Deputy Foreign Minister: The killers of two Vietnamese sailors must be punished

TIN LIÊN QUAN
	Vietnam’s foreign ministry confirms citizen death in Philippines’s Abu Sayyaf attacks
	Philippines requested to verify reports on killing of Vietnamese sailors

Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Hong Nam.

Can you tell us more about the sailors that were kidnapped and murdered by Abu Sayyaf, and Vietnam’s reaction to the tragedy?

On the morning of July 5, as soon as we received information regarding two victims suspected to be Vietnamese that were murdered the night before in Barangay Tumahubong, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) summoned the Representatives of the Philippine Embassy in Ha Noi. At the same time, Vietnam’s Embassy in the Philippines had contacted local authorities for their cooperation in preserving the bodies and verifying the identities of the victims.

On the afternoon of July 5, the bodies of the victims were transferred to a hospital in Zamboanga by the Philippine army and formal identification procedures were performed. At 21:30 on July 6, we were deeply saddened to announce that the victims were indeed Vietnamese citizens: Hoang Trung Thong and Hoang Van Hai, two sailors from the “Royal 16” ship who had been kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in November 2016.

Immediately after receiving confirmation, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, as well as his anger at the brutal and inhumane killing of two Vietnamese citizens by the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group. The Prime Minister said that those responsible for the murder of the two sailors must be punished. He also called on the international community to work together to fight against terrorism.

Once again, the MoFA strongly condemns the killing of Vietnamese citizens by the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group. We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hope that they will soon overcome this tragedy.

Can you tell us how the authorities will support the families of the victims?

First of all, we will help with arrangements for funeral services as soon as possible. However, the Zamboanga area is in a state of martial law, meaning that access is difficult. Thanks to the support of the Philippine authorities, representatives from the Embassy of Vietnam in the Philippines have been able to be present during the transportation and preservation of the victims’ bodies. We are continuing to coordinate with the Philippine authorities to assist victims' families in completing legal procedures and preparing to bring the remains of the victims back to Vietnam for burial, according to the families’ wishes.

At the same time, we will continue to demand that the Philippine authorities ensure the safety of Vietnamese citizens. Until now, Philippine authorities have been trying their best to meet our demands. On June 22, Hoang Vo, a Vietnamese sailor from the “Royal 16” who was also abducted in November 2016, was rescued by the Philippine army and returned to Vietnam. He is now recovering well.

We also recommend that ship owners and management firms that have vessels crossing potentially dangerous waters apply strict measures on avoiding pirates as recommended by international and Vietnamese authorities, especially the latest recommendations by the Vietnam Maritime Administration.

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