Vietnam began investigating the incident early this month following local newspaper reports that 16 boats from Quang Ngai on the central coast had been barred from entering an illegal Chinese military harbor on one of the Vietnamese islands as they fled from Ketsana on September 26.

When they arrived at Tru Cau Harbor, Chinese soldiers fired at the sailors and warned them not to anchor there even though the boats were flying white flags, Saigon Tiep Thi quoted fisherman Duong Van Tho as saying on October 10.

But the sea got rougher and the storm came closer, so the fishermen had no choice but to risk going into the harbor.

This time the soldiers withheld their fire and the sailors dropped anchor and were left undisturbed for three days, Tho told the newspaper.

All seemed well until the boats were about to leave port on September 30 when a group of armed Chinese soldiers got on board and robbed the fishermen of positioning equipment, cooking provisions and their catches, then wrecked their water tanks.

Some of Tho’s fellow fisher also reported to be beaten by the soldiers.

Reported by Huong Giang