Artists from South Korea, Indonesia, and Malaysia join the 'Concert at Sea for Peace' in Pag-asa Island
Artists from Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea joined Filikpino artists in Pag-asa Island.
The Philippine Coast Guard closely travelled MV Kapitan Felix Oca as the 'Atin Ito Coalition' to ensure the safety of those on board. SBS Filipino
30/05/2025 11:39 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino 📲 Catch up episodes and stories – Visit sbs.com.au/filipino or stream on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , Youtube Podcasts , and SBS Audio app.
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SBS Australia
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Philippines ranked as the most emotional country according to a survey
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ABC News
21 hours ago
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What Australia's shift on Palestinian state means for politics and alliances across the Asia-Pacific region
Australia's move to recognise a Palestinian state marks a historic shift in its policy and brings it in line with many of its South-East Asian neighbours. However, Australia's decision goes against many of its Pacific neighbours to the east, who tend to align themselves with the US and Israel because of aid, development, and religion. So how will this decision affect Australia's regional relationships, and will it encourage countries who have yet to recognise a Palestinian state to follow suit? The news of Australia's decision was welcomed by the Indonesian government, which called the shifted stance on Palestine "courageous". Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei have recognised Palestinian statehood since its Declaration of Independence in 1988. A year later, the Philippines did the same. But South-East Asia has never been entirely united on the issue. "There are already some divisions within the bloc regarding Palestine, with countries like Myanmar and Laos being less vocal, while Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are strong supporters," said Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat from the Centre of Economic and Law Studies in Jakarta. One of the strongest advocates for Palestinian statehood is Malaysia. It has refused to have any diplomatic relations with Israel and has prohibited people travelling on Israeli passports from entering Malaysia, said Mary Ainslie from the University of Nottingham. After Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was reported to have spoken to one of the leaders of Hamas. "Its leaders have strong ties to Hamas, for which they have come under much international criticism," Dr Ainslie told the ABC. Dr Rakhmat said countries like Vietnam and Cambodia, while perhaps not as vocal, have also formally recognised Palestine. "Thailand, on the other hand, has historically maintained a more neutral stance, but its recognition of Palestine in the past indicates some level of support," Dr Rakhmat said. Dr Rakhmat said that South-East Asia's early collective recognition of Palestine was based on the principles of "anti-colonialism and human rights". However, South-East Asian countries have been careful not to heavily criticise Israel as they did not want scrutiny of their own human rights records, Dr Ainslie said. She said they were less likely to take an "active" stance supporting the Palestinian cause because of strong but hidden economic links with Israel and their technology. "The practice of non-interference by these nations has served them well and disrupting this would potentially destabilise relations." Dr Rakhmat said Australia's recognition of a Palestinian state could strengthen solidarity among ASEAN countries or strain relations, depending on each country's national interests regarding Palestine. Other countries including Japan, South Korean, and Singapore have expressed support but are yet to recognise Palestinian statehood. Experts who have spoken to the ABC agreed it was unlikely Australia's decision to recognise the state of Palestine would change any other nation's position. Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, and Tonga do not recognise Palestinian statehood. Many of these counties also traditionally rely on the US for foreign aid and security. Further indication of the Pacific's strong ties to the US and Israel came during the United Nation General Assembly in June, when six Pacific nations joined the US and Israel to vote against a permanent and immediate ceasefire between Israel and Gaza. Professor Derek McDougall from the University of Melbourne's school of social and political sciences said religion played an important factor in Pacific politics. He said even though countries like Fiji had a majority Indigenous population — a demographic that often supported the Palestinian cause — it did not necessarily mean they were sympathetic to Palestinians because many Indigenous Fijians were also evangelical Christians. "In the US it's the evangelical Christians, perhaps even more than the Jews, that provide significant political support for Israel," he said. Although Australia has taken an opposing position to many Pacific nations, Sione Tekiteki a lawyer, and senior law lecturer at the Auckland University of Technology said it would not "significantly damage" its relationships with its Pacific Island neighbours. "The region's long standing 'friends to all' foreign policy posture means that Pacific states rarely let partners' positions on distant conflicts determine the overall ambit of their bilateral and regional relationship," Dr Tekiteki said. He said Australia would remain a key partner across the Pacific because of the substantial aid and development it provided. Both Dr Tekiteki and Professor McDougall believed that the credibility of Australia's climate commitments along with its posture toward China and wider regional security environment will carry far greater weight in shaping Pacific perceptions than its stance on Palestine.
ABC News
a day ago
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China and US clash over South China Sea operation near disputed shoal
The Chinese military says it "drove away" a US destroyer that sailed near a disputed area in the South China Sea, while the US Navy said its action was in line with international law. The first known US military operation in at least six years within the Scarborough Shoal's waters came a day after the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of "dangerous manoeuvres and unlawful interference" during a supply mission around the atoll. Two Chinese ships collided while pursuing a Philippines vessel on Monday, prompting countries, including Australia, to criticise Beijing for its actions in the South China Sea. In a statement on Wednesday, the Chinese military's Southern Theatre Command said the USS Higgins had entered the waters "without approval of the Chinese government". "The US move seriously violated China's sovereignty and security, severely undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea," it added, vowing to maintain a "high alert at all times". In response, the US Navy's Seventh Fleet said "China's statement about this mission is false", adding that the Higgins had "asserted navigational rights and freedoms" near the Scarborough Shoal "consistent with international law". The operation reflected the US commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea, the Seventh Fleet told Reuters in an emailed statement. "The United States is defending its right to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Higgins did here. Nothing China says otherwise will deter us." China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Unresolved disputes have festered for years over ownership of various islands and features. The US regularly carries out "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea, challenging what it says are curbs on innocent passage imposed by China and other claimants. The Scarborough Shoal has been a major source of tension in what is a strategic conduit for more than $US3 trillion ($4.59 trillion) of annual ship-borne commerce. The actions of Chinese vessels in the shoal this week also resulted in a collision of two of them, Manila said, the first such known incident in the area. On Wednesday, the Philippine coastguard said the objective of the two Chinese vessels had been to "completely block" it from getting near Scarborough Shoal. Global Times, a Chinese state media outlet, reported on Wednesday that a Philippine coastguard ship had "conducted highly dangerous manoeuvres on Chinese law enforcement vessels" near the Scarborough Shoal on Monday, citing videos it obtained from an unidentified source. Neither the report nor the video clips published by Global Times showed the collision between Chinese vessels. On Monday, China's coastguard said it had taken "necessary measures" to expel Philippine vessels from the waters. Japan, Australia and New Zealand expressed alarm on Wednesday over the dangerous manoeuvrers that led to the collision. The Australian Embassy in Manila expressed concern "by the dangerous and unprofessional conduct of Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal involving the Philippine Coast Guard," saying in a statement the incident "highlights the need for de-escalation, restraint and respect for international law". Japanese Ambassador to Manila Endo Kazuya said in a post on X that Japan "upholds the rule of law and opposes any actions which increase tensions. Our concern goes to the repeated actions in the South China Sea". Jay Tarriela, the Philippine coastguard commodore, told a news conference in Manila that the collision was "a learning experience for the People's Republic of China". "For so many years, we have been reminding them to stop dangerous manoeuvrers, to stop risky blockings, to adhere to the (anti-)collision regulations because if there is a very high chance of miscalculation, this kind of collision incident would happen," Commodore Tarriela said. He spoke a few hours after a Chinese jet fighter flew as close as 152 meters to try to drive away a Philippine coastguard plane on a surveillance flight on Wednesday over the Scarborough with invited journalists on board. The Chinese jet carried out dangerous manoeuvrers for about 20 minutes, including flying about 61m above the small Philippine aircraft, the commodore said. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal ruled there was no basis in international law for Beijing's claims, based on its historic maps. China does not recognise that decision, however. ABC/wires
