Latest news about discovery of some bodies on a beach on Phu Quoc Island

Providing information about the discovery of some bodies on a beach on Phu Quoc Island, Hang said shortly after being notified of the bodies suspected to be Chinese nationals on the Phu Quoc beach in Kien Giang, authorities of the province and Vietnam promptly contacted the Chinese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City to conduct investigation into the case.

Relevant forces have collected samples to identify the bodies, clarify the cause of the deaths, and deal with related issues in line with Vietnam’s legal regulations, she added.

Regarding the issue of Vietnamese people tricked or lured to Cambodia for illegal work, spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said that Vietnamese authorities are working closely with relevant agencies of Cambodia to deal with the issue.

She noted Vietnam’s representative bodies in Cambodia have kept a close watch on the situation, maintained contact with the Vietnamese community, and proactively coordinated with Cambodian authorities to increase examination, expand investigation, verify, and rescue the Vietnamese nationals tricked or lured to work illegally in Cambodia.

The MoFA and domestic agencies have also coordinated to quickly handle necessary procedures for repatriating the citizens, Hang went on, adding that more than 1,000 citizens have been rescued and returned to the homeland while thousands of others have been assisted to handle procedures.

Besides, ministries, sectors, and localities have also cooperated to increase awareness campaigns to call on people, businesses, and factories to adhere to laws, prevent acts of tricking or luring Vietnamese people into illegal work in other countries, tighten control in border gate areas, and strictly deal with those committing violations.

In the time ahead, the MoFA and Vietnam’s representative bodies in Cambodia will keep working closely with domestic agencies and localities, as well as Cambodian authorities to grasp the situation of Vietnamese workers and quickly help to rescue and repatriate those who are tricked or lured into illegal work there. At the same time, they will take measures to ensure Vietnamese citizens’ rights and legitimate interests, according to the spokeswoman.

Besides, Hang said that 13 out of 14 Vietnamese women who had been tricked into coming to the Philippines and forced to engage in prostitution have been repatriated after being rescued by local authorities in late September. The remainder, who is currently battling COVID-19, is being cared for by an organization which protects women’s and children’s rights in the Philippines.

The Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines is taking necessary measures to protect the rights and legitimate interests of the COVID-stricken Vietnamese citizen.