Vietnam Complaints of Physical Abuse of Fishermen by China

Vietnam accused Chinese authorities on Wednesday of beating its fishermen and called for harsh punishment for the people involved in the incident.

Vietnam said that two Chinese speed boards intercepted a Vietnamese boat  fishing near Paracel islands on Aug. 15.  The Chinese personal on the speed boat got in to the Vietnamese boat and beat the fisherman. They also confiscated their property and vandalized the boat, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said, reports the Associated Press.

Vietnam also accused China of intimidating two Vietnamese fishing boats on two different occasions in early August and it has lodged a complaint with the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi.

"Vietnam requests China investigates and strictly handles the acts by Chinese authorities, not to repeat the acts and to compensate Vietnamese fishermen fairly," Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said, reports Reuters.

He also said that the Chinese actions violated Vietnam's sovereignty.

However, China has countered Vietnam's accusation saying that th Vietnamese fishing boats used explosives to fish in disputed waters. The Chinese personnel took control of the boat to take possession of the explosives, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

"We urge the Vietnamese side to use effective measures to strengthen the education and management of their fishermen, and stop illegal fishing activities in the waters around the Xisha islands," Hua said, reports Reuters.

Xisha is the Chinese name for Paracel islands.

Relations between the two countries worsened following the deployment of a Chinese oil rig near the Paracel Islands. Vietnam claims that the area is its exclusive economic zone.

The development set off riots and clashes between the Vietnam and Chinese workers in Vietnam.