A convoy of civilian boats planning to deliver provisions to Filipino fishermen and troops in the disputed South China Sea left Palawan on Sunday, but aborted the trip and returned to port after “constant shadowing” by Chinese vessels and a confrontation between Philippine and Chinese maritime militia, the organizer said.
“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,” the Atin Ito group said in a statement.
Fishermen in 40 wooden outrigger boats were expected to join the “Christmas convoy” being led by volunteers on two larger vessels carrying food, water, and other donations.
The convoy departed El Nido municipality on the western island of Palawan before dawn on Sunday and had planned to go past Second Thomas Shoal, where a handful of Filipino troops are stationed on the grounded warship, the BRP Sierra Madre.
A collision and confrontation between Philippine and Chinese vessels near the reef on Sunday, however, forced organizers to reroute the convoy to go directly to the Philippine-held Nanshan Island, where donations would be left – then later aborted the trip.
Both countries’ coast guards blamed the other for Sunday’s collision, the latest in an escalating series of such conflicts in the disputed sea. Manila also accused Chinese vessels of firing water cannons at its boats.
Rafaela David, a member of the Atin Ito Coalition that organized the convoy, said the Chinese actions endangered “the safety of our civilian supply mission.”
“(It) also runs counter to the principles of human rights that the international community upholds, and our rightful claims to the West Philippine Sea”, said David, who is also president of the left-wing political party Akbayan.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels escorted the civilian convoy as it traveled through the hotly contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely.
The Philippines has outposts on nine reefs and islands in the Spratlys.
Atin Ito Coalition, or “It is Ours” Coalition, said the convoy aimed to highlight the living and working conditions of Filipino fishermen and personnel and to defend the country’s maritime territorial rights. With AFP
The people in the convoy included fishers, students, and youth leaders.
“We joined the (convoy) … because we need to fight for what is rightfully ours,” said Maureen Ignacio, whose family depends on fishing in Bataan province, near Manila.
Organizers had originally hoped to visit the troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-vintage warship grounded on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999.
The rusty hulk has long been a flashpoint for Manila and Beijing, with several recent incidents involving Philippine and Chinese vessels straining diplomatic relations.
However the National Security Council advised the organizers to pass only within the “general vicinity” of the reef, where Chinese vessels regularly patrol.
David earlier said Atin Ito members would decide later if they would travel past the shoal on the way back to Palawan.
“We will try to make sure that if we think it is dangerous, we will listen to the PCG. We will not go to areas where the situation is tense. The intention of this journey is not to play ‘patintero’ with China. Our goal is to spread Christmas cheer,” David said.
“There are areas that you head towards, and China would ‘shadow’ you. We will not try to reach that kind of situation,” she added.
David said the activity serves as a “peaceful way” for ordinary Filipino citizens to stand for the country’s rights over its territory.
She also thanked the government for allowing civilian volunteers to conduct their mission.
“We are glad because they saw the strategic value of citizens and the government united in standing up against China,” she said.
“It sends a strong message to China that we are firm in our stand that the West Philippine Sea is ours. Its value is also strategic because the more civilian missions or vessels are in the area, the more we can increase the presence of Filipinos in our waters.” — With AFP