HANOI, Vietnam—Six Vietnamese Buddhist monks plan to visit disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) islands to help defend their country’s territorial claim, marking the latest ploy in a simmering territorial spat over the potentially oil-rich islands claimed by six nations.
Venerable Thich Giac Nghia said Wednesday that he and five other monks have volunteered to visit the Spratly Islands for at least six months to teach Buddhism and “defend our sovereignty.”
“We are waiting for the navy to take us there,” Nghia said by telephone from Khanh Hoa Province on the Vietnamese mainland.
He added the monks are traveling at the invitation of Vietnamese soldiers and residents living on the islands.
An official from the monks’ home province, Khanh Hoa, says it supports the trip. The official declined to give his name, citing policy.
Vietnam’s foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.
The islands, believed to be rich in oil and other resources, are claimed in whole or part by Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and the Philippines. They lie in a region with vital shipping lanes.
Last summer, Vietnamese protested in Hanoi after Vietnam accused China of interfering with its oil exploration activities in the sea — a charge Beijing denied.
The US and the Philippines say they plan to hold annual joint military drills next month in Philippine waters facing the West Philippine Sea. China has previously protested similar US military actions near the disputed sea.