Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Dung on May 13 rejected kidnapping and piracy charges against 10 Vietnamese sailors arrested by South African special forces off Cape Town recently.
In reply to queries from journalists about the fate of the arrested fishermen who may be on trial on these charges, Dung said Vietnam has received information that some Vietnamese sailors working on board the trawler Balena, operating off the South African coast already asked their Taiwanese boss to bring them ashore and let them return home since they were subject to extremely harsh working conditions and ill treatment they were receiving. They are simply victims and there is no reason whatsoever to take these victims to court on charges of kidnapping and piracy.
According to Dung, the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa has sent representatives to Cape Town for consular contact and meeting with South African authorities.
He said the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry has instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa to work with the local authorities and hold an open investigation while ensuring that the case is tried in a fair manner in line with international law to protect the legitimate rights of the Vietnamese fishermen.
VNA/VOVNews