Philippines says fishermen hurt and boats damaged by China in South China Sea
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Manila’s coast guard said nearly two dozen Filipino fishing boats near Sabina Shoal were targeted on Dec 12.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MANILA – The Philippine coast guard said on Dec 13 that three Filipino fishermen had been wounded, and that two fishing vessels suffered “significant damage” when Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannon in a disputed South China Sea shoal.
Manila’s coast guard said nearly two dozen Filipino fishing boats near Sabina Shoal were targeted with water cannon and blocking manoeuvres on Dec 12.
A small Chinese coast guard boat also cut the anchor lines of several Filipino boats, endangering their crews, it added.
“The PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) calls on the Chinese Coast Guard to adhere to internationally recognised standards of conduct, prioritising the preservation of life at sea over pretensions of law enforcement that jeopardise the lives of innocent fishermen,” Manila’s coast guard said in a statement.
China’s Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours. On Dec 12, China’s coast guard said it had driven away multiple Philippine vessels and taken “control measures”.
That statement was an admission of wrongdoing, Philippine coast guard spokesman Jay Tarriela said on Dec 13.
“They admitted this evil wrongdoing to ordinary Filipino fishermen,” he said over the phone.
The Philippine coast guard vessels that it deployed to aid the injured fishermen were also blocked repeatedly from reaching Sabina Shoal.
“Despite these unprofessional and unlawful interferences, the PCG successfully reached the fishermen this morning and provided immediate medical attention to the injured, along with essential supplies,” the statement said.
Sabina Shoal, which China refers to as Xianbin Reef and the Philippines as Escoda Shoal, lies in the Philippine exclusive economic zone 150km west of Palawan province.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a waterway carrying more than US$3 trillion (S$3.9 trillion) worth of annual commerce. The areas it claims cut into the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
An international arbitral tribunal ruled in 2016 that Beijing’s sweeping claims had no basis under international law, a decision China rejects. REUTERS
