The rally was held by the Switzerland-Vietnam Friendship Association (SVFA) and the Vietnamese Community in the European country.
The protesters carried Vietnamese flags and banners in Vietnamese, English and German calling for an end to China’s militarisation in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.
They expressed their objections to China’s infringement of international law in the East Sea as well as their hope for peace and the settlement of the problem through dialogue.
Vu Thi Tin, a 57-year-old native of the northern port city Hai Phong, said she and her friends in Switzerland participated in the protest to pay homage to those who laid down their lives in the East Sea to protect national sovereignty.
Joining the demonstration, the Philippine community condemned China for its policy of expansionism in the sea and called on the country to observe the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
A representative from the Vietnamese Community in Switzerland read out a letter which had been sent to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to oppose China’s actions in the East Sea.
SVFA Chairman Anjuska Weil also presented a letter written by the Germany-Vietnam Friendship Association to the demonstrators, which showed their concerns over violations of international law in the sea and called for the peaceful settlement of the disputes.
Conod A Olivier, a 68-year-old Swiss man, said he joined the protest as he admired Vietnamese people’s desire for peace and independence.
