Fishing Disputes Turning Deadlier

Khmer Times/Jack Laurenson

Wednesday, 23 September 2015

SIHANOUKVILLE (Khmer Times) – Vietnam has accused Thailand of violating international law after the shooting of four Vietnamese fishermen, one of whom was killed, by Thai maritime police in the Gulf of Thailand. 

According to reports in Vietnamese media, the deadly attack took place on September 11 – with details emerging only recently – in waters off the southern province of Kien Gian, which borders  Kampot province.

The latest episode in the ongoing three-way confrontation between Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam over maritime borders and fishing rights reportedly took place around disputed, overlapping maritime areas in the Gulf. 

Observers speculated Cambodians could have been responsible when Vietnamese media reports ambiguously blamed “an unidentified foreign ship” at first, but authorities later clarified that the fishermen had been attacked by a Thai vessel. 

Detailed reports of the incident didn’t emerge until the following week and resulted in strong condemnations from Vietnamese officials, who labelled it a violation of international law. 

Reports and witness testimony stated that several Vietnamese fishing boats “fled” when approached by a Thai police boat.

Thai police are reported to have ordered the Vietnamese vessels to stop, saying “if not, we will shoot you to death” before opening fire with machine guns, killing one and wounding three.

Thai maritime police chief, Major General Yeesakhorn, told Reuters that his officers “acted in self-defence” and “only fired warning shots.”

“We had no intention of killing anyone,” he claimed. 

Thai forces are additionally accused of leaving the scene of the shooting, offering no assistance to dead and wounded fishermen and firing upon multiple unarmed fishing boats as they fled. 

Tensions Rising in Gulf

In Hanoi last Thursday, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Le Hai Binh, stated that the Vietnamese government “strongly condemned” the incident and was “demanding” that Thailand investigate the attacks.  

On the brink of a diplomatic incident, Thailand’s Interpol Director this week assured that Thai authorities were seriously looking into the incident, establishing a special taskforce for the investigation. 

In Cambodian coastal waters meanwhile, there have been semi-regular clashes in recent months between Khmer fishing crews and Vietnamese vessels, which has resulted in the controversial death of at least one Khmer. 

In July, 42-year-old Dul Ey Youb, was allegedly battered to death by Vietnamese fishermen in a clash off the coast, which authorities have been accused of failing to investigate.

Fishing communities continue to call on officials to aid them in their fight against illegal encroachment by foreign trawlers, who are accused of using banned methods such as 100m long electrified nets to harvest fish and shrimp. 

Despite Kampot’s provincial governor, Kuoy Khun Hour, having reportedly previously told fishermen in Kampot that they should “share” their waters with Vietnamese fishermen, authorities now say they’re  cracking down. 

Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng this month pledged to install an anti-corruption squad on the coast.