'It's a matter of the sacred earth of the homeland... and we are going to continue our struggle to defend the integrity and the maritime sovereignty of the islands,' Dang Cong Ngu was quoted as saying by the VNExpress news website.

China has administered the islands, also claimed by Taiwan, since 1974 when its troops overran a South Vietnamese outpost shortly before the end of the Vietnam war.

Mr Dang was named president of the Paracel district People's Committee at a ceremony in central Danang, a civic official in the city told AFP.

In 2007 several hundred Vietnamese marched in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to protest a decision by China to set up a local government unit which would include the Paracels and another disputed island group, the Spratlys, under its zone of authority.

The two archipelagos, considered strategic outposts in the South China Sea, have potential oil and gas reserves and rich fishing grounds.

Agence France Presse - April 25, 2009

Vietnam’s proof of sovereignty over Paracel Islands

Dang Cong Ngu, newly appointed chairman of the People’s Committee of Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands) District, reiterated Vietnam’s historical proof that the islands belong to Vietnam.

Mr. Ngu said that defending and protecting the country’s sovereignty is the responsibility not only of people living in Hoang Sa but all Vietnamese people. Like other Vietnamese citizens, he is responsible for protecting each inch of the nation’s land.

As the chairman of the Hoang Sa District, he will continue the government and people’s ongoing struggle for the sovereignty of the islands and adjacent waters.

One of his forthcoming plans, said Mr. Ngu, is to publish a book proving that Truong Sa islands belong to Vietnam. There are currently many Vietnamese people living in Da Nang who used to live and work on the islands. These people will be witnesses, as well as undeniable historical documents, added Mr. Ngu.

Another is to conduct programs to raise awareness of the local people, especially younger generations that Hoang Sa is an inseparable piece of land of Vietnam.

According to Mr. Ngu, Vietnam’s sea borders and its sovereignty over the islands have been specified clearly in the country’s geographical maps, as well as recorded in its history.

By Nguyen Khoi - Saigon Giai Phong - April 26, 2009