China, Vietnam Dig In Over Oil Rig Feud
Bangkok: The dangerous stand-off over an oil rig in a disputed area of the South China Sea has pushed Vietnamese authorities to crack down on fierce anti-China protests and forcibly break up small demonstrations in two cities.
Witnesses in southern Ho Chi Minh City said police dragged away several demonstrators from a park in the city centre.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung ordered an end to all “illegal protests” amid expectations of more anti-China unrest in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, as Vietnam and China feuded over the placement over a $US1 billion ($1.06 billion) Chinese oil rig in the South China Sea.
China, meanwhile, had evacuated more than 3000 of its nationals via flights and was sending five ships to evacuate more, the state-run Xinhua news service reported on Sunday.
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It was not immediately clear if Vietnam would allow the Chinese rescue ships to dock, given continuing skirmishes between the two countries.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/china-vietnam-dig-in-over-oil-rig-feud-20140518-zrgce.html#ixzz326qkLupG