•Publication Date：05/14/2014
•Source： Taiwan Today
The recent riot in Bihn Duong province, southern Vietnam, is a matter of great concern, ROC Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin said May 14 at a news conference in Taipei City.
The ministry condemns the violence and urges the Vietnamese government to take swift and effective action to restore order and protect the safety and personal property of ROC nationals, Lin said.
Lin also called on the people of Vietnam to exercise self-restraint and refrain from taking irrational actions that might jeopardize the long and friendly relations between the two countries.
According to Lin, the ministry has expressed its concern to Bui Trong Van, Vietnam representative to the ROC. He said authorities in Vietnam have made assurances that the riot was not aimed at the government or people of Taiwan.
Lin said the ministry and ROC Representative to Vietnam Huang Chih-peng are keeping a close eye on developments, adding that an official from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ho Chi Minh City was dispatched to Bihn Duong yesterday to offer assistance to Taiwan businesses operating in the region.
The recent riot is believed to have been triggered by the movement of a mainland Chinese drilling rig into waters near the Xisha (Paracel) Islands in the South China Sea. Hundreds of protestors took to the streets May 11 and the next day, a street march in Bihn Duong erupted into rioting.
Several factories owned by Taiwanese were damaged as protestors mistook them for facilities operated by mainland Chinese.
The ministry has issued a yellow travel advisory for Bihn Duong, the third highest level on its four-level alert system, and cautioned ROC nationals traveling in the region to pay special attention to their safety.
