KUALA LUMPUR – Tensions in the South China Sea continue with the removal of the 300-m long “floating barrier” at the Scarborough Shoal by the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG), despite China claiming sovereignty over the island and adjacent waters.
PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, Jay Tarriela, said the barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law.
“It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk in BDM (Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo De Masinloc), which is an integral part of the Philippine national territory,” he said in a statement today.
He added that the 2016 Arbitral Award affirmed that BDM is the traditional fishing ground of Filipino fishermen.
“Thus, any obstruction hindering the livelihoods of Filipino fisherfolk in the shoal violates international law. It also infringes on the Philippines’ sovereignty over BDM. The decisive action of the PCG to remove the barrier aligns with international law and the Philippines’ sovereignty over the shoal.”
Meanwhile, Wang Wenbin – spokesman for China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry – yesterday claimed that a vessel of the Philippines’ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, on September 22, “intruded into the adjacent waters of the shoal and attempted to enter its lagoon”.
“The China Coast Guard did what was necessary to block and drive away the Philippine vessel. The steps it took were professional and restrained.”
He also reiterated China’s “indisputable sovereignty over the island and its adjacent waters”.
Last Sunday, the Philippines accused China of installing a “floating barrier” around part of the shoal, claiming that this deprived Filipino fishermen of fishing and livelihood activities.
China has claimed 90% of the South China Sea, despite encroaching into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012.
It was reported that Filipino fishermen were allowed to fish near the shoal during then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s time in office, however, tensions between the two countries mounted again when Ferdinand Marcos Jr took office last year. – September 26, 2023