Professor Phan Huy Le, Chairman of theVietnam History Science Association said since 1974 after the Hoang SaArchipelago controlled by the then Saigon administration, was invaded byChina, Dr. Han Nguyen Nguyen Nha became much interested in this topic.
"In recent years, Dr. Nha has written many articles aboutVietnam's sovereignty over the two archipelagoes of Hoang Sa and TruongSa and attended many domestic and international seminars on the EastSea. Dr. Han Nguyen Nguyen Nha is one of the Vietnamese leading expertson Hoang Sa-Truong Sa with nearly 40 years of East Sea researchexperience "Prof. Phan Huy Le said.
Works on historical evidenceof Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoespublished by the Vietnam Education Publishing House are a dedicatedresearch and collection by the author over the past 40 years based onhis PhD thesis in 2003 and updated study results.
Plentiful anddiverse documents of the author’s research come from not only theVietnamese people but also from Western and Chinese people. Systematicstudy of Han–Nom documents before 1909 - the year began to witnesssovereignty dispute over Hoang Sa Archipelago, include officialadministrative documents adopted by kings under the Nguyen dynasty.
By introducing monographic books, and administrative maps and domesticand foreign documents related to the Hoang Sa and Truong Saarchipelagoes to date, the author has helped readers gain a betterunderstanding of the process of discovery, actual ownership, exercise ofpower by managing executive work and sending teams to Hoang Sa toconduct annual surveys and engage in hydraulic measurement, mapping,mining, exploiting natural resources, building temples, planting markersand steles and growing trees.
These are seen as a symbol ofVietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa through differentperiods. The author’s research methodology strictly adheres toobjectivity, respecting historical truth and honoring valuablehistorical documents that no country can possess.
Thesehistorical documents demonstrate the will and mettle of many Vietnamesegenerations - the first owners who discovered and actually owned theHoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes. These documents also proved thatthe Vietnamese State, through successive periods, affirmed itssovereignty and enforcement of administrative management of Hoang Sa andTruong Sa archipelagoes for hundreds of years. Dating back from 1909,no country filed a claim over sovereignty dispute.
According toProfessor Phan Huy Le, Dr. Nguyen Nha has painstakingly collectedrelated historical and legal materials such as the official documents ofthe Nguyen Dynasty and those on sovereignty enforcement of the Tay Son,Nguyen Dynasty and French administrations from ancient bibliographictreasures of Vietnam, China and western nations.
The author hasalso collected Chinese materials and old maps to prove that before 1909,China never regarded Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes as territoryof their own. "By systematically analysing these documents, the authorhas given sound scientific and legal evidence to affirm Vietnam'ssovereignty over the two archipelagoes. Dr. Nguyen Nha’s research worksare his made tremendous contribution to the country’s history," Prof.Phan Huy Le noted.
Through his book about evidence of Vietnam'ssovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, readers canmore clearly understand the nation’s sovereignty over the two islandshad long been established which is a historical truth in line withinternational law.
Dr. Nguyen Nha said he hopes his book willgive Vietnamese teachers and students an insight into Vietnam'ssovereignty over the two islands, thus helping encourage the people inall walk of life promote the nation’s historical truth and persist withtheir struggle for national sovereignty and territorial integrity.“Defending the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa islands is a vivid manifestationof patriotism spirit of generations of Vietnamese people who should joinhands to build a mighty nation. By doing so, we can reach the goal ofsafeguarding national sovereignty and developing Vietnam into a nationstrong in the marine-based economy”, Nha added.-VNA