2023-12-09 14:32:45
MADRID, 9 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Philippine Government has denounced this Saturday that Chinese ships from the Coast Guard service and the Maritime Militia have attacked three of its vessels from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) with water cannons that were resupplying fishing vessels fishing in the sea, amid an uptick in tensions over a historic maritime dispute.
A coast guard ship used water jets against the vessels ‘Sanday’, ‘Bankaw’ and ‘Tamblot’ when they were transferring fuel and food to the fishing boats. The Chinese Maritime Militia ships “initiated dangerous maneuvers” and employed “long-distance acoustic resonance devices that temporarily incapacitated the Filipino crews.”
The Chinese Maritime Militia fulfills the dual function of serving as a fishing fleet and a support force for the Chinese Navy. Hundreds of these ships navigate disputed waters, and even within the Philippines’ so-called Exclusive Economic Zone.
The incident occurred in the Bajo de Masinloc area, which the Philippines considers part of its territory, according to a statement from the Philippine Maritime Intervention Force published on the X social network.
“China’s illegal exercise of maritime law enforcement powers, interference with Philippine vessels, harassment and intimidation of Filipino fishermen are violations of international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” denounces the spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, Commodore Jay Tarriela, also on the same network.
The US ambassador to the Philippines, MaryKay L. Carlson, has also condemned the actions of the Chinese ships in a statement published on her X account, in what she describes as a “violation of international law that endangers the livelihood of the people”, in reference to the affected fishermen.
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