At the opening ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games held on the evening of December 9, the Organizing Committee of the host country Thailand used a special map simulation method of regional countries. However, in the display of Vietnam's map, the projection image lacks the Hoang Sa archipelago, Truong Sa as well as Phu Quoc island of Vietnam.
At the regular press conference of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the afternoon of December 11, responding to the press's request for comment on this issue, Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said that Vietnamese authorities have been working with the Organizing Committee of the 33rd SEA Games of Thailand on errors in showing the map of Vietnam at the opening ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games.
"Once again, Vietnam affirms the unquestioned sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos under international law" - Ms. Pham Thu Hang emphasized.
Also at the regular press conference of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the afternoon of December 11, Ms. Pham Thu Hang answered questions from the press about protecting Vietnamese citizens in the Thai - Cambodian border area.
Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said: Regarding the border situation between Cambodia and Thailand, on December 9, Vietnamese representative agencies in the two countries advised citizens to consider areas with complicated security developments, proactively leave dangerous areas to ensure the safety of people and property.
Representative agencies also request citizens to comply with regulations and instructions of local authorities and maintain regular contact with Vietnamese representative agencies in Cambodia and Thailand.
According to the latest information from Vietnamese representative agencies in Thailand and Cambodia, most Vietnamese citizens in the area have been evacuated to a safe place, away from the conflict and in accordance with the instructions of the local government, said Ms. Hang.
In response to current developments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has coordinated with relevant agencies to closely assess the situation, and at the same time directed Vietnamese representative agencies at the local level to closely monitor and proactively contact local authorities and Vietnamese community focal points to grasp information and be ready to deploy necessary citizen protection plans.
