Vietnam protest to China

Press, 28 December 1978, Page 6

Vietnam protest to China

NZPA-Reuter Hong Kong

Vietnam has lodged a strong protest with China demanding the release of four border guards whom it said were “kidnapped” along their common border last Saturday, the Vietnam News Agency reports. In a strongly-worded Foreign Ministry Note to the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam also protested against what it described as “recent Chinese provocations” in its northern Cao

Lang province, according to the news agency. V.NA. says the Note was sent to the Chinese counsellor in Hanoi (Mr Lu Ming) by Mr Nguyen Tien, director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Chinese Affairs.

The Note repeated the charge first made on Monday that intruding Chinese troops had “captured and carried off” four Vietnamese border guards who had been “ambushed” while on patrol. It said that before with-i drawing the Chinese force

had “attacked with machinegun fire” a Vietnamese search party, and “traces of clothing spattered with blood were left in the grass leading off into China.” The Note demanded that the Chinese authorities release the four Vietnamese

border guards kidnapped on December 23, that they refrain from all acts of encroachment on Vietnam’s territorial sovereignty, and from al! armed provocations. Peking also issued its ! third protest this month to Vietnam last Sunday against

an alleged Vietnamese-pro-voked border incident on Saturday in which Vietnamese armed intruders were accused of killing and wounding nine Chinese militiamen and civilians. The Chinese Note said the militia had been forced to fight back, and had killed “three invaders.” Hanoi also said that the two Notes issued by Peking on Sunday had been issued “to cover up this crime ; while slandering Vietnam i and hiding the truth from Ithe public.”