Information from Change and WildAid said that not only in Vietnam, the situation of hunting pangolin in the world is also very worrying, threatening the existence of this animal. In just 10 years, more than 1 million pangolins were illegally traded, making them the most trafficked mammal in the world. Vietnam plays an important role in the supply chain, always on the list of leading countries in the supply, import and consumption of pangolin products. The evidence is that only in 2019, Vietnam captured more than 8 tons of pangolin scales and became the world leader in the number of pangolin scales captured. Illegal hunting, trading and consumption of pangolins is always a hot issue for the wildlife conservation of the authorities. According to the WCS report, in the past three decades, Vietnam has lost about 80-90% of its pangolin population due to illegal hunting and consumption, despite Vietnam’s penalties of up to 15 years. imprisonment for these behaviors. There are 8 species of pangolin in the world, and all 8 species of pangolins are threatened with extinction by illegal hunting and trade. With the urge to act to protect pangolins, protect the country’s biodiversity, and bring the voice of the animal-loving community in Vietnam to the world, Quang Dang continues to accompany Minh Quan – My students contributed their efforts to the campaign through the charismatic dance “The pangolin is still the same”. The dance is not only invested in the content but also the costumes are carefully prepared. Sharing about the idea of ​​performing the dance, dancer Quang Dang said: “The images of the cute pangolins that I see are almost not in the wild, they appear in articles and launch. the: being locked up in cramped cages, injured, or even taken for life in frozen shipments … too heartbreaking. I don’t think too much, I just want to put what I want to say through the dance steps. Pangolins can’t speak, but we do. I believe that everything will have a positive change if everyone spreads together. A small change can also save a numb life. So if you can speak, can be shared, do it now. Or if you are not someone who can share through words, dance with me, give the message to more people by blowing soul into the dance. ” Clip pangolin dance choreographed and directed by dancer Quang Dang Within a few hours of its debut, this pangolin calling for protection quickly attracted the attention of many young people. Perhaps, never before has the public awareness of pangolin hunting, trading and consumption been expressed in such a creative way. WildAid is a non-profit organization with a mission to end the illegal wildlife trade. WildAid focuses primarily on minimizing the global demand and consumption for wildlife products, such as ivory, rhino horn and shark fin, through media campaigns and support for tightening regulations and strengthening law enforcement. With celebrity ambassadors and a global network of media partners, WildAid raises partner support with a media value of more than $ 230 million per year. with the simple message: “There are no buyers, no more killers”. Official information page: https://wildaidvietnam.org/ Change under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) is a Vietnamese non-governmental organization with a mission to raise awareness, change behavior and develop community capacity in solving problems. environmental issues, wildlife protection, sustainable development, climate change mitigation and adaptation. Pangolins are the only mammal in the world whose bodies are covered with hard scales. There are 8 species of pangolin today worldwide, 4 species in Asia and 4 species in Africa. Vietnam is home to two species: the Javan Pangolin (Manis javanica) and the Yellow Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), both of which are on the IUCN Red List of Critically Endangered Species and are subject to Vietnamese law. Male protection at the highest level. Any act of hunting, killing, raising, confining, possessing, transporting or illegally trading an individual, life part or product of an individual that has been considered for prosecution. criminal responsibility. Depending on the severity of the offense, the offender can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

US and Philippine soldiers in a “Balikatan” exercise

Attempting to repeat the “gray area” strategy.

The question of where the Chinese marine militia ships have been unusually concentrated since the beginning of March 2021 in the Ba Dau rocky area located in the Sinh Ton Dong island cluster in the Spratly archipelago of Vietnam. when the number of more than 200 ships dropped to a few dozen, there was an answer. The latest aerial photographs of the Philippines show that hundreds of Chinese marine militia ships are gathered in Ga Ven rock and Ken Nan rock in the Spratly archipelago of Vietnam.

Images taken by satellite Europe and the US, published by the AFP news agency on April 13, also show that China’s marine militia fleet is present in a large number of hundreds of ships in Ga Ven rock. The pictures taken by the Philippine authorities. According to experts, the Chinese maritime militia fleet is no longer crowded and large rafts like Ba Dau rock but radiates, thickens around Ga Ven rocks and Ken Nan rocks of the Spratly Islands of Vietnam. Male.

Previously, from the beginning of March 2021, Philippine officials and photos taken from satellites said that hundreds of Chinese iron-hulled ships were abnormally concentrated in the waters close to Ba Dau rock in Vietnamese territorial waters. The South is in Sinh Ton Dong island cluster, located in Truong Sa archipelago. Subsequent tallys showed that the number of Chinese iron-hull ships was more than 220, many of which were made into large rafts.

The Chinese side justifies that these are fishing boats, concentrated in Ba Dau rock “due to bad weather”. However, Philippine officials immediately rejected when claiming that the weather in this area is very good, moreover, these ships only turn on the lights all night, but absolutely do not have any fishing activities.

Filipino officials confirmed that hundreds of Chinese iron-hull ships gathered in Ba Dau rock since early March were Chinese marine militia ships disguised as fishing ships. Therefore, the fact that hundreds of marine militia ships have aggressive and aggressive acts on Ba Dau Rock has caused regional nations, the international community and analysts alike to think that Beijing is trying. calculated once again the “gray area” tactic for Ba Dau rock, a shallow beach with an area of ​​about 10km belonging to Sinh Ton Dong island cluster in the Spratly archipelago of Vietnam.

In a strategy throughout the realization of its sovereignty ambitions in the South China Sea, China has adopted the “gray zone” tactic, using the overwhelming power of a disguised fleet of iron-shell fishing vessels that are essentially marine militia ships with the backing of armed ships to illegally occupy control of entities such as the Philippines-controlled Scaborough Shoal in 2012, the Vanh Khan (about 50 nautical miles from Ba Dau) in the Spratly Islands Vietnam in 1995. Thus, the unusual concentration of hundreds of marine militia ships managed by the Chinese army in the Ba Dau Rock under Vietnam’s legal and undisputed sovereignty has caused experts to accept. China may be contemplating a repeat of a dangerous tactic nine years ago to forcefully capture and control a Scaborough.

This concern is more and more basic when hundreds of ships gathered in Ba Dau rock at the same time and radiated Ga Ven rock and Ken Nan rock of the Spratly archipelago of Vietnam, many armed ships, ships. Chinese heavy warfare is also present in the region for its taciturn backing. Most recently, the combat squadron of the Liaodong carrier of China, after conducting exercises in waters near the island of Taiwan, moved southward into the South China Sea. It is reported that the Shandong aircraft carrier combat squadron, the aircraft carrier built by China, is also present in the South China Sea.

Do not accept ostentation, encroachment in the East Sea

A series of moves that show off China’s military power in the South China Sea are concerned by regional countries, the international community, especially countries with interests attached to this sea area with deep concern. . On April 13, the Philippine Foreign Ministry summoned the Chinese Ambassador to the country to protest the actions of the Chinese ships at Ba Dau Rock. The Philippine Foreign Ministry earlier also sent a protest note to Beijing, and rejected the Chinese interpretation that disguised iron hulls in Ba Dau rock were just “ordinary fishing boats anchored due to bad weather. “.

At the same time with the strong response through diplomatic channels, the Philippines also took action on the ground to deal with China’s aggressive, aggressive behavior. Most recently, on April 13, the Philippines has deployed 1 more coast guard ship, 4 naval ships and 2 ships of the fisheries protection agency to many Chinese ships that are abnormally concentrated in the South China Sea.

Filipino Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana on April 10 had a phone call with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, to discuss the South China Sea situation and the appearance of hundreds of Chinese marine militia ships in the Ba Rock. Head. During the phone call, Mr. Austin proposed a series of measures to strengthen defense cooperation between the US and the Philippines, including “raising awareness of the situation of threats in the South China Sea”, and the Minister of State. rooms of the two countries share a commitment to maintaining close communication.

Just a day after the phone call, the Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces (AFP) said on April 11 that the joint exercise with the US named Balikatan was resumed and started from April 12. during 2 weeks with the participation of thousands of soldiers from the two countries. The exercise is said to be the cooperation and action of the Philippines and the US in response to a series of provocations by China in the South China Sea.

Previously, when answering questions from reporters about Vietnam’s reaction to many Chinese ships operating at Ba Dau beach in the Spratly archipelago of Vietnam, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Thi Thu Hang affirmed. , the activities of Chinese ships within the territorial sea of ​​Sinh Ton Dong belonging to the Spratlys of Vietnam have violated the sovereignty of Vietnam, violating the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the activities of foreign ships in the territorial sea of ​​a coastal country, contrary to the spirit and content of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), complicates the situation, is not beneficial for the negotiation process of a Code of Conduct between ASEAN and China in the South China Sea (COC).

The spokesperson stressed that Vietnam asked China to stop its infringement; respect for the sovereignty of Vietnam; goodwill to implement UNCLOS; strictly comply with the DOC, especially the obligation to restrain, not complicate the situation; create a favorable environment for the COC negotiation process; contribute to maintaining peace, security, stability and legal order at sea in the region.