Chinese ship fires water cannon anew
A VESSEL of the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) yesterday fired water cannons at three Philippine ships during a resupply mission to the Philippine-held Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea.
Two of the ships were damaged, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said in a statement.
The latest Chinese harassment came a day after CCG vessels fired water cannons at two vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources — BRP Datu Bankaw and BRP Datu Tamblot — during a humanitarian and support mission to Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal, also in the West Philippine Sea.
The NTF-WPS denounced the incident at Scarborough Shoal, about 124 nautical miles from Zambales. China gained control of the shoal in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels.
In yesterday’s incident at Ayungin Shoal, the NTF-WPS said CCG and Chinese maritime militia vessels “harassed, blocked and executed dangerous maneuvers” against the Philippine vessels “in another attempt to illegally impeded or obstruct a routine resupply and rotation mission” to the BRP Sierra Madre.
Filipino troops assigned at Ayungin Shoal are staying at the BRP Sierra, a rusting Philippine Navy ship grounded at the shoal in 1999. The shoal is located some 108 nautical miles northwest of Rizal, Palawan.
“CCG vessel 5204 deployed a water cannon against the Philippine supply vessels, causing severe damage to M/L Kalayaan’s engines, disabling the vessel and seriously endangering the lives of its crew,” the NTF-WPS said.
M/L Kalayaan failed to complete its mission. It was towed by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel BRP Sindangan which was escorting the resupply mission, along with PCG vessel BRP Cabra, back to Ulugan Bay in Palawan.
The task force said BRP Cabra “suffered damage to its mast after being directly targeted by the full strength of the water cannon of the China Coast Guard.”
Unaizah Mae 1, a military-contracted supply vessel which was also subjected to water cannoning, was later rammed by a Chinese vessel with bow number 21556, the NTF-WPS said.
The task force said Unaizah Mae 1 managed to reach BRP Sierra Madre “despite these extreme and reckless actions” of the Chinese.
“The PCG vessels and the resupply boats Unaizah Mae 1 and M/L Kalayaan were subjected to reckless and dangerous harassment at close range by CCG and Chinese maritime militia vessels on their approach to Ayungin Shoal,” the task force said.
The NTF-WPS reiterated Ayungin Shoal is part of the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“The Philippines exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the feature. As a low tide elevation, Ayungin Shoal can neither be the subject of a sovereignty claim nor is it capable of appropriation under international law. China cannot lawfully exercise sovereignty over it,” the NTF-WPS said.
DISINFORMATION
The task force said China’s assertion that its actions at the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal were a legitimate exercise of law enforcement measures “has no basis in international law.”
“Further, we express grave concern over the deliberate disinformation conducted through official channels, that distort facts on the ground,” the task force said.
It condemned China’s latest “unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous maneuvers against a legitimate and routine Philippine rotation and resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal that has put the lives of our people at risk.”
“The systematic and consistent manner in which the People’s Republic of China carries out these illegal and irresponsible actions puts into question and significant doubt the sincerity of its calls for peaceful dialogue,” the NTF-WPS said.
It added that peace and stability cannot be achieved “without due regard for the legitimate, well-established, and legally settled rights of others.”
“We demand that China demonstrate that it is a responsible and trustworthy member of the international community,” the NTF-WPS said.
It reiterated that the Philippine government continues to act in accordance with international law, particularly UNCLOS, and the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration which invalidated China’s excessive claim in the South China Sea.
“The Philippines will not be deterred from exercising our legal rights over our maritime zones, including Ayungin Shoal which forms part of our EEZ and continental shelf,” it added.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
CHRISTMAS CONVOY
The latest incident came hours after the Atin Ito, a coalition of non-government organizations, began its Christmas convoy to the West Philippine Sea.
The convoy, which left El Nido in Palawan early morning yesterday, was scheduled to pass near Ayungin Shoal, then proceed to other Philippine-held features, specifically Patag and Lawak Islands.
The group will be distributing Christmas gifts to Filipino troops assigned in the West Philippine Sea and to fisherfolk in the area.
Late yesterday, Atin Ito said it aborted its Christmas convoy after the mission was shadowed by Chinese vessels.
“The convoy’s mother ship was surrounded by four Chinese ships – two Navy, one Coast Guard, one cargo,” said Atin Ito co-convenor Edicio dela Torre.
“In consultation with the Coast Guard, the convoy had to decide to turn around,” he said.
Dela Torre said the convoy was terminated at around 5 p.m. He said the convoy was “at the edge of our territorial waters and EEZ” at that time.
Akbayan Party, one of the groups composing the Atin Ito coalition, said the mother ship was shadowed by the Chinese starting at around 3:40 p.m. while it was south of Kayumanggi Bank.
“Erring on the side of caution, Atin Ito, in consultation with the Philippine Coast Guard, agreed to return to El Nido, Palawan after the constant shadowing of four Chinese vessels, comprised of two Chinese Navy ships, one Chinese Coast Guard vessel, and one Chinese cargo ship,” it said on its Facebook page.
ILLEGAL ENTRY
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China’s claims had no legal basis.
In Sunday’s incident, China’s coast guard said in a statement that two Philippine vessels, ignoring repeated warnings, had “illegally entered the waters adjacent to Ren’ai Reef (Ayungin Shoal) in the Nansha Islands without the approval of the Chinese government.”
It said the Unaizah Mae 1 “made an unprofessional and dangerous sudden turn, intentionally ramming into China Coast Guard vessel 21556.” It said the Philippine side bore full responsibility.
China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu called on the Philippines to stop its “provocative acts,” saying China would continue to carry out “law-enforcement activities” in its waters. — With Reuters
