Jump to content

Philippines Gun Down China (Taiwan)

Fu Lai

By Fu Lai,
in The Middle Kingdom - 中国

Recommended Posts

Fu Lai

Fu Lai

Posted
Posted (edited)
The latest in this regional hotpoint... another USA-backed country batting at China...

 

TAIPEI - Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin announced on Saturday the suspension of inter-city exchanges with the Philippines after a Taiwanese fisherman was shot dead by Philippine coast guards at sea.

 

The Philippines will also not be allowed to take part in Dragon Boat Festival races in Taipei on June 12, Hau said.

 

Hau condemned the Philippines over the shooting, and called it a violent act to fire upon an unarmed fisherman. He urged the Philippine government to apologize, release investigation reports and hold those responsible to account.

 

He also advised the Taiwanese authorities to take a hard stance on the Philippines by halting Philippine-bound tourism, suspending labor imports from the country and increasing fishing protection patrols.

 

The shooting happened on Thursday morning 164 nautical miles southeast of the southernmost tip of Taiwan, according to the island's coast guard authority.

 

The victim was identified as Hung Shih-Cheng, 65, one of four crew members of the Taiwanese fishing vessel Guang Ta Hsin 28. Hung's body was taken back to Taiwan early Saturday morning.

 

 

Edited by Fu Lai (see edit history)
Link to comment
Fu Lai

Fu Lai

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

MANILA - The explanation Philippine authorities have offered on Thursday's killing of a fisherman from China's Taiwan region is utterly untenable.

In a statement delivered a day after the incident, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) admitted that its officers were responsible for the shooting death of 65-year-old Hung Shih-Cheng.

 

However, the first yet belated official response not only failed to depict a true picture of what happened, but also appeared as an attempt to excuse the shooters' barbaric acts.

 

Firstly, the incident happened some 160 nautical miles southeast of the southernmost tip of the island of Taiwan.

 

The Philippines claimed that the location is in its "exclusive economic zone". But according to Taiwanese authorities, the site is in an overlapping area of the two sides' exclusive economic zones, and no bilateral fishing arrangement has been reached.

 

Moreover, it would be shocking to any reasonable mind that the 13-meter-long "Guang Ta Hsin 28" fishing boat had intended -- as the Philippines alleged -- to ram itself against the 34-meter-long, steel-made and well-equipped maritime surveillance ship.

 

And what the PCG termed as warning shots it was forced to fire left dozens of bullet holes on the unarmed Taiwanese fishing vessel and claimed the life of Hung.

 

Furthermore, Taiwanese authorities said that even when the attacked fishing vessel was fleeing at full speed, the Philippine ship chased it for about one hour.

 

Thursday's episode was not the first time the Philippine side had brutally treated fishermen and fishing boats from China's mainland and Taiwan.

 

Two Chinese fishing boat skippers were killed by Philippine maritime officers respectively in May 2000 and in January 2006. And Chinese fishing boats have also been frequently intercepted and detained by Philippine authorities.

 

On the disputes in the South China Sea, recent years have seen the Philippine government playing little tricks on the one hand while trumpeting its commitment to peaceful solutions on the other.

 

What its coast guard did Thursday, however, not only ran against the peaceful approach Manila has touted, but also violated the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

 

China's mainland and Taiwan have both condemned Thursday's killing and demanded the Philippines conduct a thorough investigation and handle the incident properly.

 

The Philippines should carry out a serious probe and adopt effective measures to prevent repetition of similar events, so as to safeguard China-Philippines relations as well as regional peace and security with genuine sincerity and concrete deeds.

 

Can't be good for the Filipinos to be doing such things.

Link to comment
Fu Lai

Fu Lai

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I had a feeling this would be bigger than the India thing...

 

 

Watch Video

 

Taiwan’s leader Ma Ying-jeou says he will give the Philippines 72-hours to respond to demands regarding the shooting death of the Taiwan fisherman Hung Shih-Cheng, or Taiwan will retaliate.

 

Possible actions include freezing all employment applications by Philippine laborers, recalling its representative to the Philippines and asking the representative of the Philippines in Taipei to leave.

 

In his latest statement, Ma demanded the Philippines apologize, clarify what happened and punish those responsible. He also said the Philippines should offer compensations for the fisherman’s death and damage to the fishing boat. Negotiations with Taiwan should also be started as soon as possible on a fishery agreement. Earlier in the day, Ma Ying-jeou inspected a coast guard drill in central Taiwan.

 

Ma Ying-jeou said, "Once more, we are asking for an apology from the Philippine authorities and that whomever is responsible be punished. We need a guarantee from the Philippines that this will never happen again. Justice will be done for our fellow fisherman, and we will not rule out sanctions toward the Philippines. We will not give up, until the murderer is brought to justice. "

Link to comment
tsap seui

tsap seui

Posted
Posted

Yeah baby, let Taiwan take care of business. Whose side is Uncle gonna take now? hehehe

 

My Gawd, what a world we live in...lol

 

tsap seui

Link to comment
warpedbored

warpedbored

Posted
Posted

Yeah baby, let Taiwan take care of business. Whose side is Uncle gonna take now? hehehe

 

My Gawd, what a world we live in...lol

 

tsap seui

l think Uncle will stay out of it unless China takes action. Both Taiwan and the Philippines are allies although our relationships with both countries are not what they used to be. They closed the Naval bases in the Philippines so now our interests are pretty much all economic. We would have more to lose from pissing China off.

Link to comment
Fu Lai

Fu Lai

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I think the Republic of China is taking action and is fully supported by the mainland judging by the articles produced. Like the Diaoyu Islands, the USA would be better off staying neutral - better off really just backing off a lot of things in east asia.

Seems more and more the USA is just meddling, from Japan to Korea to the Philippines and Taiwan but that is what the US does better than anyone. Besides the kooky DPRK there is no reason the USA needs to be there. But that is just a side rant from a frustrated American.

 

Instead of something armed, the ROC the article states "actions include freezing all employment applications by Philippine laborers, recalling its representative to the Philippines and asking the representative of the Philippines in Taipei to leave." It is this kind of diplomacy which the region supports now and military takes a back seat. Good for them!

Link to comment
Fu Lai

Fu Lai

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

MANILA, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte on Sunday extended sincere sympathies and condolences to the family of the fisherman from China's Taiwan region who was killed by men from the Philippine Coast Guard Thursday.

She said in a statement on Sunday, "As the Philippine Coast Guard has stated, we express our heartfelt sorrow on the unfortunate situation that occurred during one of the anti-illegal fishing patrols conducted by a Philippine fishery law enforcement vessel (MCS 3001) within the maritime jurisdiction (waters off the Batanes group of islands) of the Philippines on the morning of May 9, which tragically resulted in the death of a fisherman from one of the fishing vessels reportedly poaching in the area."

"We extend our sincere and deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family of the victim," she added.

But, she failed to make an apology as requested by officials and people from Taiwan. Moreover, Valte described the killing of Taiwan fisherman happened in Philippine territorial waters. But Taiwan coast guard authority said the shooting happened at 164 nautical miles southeast of the southernmost tip of Taiwan.

She added that Resident Representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan Antonio Basilio has visited the family of the victim and extended condolences and offered his apologies.

Asked if the apology is an acknowledgment that the Philippines authorities made a mistake, Valte said at a news briefing that it was more of an "expression of heartfelt sorrow at the unfortunate incident," stressing that investigations are ongoing and it would be better to wait for the results of the probe.

Valte said the Philippine Coast Guard investigation started with the recall and relief of the commander and crew of the MCS 3001.

 

This is just not cutting it... it's a very good thing their investigations are ongoing, they're on the clock.

Link to comment
Fu Lai

Fu Lai

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

 

Taipei imposed further sanctions on Manila on Wednesday, despite an apology from Philippine President Benigno Aquino that attempted to ease a weeklong rift between the two economies.

 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20130515/180373cf843212fe1bce07.jpg

Philippine special envoy Amadeo Perez and Philippine envoy in Taipei Antonio Basilio (right) meet the media in Taipei on Wednesday. Philippine President Benigno Aquino apologized on Wednesday for the killing of a fisherman from Taiwan and called for calm, after Taiwan suspended the hiring of Filipino workers and threatened more sanctions. Agence France-Presse

 

TIMELINE

May 9: The Taiwan fishing boat Guang Ta Hsin 28 was attacked by a Philippine government vessel in an overlapping area of the two sides' exclusive economic zones, killing the 65-year-old skipper, Hung Shih-cheng.

Friday: Manila admitted the shooting, but remained unapologetic.

Saturday: In the evening, Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Philippines to apologize, clarify the truth, punish those held responsible, or face severe sanctions.

Tuesday: In the evening, just hours before the ultimatum's expiration, Manila agreed to apologize.

Wednesday: Antonio Basilio, the Philippines' resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan, apologized during a joint news conference with Lin Yung-lo, Taiwan's "minister of foreign affairs".

Wednesday: In the morning, Taipei officially announced the first round of sanctions against the Philippines and vowed further sanctions if demands are not met.

Wednesday: In the afternoon, Philippine presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda confirmed that Aquino apologized for the killing and called for calm. At 6 pm, Taipei's second round of sanctions were initiated, including a red alert on travel to the Philippines and suspension of high-level exchanges between the two economies.

Wednesday: In the evening, Manila's special envoy Amadeo Perez extended "heartfelt apology to the family of the fisherman who was shot in the channel between Taiwan and the Philippines".

At an unexpected news conference, a Philippine presidential spokesman said Aquino had sent the chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office to Taiwan as his personal representative to make the apology on behalf of Aquino and the Filipino people.

Just hours after the apology, Jiang Yi-huah, chief of Taiwan's executive body, announced the initiation of the second wave of sanctions against the Philippines, with measures such as suspension of high-level exchanges between the two.

Jiang said the Philippines has not shown sufficient sincerity and has been oscillating in its handling of the case, making it necessary for Taipei to take further action, Taiwan media reported.

The new sanctions also remove the Philippines from Taiwan's visa-waiver program and suspend economic exchanges, fishery cooperation, science and technology cooperation, as well as bilateral aviation negotiations.

In Manila's news conference, spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino will convey his and the Filipino people's deep regret and apology to the family of Hung Shih-cheng, the 65-year-old fishing captain shot dead last week by Filipino coast guard, as well as to the people of Taiwan over the unfortunate and unintended loss of life.

Lacierda urged Taiwan not to implement sanctions and to reverse its decision to ban new Filipino workers, AFP reported.

He did not mention compensation, but said Aquino had asked the Manila Economic and Cultural Office to make "donations" to the dead fisherman's family. He did not say how much would be donated.

Yang Baoyun, an expert on Southeast Asian studies at Peking University, said the word "donation", instead of "compensation", is likely to irritate the Taiwan public as it shows Manila's lack of sincerity.

Amadeo Perez, the special envoy, arrived at Taipei at Wednesday noon. After a 40-minute meeting with Taiwan officials in the evening, Perez extended "heartfelt apology to the family of the fisherman who was shot in the channel between Taiwan and the Philippines".

Perez said he will further discuss issues related to the event with Taiwan's officials on Thursday.

An investigation panel from Taiwan is expected to arrive in Manila on Thursday to join the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation's inquiry, which started on Monday.

Experts said Manila's late and sloppy apology fell short of satisfying Taipei's requests and easing public indignation.

Yang said the Manila-Taipei confrontation from the shooting is getting more complicated as Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou, supported by almost unanimous public opinion, is determined not to back down over the incident.

 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20130515/180373cf843212fe1c0408.jpg

Sailors from Taiwan take part in a joint drill on a Kidd-class destroyer outside a naval base in Kaohsiung port, southern Taiwan, on Wednesday. Pichi Chuang / Reuters

 

Holy crap the newly elected government of the Philippines screwed up bad

Link to comment
  • 4 weeks later...
Fu Lai

Fu Lai

Posted
  • Author
Posted
(Xinhua)
Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima confirmed on Thursday the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had recommended the filing of criminal and administrative cases against members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) involved in the killing of a Taiwan fisherman last month.

In a text message from Spain where she is attending the World Congress Against Death Penalty, de Lima confirmed that the PCG men involved in the incident may be held criminally and administratively liable, but she declined to state categorically what charges should be filed based on the recommendations of the NBI in its fact-finding report.

 

De Lima said the report has already been submitted to President Benigno Aquino III, who has the prerogative to either adopt it as it is, or subject it to another layer of review by his own legal team.

"I'm confirming that the NBI already submitted the report. I forwarded the report (to Aquino) before I left for Madrid. The NBI recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges (but) I cannot disclose yet what exactly the charges had been recommended until it is disclosed by the president. So let's not preempt the reaction of the president," she said in a phone interview with reporters.

 

She also declined to comment on whether she agreed with the supposed NBI finding of a security lapse, unnecessary use of excessive force and violation of the rules of engagement on the part of the PCG.

 

"I cannot disclose yet the findings of the report. So if I keep answering those questions then I will be disclosing already the specifics of the findings... Until the president approves or adopts the report it would be improper to disclose it," she said.

 

De Lima however hinted that the NBI would make use of the murder complaint filed by the victim's daughter, Hung Tzu Chien, before the Pingtung prosecutor's office in Taiwan.

 

"If the filing of recommended criminal charges is approved, the NBI would need a private complainant, so that would be the daughter of the fisherman. The NBI is looking at it (murder charge) as a private complaint," she said.

 

A source at the bureau who requested anonymity said that NBI probers were able to establish at least one of the six elements of murder under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code, specifically the fact that the Taiwan fishermen were unarmed at the time the coast guard fired at their vessel.

 

Investigators also claimed that the coast guard team might have violated the rules of engagement in allegedly using excessive force to drive away the supposed intruding fishermen, resulting in the death of Hung Shih-Cheng.

 

On May 9, PCG officers shot and killed 65-year-old Hung at sea 164 nautical miles southeast of Taiwan. The Philippine coast guard admitted later firing at the Taiwan fishing vessel.

Investigation teams respectively organized by Taiwan and the Philippines have completed "parallel investigations" on the incident.

Link to comment

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...