Philippines says sailor severely hurt in South China Sea collision
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The BRP Sierra Madre on Second Thomas Shoal in March 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MANILA – A Philippine Navy sailor suffered “serious injury” after what the country’s military called on June 18 an “intentional high-speed ramming” by the Chinese coast guard during a resupply mission in the South China Sea.
The Philippine military said in a statement the Chinese coast guard’s “continued aggressive behaviour and unprofessional conduct towards a legitimate humanitarian mission is unacceptable”.
China and the Philippines have accused each other of being at fault for the collision on June 17
Philippine officials said China disrupted a military mission to resupply a group of marines stationed on the rusting navy ship BRP Sierra Madre that was deliberately beached on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to bolster Manila’s maritime claim.
China’s coast guard disputed this and said the navy vessel deliberately and dangerously approached a Chinese ship in an unprofessional manner, forcing it to take control measures such as “warnings and blockades, boarding inspections, and forced evictions”.
The Philippines said China’s account was “deceptive and misleading”.
The Philippine military said on June 18 the injured sailor had been successfully evacuated and was being treated. It did not specify the nature of the injury.
Second Thomas Shoal has been a flashpoint in recent months between the Philippines and China. The atoll lies within Manila’s 200-nautical mile maritime zone, which China also claims as its own.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
A 2016 arbitral ruling rejected China’s historical claims to the resource-rich waterway, a decision Beijing has rejected.
The US State Department called the incident the latest in a series of Chinese “provocations” to impede supplies from reaching Philippines personnel stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre.
Canada and Britain also condemned China’s actions, while France and Japan have expressed concern over the incident. REUTERS
