Chinese Marking Found Afloat on Vietnam's Sea

According to the report of the event, on the 10 April, at 10 o'clock, the fishing vessel QNg 98688-TS belonging to Nguyen Thanh (born in 1971, from Pho Thanh, Duc Pho, Quang Ngai province) with six crew members and another vessel QNg-90170 with five members (the two vessels were fishing together) returned to Gianh estuary (Quang Phuc village, Quang Trach, Quang Binh province) to sell their catches.

After the regulatory checking, the control checkpoint of Lach estuary (Border guards post at the Gianh port), has discovered that onboard there is a torpedo-shape metal object so they start carry out a full checking and report back to the command of the post for instructions.

Mandatory Initial Report
After being informed by the Lach estuary checkpoint guards, the border post's command immediately reported to the Quang Binh province border guards' command asking for instructions and set up a task force under the command of Major Nguyen Xuan Phu, deputy chief of the post to guard the scene and draw up the mandatory initial report of the whole event as required by the law.

According to the statements of the captain and crew members of the vessel GNg 98688 TS given to the relevant authority, around 0900 on the 30 March 2010, at the coordinates of 16º 30'00" N - 108º 15'00" E (of Quang Tri sea waters), their vessel was heading to the southwest direction when they saw the object. The captain has ordered the crew to hoist up the object on deck with the vessel's crane. Afterwards, together with vessel QNg 90170 TS, they continued their fishing operations until 10 April then returned to Gianh estuary where they were discovered and apprehended. Along the process, the crew has removed three screws at the head of the object.

Revealing Chinese Markings
Upon discovery of the event, the border guards post of Gianh Port has ordered the vessel to anchor at the open sea and keep a safe distance from other vessels and inhabited areas. Preliminary checking has revealed that it is a metallic object 7.03 meter long, 1.70 meter in circumference with three wings on its tail and composed of seven segments (five on the body, one on the head and one on the tail) weighing seven tons; the body was painted yellow, the head and tail red with the marking H/EZ01A-0401-01 and many Chinese characters printed on the body part.

On the 10 April, a task force from the Military command of Quang Trach district led by senior lieutenant Tran Manh Loi (engineer corps support) came to the scene but could not make any conclusion.

Then, on 13 April, another task force of the Fourth Military Region led by Colonel Tran Van Son (deputy chief of engineering section) together with Junior colonel Vo Anh The (Chief of the Engineer corps of the Quang Binh military command) and Major Nguyen Viet Hung (Chief of Port 313 of the Navy) came to the place for the checking. After concluding that it is a torpedo manufactured by foreign country, they reported to the Ministry of Defense for further instructions.

In the afternoon of 14 April, the Center for bombs and mines handling of the Engineer Corps comprising of Major Luu Ngoc Quang (deputy head of Section 2) and Mr. Le Thom (mines handling advisor) arrived at the scene.

On the 15 April, at the office of Navy port 313, representatives of the command post of Gianh Port border guards, Military command of Quang Binh province, Third Navy Region and the Center for bombs and mines handling have all concluded that the relevant object is a foreign made torpedo with Chinese identification markings commissioned to naval forces. They finally decided to let the Third Region Navy to handle this torpedo. The torpedo now is guarded and waiting for further action.

China Seizes Vietnamese Fishing Vessel
Duong Nhat, vice chairman of the people's committee of An Hai village, Ly Son island district (Quang Ngai) on the 18 April informed that the fishing vessel QNg-66478 TS belonging to Mr. Mai Phung Luu (Tay commune, An Hai village) together with nine other fishermen, while fishing in the area of Da Loi island (Hoang Sa - Spratly archipelago of Vietnam) was captured by Chinese naval forces on 14 April. The Chinese side also demanded the families of the fishermen to pay RMB 70,000 for ransom for the people and the vessel. The Border guards at Post 328 Ly Son has reported to the Command of Quang Ngai border guards and requested intervention to protect fishermen.

Concerning the fishing vessel QNg-50362 TS and the twelve fishermen of Binh Son district (Quang Ngai) captured by the Chinese while operating in the waters of Hoang Sa archipelago on 22 March and asked for a ransom of RMB 70,000, Nguyen Thi Buoi (Binh Chau village, Binh Son District), wife of the captain and owner of the vessel, informed that the families of the twelve captured fishermen are very worried about the fate of their kins as they did have any news of them for almost one month already.