On July 19th, a map exhibition and record publication called “Paracel and Spratly Islands Belong to Vietnam – The Historical And Legal Evidences” was held by Ministry of Information and Communication and Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee. That was an important media event to once again prove Vietnam’s ownership on Paracel and Spratly Islands. The event lasted from July 19th to July 23rd at Dong Nai Provincial Museum.
Delegates doing the event inauguration
Deputy Head of Central Propaganda Committee – Mr. Vo Van Phuong; Deputy Secretary of Provincial Committee – Mr. Tran Van Tu; Head of Provincial Propaganda Committee – Mr. Dang Manh Trung; Deputy Chairwoman of Provincial People’s Committee – Ms. Nguyen Hoa Hiep; Head of Department of Fundamental Information, Ministry of Information and Community – Mr. Doan Cong Huynh; representatives of Provincial Departments and Offices, Army Forces, Union Youths and Provincial resident took part in the event.
More awareness and responsibility
Speaking at the event, Mr. Doan Cong Huynh highlighted that in the current complicated situation on the East Sea. The map exhibition and record publication of historical and legal evidences to prove Vietnam’s ownership on Paracel and Spratly Islands shall raise the awareness and responsibility in claiming our territory in every officials and resident and shall be the priority for long term implementation. The event were one special form of the Fundamental Information activity to directly broadcast the information to Vietnamese people who live either in or apart from the homeland and especially to the youths; thereby strengthened our unity, awareness and responsibility in protecting and claiming the national maritime sovereignty.
Deputy Chairwoman Nguyen Hoa Hiep representatively receiving the map and report from Representative of Ministry of Information and Community.
According to the organizers, the event was held to state Vietnam sovereignty on Paracel and Spratly Islands base on the records such as: maps, historical writing, publications and images; and at the same time stated Vietnam’s justified viewpoint; promoted the unity, awareness and responsibility in both Vietnamese who live in the country and oversea in protecting and claiming the sacred maritime sovereignty. Besides, the event shall help the other countries to understand Vietnam legitimate aspiration in maintaining stability and peace. Also, through the event, all officials, Party members and resident shall raise their responsibility and awareness of how important the maritime sovereignty is, in order to have better managing, organizing and exploiting our maritime resources efficiently and stably. Being the 43rd province to hold the event, Dong Nai had prepared thoroughly the propagation plan to broadcast the value of the event throughout the people. Deputy Chairwoman Nguyen Hoa Hiep urged all levels of officials, staffs, workers and resident of the province to support the event the best they could together with all people of the nation to raise the spirit and responsibility in claiming and protecting our sacred maritime sovereignty.
Delegates taking part in the exhibition
Having shown up at the exhibition at the really early time, Ms. Huynh Ngoc Thuy – a resident in Long Khanh town, said: “For a long time, we have been updating the news from the East Sea, especially the news about striving and protecting our national maritime sovereignty. Now having the chance to see these valuable documents, I have a more objective view, share better awareness and responsibility with the other people of the nation in claiming the national maritime sovereignty.” Ms. Le Thi Be Lieu – a Bien Hoa Union Youth, wanted to broadcast the value of the exhibition to all Union members in the province and at the same time, tried to study and work harder as a peaceful contribution to the maritime sovereignty protecting campaign. The valuable documents at the exhibition also strengthened the spirit of the soldiers who were out there on the islands, directly protecting the maritime sovereignty. Sub-lieutenant Nguyen Hoang Phuc – Information and Propagation Unit, Marine Police Headquarter No. 3 shared: “Having directly maintained the communication for the taskforce ships at sea, I recognized how valuable the document in the exhibition was. It helped strengthen the spirit and faith of each soldier who have been day and night protecting our sacred maritime sovereignty. This is also a chance for us to strengthen our unity and determinations in protecting our maritime sovereignty”.
A musical performance at the opening ceremony
In one of the event activities, over 250 leaders, managers and people who work directly in communication including leaders, experts in culture and information departments and units, district radio stations, reporters, journalists, editors and provincial newspapers had taken part in the maritime propagation training course in the afternoon of July 18th at Dong Nai Hotel. The purpose of the course was to provide propagation information and knowledge following the orientation of Central Party and the policies of the Government; to show the proper way of using specialize terms, juridical ideas which are regulated in Vietnam Laws and International Laws. At the course, candidates listened to 2 theses about “East Sea Dispute Situation, the Undertakings and Strategies from Central Party and the Government” by Lieutenant General Nguyen Thanh Tuan – Head of Propaganda and Training Department, General Department of Politic and National Army of Vietnam and “International Historical Writing and Ancient Maps that Prove Vietnam’s Ownerships on Paracel and Spratly Islands” by Dr. Tran Duc Anh Son – Deputy Head of Da Nang Institute of Studying and Economic Development.
Historical and Legal Evidences
Previously, on July 18th morning, The Organizers held a press conference to provide the main content and planning of the exhibition in Dong Nai. Mr. Nguyen Van Tao – Deputy Head of Department of Fundamental Information, Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC), said that from June – 2013 until now, MIC had been ordered by the Prime Minister to cooperate with relating Departments and localities and chair the exhibition called “Paracel and Spratly Island Belong to Vietnam – Historical and Legal Evidences” based on the relating national and international data collected so far which was appraised by the National Appraisal Board. So far, MIC has held 62 exhibitions in 42 provinces, cities, islands… and 10 Army Units. According to the plan, from now on to 2017, MIC shall continue cooperating to hold more exhibitions in the remaining provinces. The exhibitions shall also be held in other countries such as France, Russia, the U.S., Czech… together with foreign affair information and propagation activities.
Pupils enjoying the exhibition
According to the Organizers, there were 4 forms of document exhibition: ancient maps, photos, researches and publications from Vietnam as well as the other countries. The document used at the exhibition was from various resources collected by national and international agencies, individuals, researchers, learners through many years with high historical and legal value; proving that Vietnam since the feudalism age had had explored and established executed and protected the sovereignty on Paracel and Spratly Islands. That sovereignty was executed consecutively and peacefully over hundreds of year and was recognized in many national and international historical documents, especially those records and maps that were made and published from the 16th century to present. From the historical data storage with many documents, relics, publications and nearly 100 maps, the exhibition focused on reflecting Vietnam’s sovereignty executing process on Paracel and Spratly Islands. Thereby, the viewers can understand the rooted history of Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty; and at the same time, confirm that Vietnamese through ages have been inheriting, conserving and protecting their maritime sovereignty.
Officials and soldiers seeing the documents at the exhibition
After the exhibition, all of the documents shall be handed over to Provincial People’s Committee to propagate more to all people in the near future. Representative of MIC also recommended all relating Departments to be the advisors for the Provincial People’s Committee in planning to propagate the documents in each department. Director of Department of Information and Communication – Mr. Nguyen Minh Hung said that the exhibition had great preparation with rigid cooperation from relating agencies to maximize the propaganda effectiveness. The province also facilitated all Unions in each department in registering to enjoy the exhibition. After the handover, Department of Information and Communication shall give the planning advice to the province so that the exhibition can be held in each provincial locality. If the visitor to each exhibition were too crowded, the advice shall be made to extend the exhibition time so that people can have more time to enjoy the exhibition.
The navies enjoying the exhibition
Union Youths enjoying the exhibition
