2014 Vietnam anti-China protests

2014 Vietnam anti-China protest

Vietnamese protesters in Hanoi, May 11, 2014
Date 10 May–15 July 2014
Location

22 Vietnamese provinces, notably in Bình Dương, Cần Thơ, Đồng Nai, Hà Tĩnh, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Saigon, Thái Bình, Haikou, Sanya and other Chinese cities closer to Vietnam.

Overseas in major cities with large Vietnamese communities, including:
Australia: Melbourne
Canada: Montreal, Toronto
Italy: Milan, Rome
France: Paris
Germany: Berlin, Frankfurt
Japan: Tokyo
USA: Los Angeles, Houston, Orange County, San Diego, San Jose, Washington D.C., UK: London
Hong Kong: Hong Kong
Causes China deployed an oil rig in a disputed section between the two country.
Methods Worldwide protests, riots in various locations in Vietnam
Casualties
3 deaths confirmed by Vietnam
4 deaths confirmed by China
21 deaths reported by doctors[1]
100 injured[1]
More than 1,000 arrested[2]

2014 Vietnam anti-China protest was a series of anti-China protests followed by unrests and riots across Vietnam in May 2014 in response to China deploying an oil rig in a disputed region of the South China Sea.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Although the China oil rig was used as the rallying event, several of the early organizers have stated that they organized the protests to complain about government repression of free speech and government collaboration with China, and that using the oil rig as the stated cause of the protests was done in an attempt to prevent governmental backlash.[10]

In Bình Dương Province, which was the province most heavily affected by the protests, out of 351 factories that were damaged, looted, or destroyed, only fourteen were owned by Chinese corporations.[11]

Background

Timeline

[23]

Binh Duong-Dong Nai riots

Bình Dương and Đồng Nai provinces are highly industrialized, both have a dense concentration of foreign-invested industrial parks. Anti-China demonstrations here quickly developed into a full scale worker riot, where factories were looted, smashed or burnt. Swarms of rioters on motorbikes mistakenly targeting South Korean, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Japanese and Singaporean businesses as Chinese and vandalized them.

Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Mill riot

The Formosa Ha Tinh Steel company and associated port facilities in Vung Ang, Hà Tĩnh Province in central Vietnam, 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Hanoi, is operated by the Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics Group, one of the largest foreign investors in Vietnam. The complex employs more than 2,600 foreign workers, among them more than 1,500 are Chinese nationals. Friction arose between locals and foreign workers and clashes broke out sporadically.[25] In 2013, a Taiwanese accountant were stabbed to death in one such clash.[26]

On May 11, a 1,000 strong group of workers and locals formed an anti-China parade that turned into riot. The mob stormed the steel mill, lit fires at the furnace and several buildings and hunted down the Chinese workers. At least one Chinese worker was killed and 90 are injured.[27]

Reactions

Initially, Hanoi lauded the "patriotic" displays by its citizens, but reversed after the violence turned badly citing the country's image being stained as a safe destination for sorely needed foreign investment. After hundreds of people have been arrested in the following crackdown the Vietnamese prime minister, Nguyễn Tấn Dũng stated The Vietnamese government has … contained the acts of law infringement and [will] strictly punish violators in accordance with the law. As a result, the situation has become totally stable. The enterprises' business and production have come back to normal, he added.[28]

After the sentenced of two men to prison the Chinese government called for further investigation, strict punishment and compensation. The Vietnamese government said it would assist riot-hit companies with tax breaks, rent waivers and lines of credit.[22]

Casualties

On May 21, the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed that four people were killed and more than 100 others injured in the violence a week before.[30][28]

Hà Tĩnh

On May 15, Reuters reported that More than 20 dead as anti-China riots spread in Vietnam. According to the report, about 100 people were injured and sent to the hospital due to the violence in the night of 14th. A doctor in central Hà Tĩnh Province said that five Vietnamese workers and 16 other people described as Chinese were killed on Wednesday night in rioting.[31]

Central News Agency (Republic of China) confirmed that clash between Chinese and Vietnamese workers and locals at the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Mill had resulted in the death of Chinese worker.[32]

Bình Dương

On May 15, a dead body was found in a burnt down Taiwanese factory and confirmed as a Chinese member of staff.[32]

References

  1. 1 2 Kate Hodal, Jonathan Kaiman (15 May 2014). "At least 21 dead in Vietnam anti-China protests over oil rig". The Guardian.
  2. "Anti-China protests continue in Vietnam, over 1,000 arrested | Kyodo News".
  3. "Vietnam-China tensions: One dead in Taiwan mill protest". 2014-05-15.
  4. "Factories Torched in Anti-China Protest in Vietnam".
  5. "Anti-Chinese Violence Convulses Vietnam, Pitting Laborers Against Laborers". The New York Times. 2014-05-15.
  6. "Factories burned in anti-China protest in Vietnam". Washington Post. 2014-05-14.
  7. "Protestors torch factories in southern Vietnam as China protests escalate". CNN.
  8. "Vietnamese protesters target Chinese embassy". CNN.
  9. "Vietnam anti-China protest: Factories burnt". BBC. 2014-05-14.
  10. "Behind Vietnam's Anti-China Riots, a Tinderbox of Wider Grievances". Wall Street Journal.
  11. "Just 14 factories targeted in Vietnam's anti-China protests belonged to mainland Chinese". South China Morning Post.
  12. "Vietnam's PM calls for end to anti-China protests - The Washington Post".
  13. "Hơn 1.000 người bị bắt trong cuộc biểu tình quá khích - VnExpress".
  14. "Nhiều kẻ kích động công nhân trong cuộc biểu tình phản đối Trung Quốc - VnExpress".
  15. "Hàng nghìn người xô xát ở khu kinh tế Vũng Áng - VnExpress".
  16. "Vietnam-China tensions: One dead in Taiwan mill protest".
  17. "Công nhân dàn hàng bảo vệ nhà máy khỏi bị kích động phá hoại - VnExpress".
  18. "Filipinos, Vietnamese join anti-China street protest".
  19. "Vietnamese woman dies in self-immolation protest against China | World news | theguardian.com".
  20. Vietnamese stage small anti-China protest in Hong Kong Adam Rose, Reuters, May 25, 2014
  21. A Vietnamese demonstration in Malmö 2014. Sweden: Jabir Al Fatah. 2014. Event occurs at 2:12. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  22. 1 2 Vietnam jails two over anti-China riots Australia News Network , May 26, 2014
  23. Video shows Vietnam fishing boat sink after collision with Chinese vessel Reuters, June 5, 2014
  24. China moves Vietnam row oil rig Nga Pham, BBC News, July 16, 2014
  25. "Tuổi Trẻ Online - Việc làm Online".
  26. "Ra ngõ gặp… người Trung Quốc! - Kinh doanh - Dân trí".
  27. "Riots in Vietnam leave 1 Chinese dead, 90 injured".
  28. 1 2 "Vietnam detains hundreds after riots targeting Chinese businesses" The Guardian, May 22, 2014
  29. "Taiwan condemns violent protest in Vietnam"
  30. "Chinese firm says Vietnam riot killed four employees" South China Morning Post, May 21, 2014
  31. "Up to 21 dead, doctor says, as anti-China riots spread in Vietnam". Reuters. 2014-05-15.
  32. 1 2 越南反華暴動 台廠2陸幹死亡 (in Chinese). 中央社. 2014-05-15. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
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