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Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
South China Sea Convoy Challenges Beijing's Territorial Claims
A coalition of Philippine civilians has embarked on its third mission to defy China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. While the Atin Ito coalition-Tagalog for "This is Ours"-anticipated a possible challenge from China's assertive coast guard, the volunteers sought to send a "message of peace and unity," spokesperson Rafaela David told local media on Monday. China claims sovereignty over roughly 90 percent of the South China Sea, citing "historical rights," despite a Hague-based arbitral tribunal's 2016 ruling dismissing the claims as incompatible with maritime law. China's expansive moves in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone have been met with pushback. The result has been spiraling tensions and dramatic standoffs between the countries' government forces, raising concerns about a potential conflict that could trigger the Philippines' Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email for comment. More than 150 volunteers-including activists, fishermen, musicians, and civic and church leaders-set sail for Philippines-controlled Thitu Island early Tuesday morning as part of a convoy centered on the civilian vessel Kapitan Felix Oca. Tensions over Thitu, the only inhabited feature in the Spratly Islands archipelago and home to a modest military outpost, flared up again in recent days. Last week, China's coast guard executed close-quarter blocking maneuvers and deployed its water cannon in nearby waters while attempting to drive off a Philippine fisheries bureau vessel that Manila said was supporting a scientific mission. The group said it aimed to distribute supplies such as food, medicine and fuel to local fishermen and servicemembers stationed at the garrison. Performers will also hold a concert on the island as a message of solidarity. "We are not just asserting territory. We are asserting that ordinary Filipinos have a stake here," David told reporters before departure from Manila on Monday. "We will not be intimidated." The Philippine coast guard said it deployed one of its largest patrol ships, the BRP Melchora Aquino, along with the smaller BRP Malapascua, to escort the Felix Oca. As of 3 p.m. local time, two Chinese coast guard ships were observed "shadowing" the civilian convoy about 66 miles off the north coast of Palawan province, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The Chinese vessels reportedly issued radio challenges asserting China's claim and citing "domestic and international law," while rejecting the 2016 arbitral decision. "In response to the unauthorized patrol by the China Coast Guard, the Philippine coast guard vessels have initiated radio communications to challenge [Chinese coast guard vessel] 3306's claim of operating under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China," Tarriela said. Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine navy spokesperson,told Newsweek: "We do not speculate on the actions of any adversary. Nevertheless, we are ready to respond to any threat that may face the Atin Ito convoy." The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, in a statement: "Nansha Qundao, including Tiexian Jiao, has always been China's territory. China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao [the Spratly Island group] and its adjacent waters. The Atin Ito participants are scheduled to begin their return trip to Manila on Friday. Related Articles Map Shows World's Biggest Research Universities After HarvardDonald Trump Gets Good News From Consumers Amid Tariff PullbacksJoe Rogan Says China 'On Verge of Passing' US in 'Many Areas'China Reviving World War II Airfield in America's Backyard 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
South China Sea Convoy Challenges Beijing's Territorial Claims
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A coalition of Philippine civilians has embarked on its third mission to defy China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. While the Atin Ito coalition—Tagalog for "This is Ours"—anticipated a possible challenge from China's assertive coast guard, the volunteers sought to send a "message of peace and unity," spokesperson Rafaela David told local media on Monday. Why It Matters China claims sovereignty over roughly 90 percent of the South China Sea, citing "historical rights," despite a Hague-based arbitral tribunal's 2016 ruling dismissing the claims as incompatible with maritime law. China's expansive moves in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone have been met with pushback. The result has been spiraling tensions and dramatic standoffs between the countries' government forces, raising concerns about a potential conflict that could trigger the Philippines' Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email for comment. A Chinese Coast Guard ship monitors a Philippine fishing boat during the distribution of fuel and food to fishers by the civilian-led mission Atin Ito (This Is Ours) Coalition, in the disputed South China Sea... A Chinese Coast Guard ship monitors a Philippine fishing boat during the distribution of fuel and food to fishers by the civilian-led mission Atin Ito (This Is Ours) Coalition, in the disputed South China Sea on May 16, 2024. More Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images What To Know More than 150 volunteers—including activists, fishermen, musicians, and civic and church leaders—set sail for Philippines-controlled Thitu Island early Tuesday morning as part of a convoy centered on the civilian vessel Kapitan Felix Oca. Tensions over Thitu, the only inhabited feature in the Spratly Islands archipelago and home to a modest military outpost, flared up again in recent days. Last week, China's coast guard executed close-quarter blocking maneuvers and deployed its water cannon in nearby waters while attempting to drive off a Philippine fisheries bureau vessel that Manila said was supporting a scientific mission. The group said it aimed to distribute supplies such as food, medicine and fuel to local fishermen and servicemembers stationed at the garrison. Performers will also hold a concert on the island as a message of solidarity. "We are not just asserting territory. We are asserting that ordinary Filipinos have a stake here," David told reporters before departure from Manila on Monday. "We will not be intimidated." The Philippine coast guard said it deployed one of its largest patrol ships, the BRP Melchora Aquino, along with the smaller BRP Malapascua, to escort the Felix Oca. As of 3 p.m. local time, two Chinese coast guard ships were observed "shadowing" the civilian convoy about 66 miles off the north coast of Palawan province, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The Chinese vessels reportedly issued radio challenges asserting China's claim and citing "domestic and international law," while rejecting the 2016 arbitral decision. "In response to the unauthorized patrol by the China Coast Guard, the Philippine coast guard vessels have initiated radio communications to challenge [Chinese coast guard vessel] 3306's claim of operating under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China," Tarriela said. What People Are Saying Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine navy spokesperson, told Newsweek: "We do not speculate on the actions of any adversary. Nevertheless, we are ready to respond to any threat that may face the Atin Ito convoy." The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, in a statement: "Nansha Qundao, including Tiexian Jiao, has always been China's territory. China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao [the Spratly Island group] and its adjacent waters. What Happens Next The Atin Ito participants are scheduled to begin their return trip to Manila on Friday.
GMA Network
23-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Atin Ito civilian mission to proceed despite Sandy Cay incident
Atin Ito Coalition on Friday said its civilian-led mission to the West Philippine Sea from May 26 to 30 will continue despite the recent aggression of Chinese vessels in Sandy Cay. 'We proceed as planned, and we hope to conduct our musical event, ideally and safely within the vicinity of Pagasa Island. Ang dala natin ay kapayapaan sa pamamagitan ng musika, hindi lenguwahe ng giyera,' Atin Ito Coalition convenor Rafaela David said in a statement. (What we bring is peace through music, not the language of war.) 'What happened yesterday at Sandy Cay all the more highlights the need for this civilian-led mission in the WPS, and to impress upon China that Filipinos and citizens of other nations want peace in the region,' she added. David noted that the coalition also prioritizes the safety of the volunteers so necessary contingency measures are in place. A China Coast Guard (CCG) ship reportedly fired water cannon and sideswiped a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel in Pag-asa Cay 2 (Sandy Cay) in the WPS on Thursday. BFAR said its BRP Datu Sanday and BRP Datu Pagbuaya were on a routine mission with a scientific team to collect sand samples in the area. 'At approximately 0913H, CCG vessel 21559 water cannoned and sideswiped the BRP Datu Sanday (MMOV 3002) twice, resulting in some damage to the latter's port bow and smokestack, and putting at risk lives of its civilian personnel onboard,' BFAR said. 'This incident marks the first time water cannons have been used against DA-BFAR research vessels in the area of the Pag-Asa Cays,' it added. CCG said that it took "control measures" against the Philippine vessels which it said "illegally intruded" into waters near Subi Reef and Sandy Cay. Liu Dejun, the CCG spokesperson, claimed that one of the Philippine vessels "dangerously" approached and collided with their ship and that responsibility "lies entirely" with the Philippine side. Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country's claim. The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis." China has refused to recognize the decision. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
South China Morning Post
18-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Filipino activists to hold ‘peace concert' in the South China Sea
A group of Filipino activists has announced plans to sail into the South China Sea for a 'peace and solidarity' concert, using music instead of military might to challenge Beijing's territorial claims and assert Philippine sovereignty in the disputed waterway. Advertisement The Atin Ito ('This Is Ours') coalition, a network of Filipino nationalists and civic groups, announced on Monday that it was sending a civilian convoy of about 100 volunteers into the West Philippine Sea (WPS) – Manila's term for the waters of the South China Sea within the country's exclusive economic zone – on May 25. The group has already conducted two high-profile operations to supply Filipino troops and fishermen. According to co-convenor and Akbayan party-list president Rafaela David, this third operation will deliver goods to support Filipino fishermen in the disputed waterway while also using musical performances as a creative way to assert Philippine sovereignty. 'We are setting sail with a message of peace and solidarity through music. Through the power of art and collective action, we will fight for what is rightfully ours – not with weapons of war, but with the unyielding force of music and solidarity,' David told reporters during Monday's news briefing. Filipino volunteers from the civilian-led relief mission 'Atin Ito!' coalition distribute relief goods to fishermen aboard a motorized wooden boat on the waters of the disputed South China Sea, on May 16, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE 'We will restore peace, solidarity, and cooperation in the region – values that have long bound our nations together, especially among our fisherfolk. These were callously undermined when China unilaterally imposed its baseless claims, resorting to aggression and violence to illegally assert control over waters,' she added.
