Date 10 May–15 July 2014 | ||
 | ||
Location 22 Vietnamese provinces, notably in Bình Dương, Cần Thơ, Đồng Nai, Hà Tĩnh, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Saigon, Thái Bình, Haikou, Sanya and other Chinese cities closer to Vietnam.Overseas in major cities with large Vietnamese communities, including:Australia: MelbourneCanada: Montreal, TorontoItaly: Milan, RomeFrance: ParisGermany: Berlin, FrankfurtJapan: TokyoUSA: Los Angeles, Houston, Orange County, San Diego, San Jose, Washington D.C., UK: LondonHong Kong: Hong Kong Causes China deployed an oil rig in a disputed section between the two country. Methods Worldwide protests, riots in various locations in Vietnam | ||
2014 Vietnam anti-China protest was a series of anti-China protests followed by unrests and riots across Vietnam in May 2014 in response to China deploying an oil rig in a disputed region of the South China Sea.
Contents
- Timeline
- Binh Duong Dong Nai riots
- Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Mill riot
- Reactions
- Casualties
- H Tnh
- Bnh Dng
- References
Although the China oil rig was used as the rallying event, several of the early organizers have stated that they organized the protests to complain about government repression of free speech and government collaboration with China, and that using the oil rig as the stated cause of the protests was done in an attempt to prevent governmental backlash.
In Bình Dương Province, which was the province most heavily affected by the protests, out of 351 factories that were damaged, looted, or destroyed, only fourteen were owned by Chinese corporations.
Timeline
Binh Duong-Dong Nai riots
Bình Dương and Đồng Nai provinces are highly industrialized, both have a dense concentration of foreign-invested industrial parks. Anti-China demonstrations here quickly developed into a full scale worker riot, where factories were looted, smashed or burnt. Swarms of rioters on motorbikes mistakenly targeting South Korean, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Japanese and Singaporean businesses as Chinese and vandalized them.
Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Mill riot
The Formosa Ha Tinh Steel company and associated port facilities in Vung Ang, Hà Tĩnh Province in central Vietnam, 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Hanoi, is operated by the Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics Group, one of the largest foreign investors in Vietnam. The complex employs more than 2,600 foreign workers, among them more than 1,500 are Chinese nationals. Friction arose between locals and foreign workers and clashes broke out sporadically. In 2013, a Taiwanese accountant were stabbed to death in one such clash.
On May 11, a 1,000 strong group of workers and locals formed an anti-China parade that turned into riot. The mob stormed the steel mill, lit fires at the furnace and several buildings and hunted down the Chinese workers. At least one Chinese worker was killed and 90 are injured.
Reactions
Initially, Hanoi lauded the "patriotic" displays by its citizens, but reversed after the violence turned badly citing the country's image being stained as a safe destination for sorely needed foreign investment. After hundreds of people have been arrested in the following crackdown the Vietnamese prime minister, Nguyễn Tấn Dũng stated The Vietnamese government has … contained the acts of law infringement and [will] strictly punish violators in accordance with the law. As a result, the situation has become totally stable. The enterprises' business and production have come back to normal, he added.
After the sentenced of two men to prison the Chinese government called for further investigation, strict punishment and compensation. The Vietnamese government said it would assist riot-hit companies with tax breaks, rent waivers and lines of credit.
Casualties
On May 21, the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed that four people were killed and more than 100 others injured in the violence a week before.
Hà Tĩnh
On May 15, Reuters reported that More than 20 dead as anti-China riots spread in Vietnam. According to the report, about 100 people were injured and sent to the hospital due to the violence in the night of 14th. A doctor in central Hà Tĩnh Province said that five Vietnamese workers and 16 other people described as Chinese were killed on Wednesday night in rioting.
Central News Agency (Republic of China) confirmed that clash between Chinese and Vietnamese workers and locals at the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Mill had resulted in the death of Chinese worker.
Bình Dương
On May 15, a dead body was found in a burnt down Taiwanese factory and confirmed as a Chinese member of staff.