Philippines Vs Taiwan... Troubled Waters

no_name

Colonel
Apparently Philippines forces opened fir on a Taiwanese fishing boat operating in open sea, killing one Taiwanese fisherman.

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A crew member of a Taiwanese trawler was killed Thursday morning after being fired upon by a Philippine Navy ship in the disputed area of the South China Sea, media reports in Taipei and Beijing said.

The online Taiwan News said the incident took place at 10 a.m. “about halfway between the southern tip of Taiwan and the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, in an area where territorial rights overlap.”

The report identified the fatality as Hung Shih-cheng, 65, father of the captain of the vessel Kuang Ta Hsing 28 registered in Pingtung County.

The other crew members included Hung’s son-in-law and an Indonesian citizen, reports said.

Tsai Jih-yao, deputy director-general of the Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture, said the fishing trawler, which was fishing for tuna, was so severely damaged it lost engine power.

No official statement has been issued by the Philippine government.

Sought for comment, officials of the Navy, Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said they have not received any such report, a news account in Taiwan said.

"If warships were involved in such an event, we would be the first one to receive the news," the report quoted an Armed Forces of the Philippines officer as saying.

The report also quoted a Philippine official as saying, “The incident happened in waters far away from the shore. We don't have any ship over there.”

According to Taiwan News, the Taiwanese government has asked its representative in Manila and the Philippine representative in Taipei to provide more details.

The Philippines, which adheres to the One-China Policy, has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but the two countries maintain economic and cultural offices in Manila and Taipei which serve as de facto embassies.

A Xinhua report said the spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, Yang Yi, strongly condemned the killing describing it as “barbaric.”

“We are in deep mourning over the fisherman's death and express condolence over the shooting," Yang said.

The fishermen’s organization in Pingtung urged Taiwan government to protest to Manila and demand compensation. They said the ship had been effectively destroyed, with its engines and nets completely destroyed, Taiwan News said.

Taiwan, like China, claims the whole of the South China Sea where the Spratlys consisting of some 160 islands are located. Some of the islands are also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia. Taiwan occupies the biggest island, Itu Aba.

Thursday’s encounter happened two days after the Philippines warned China against trespassing its maritime borders after it was reported that China was sending a flotilla, including 30 fishing vessels, to the Spratly Islands.

Taiwan News said another fishing ship was on its way from the Pingtung County harbor of Tungkang to provide assistance to the trawler, which is located 180 nautical miles southeast of Erluanbi, the southernmost tip of the island of Taiwan and still had a crew of three on board. The Coast Guard was reportedly also sending a ship to help out, reports said.

(VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for “true.”)

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plawolf

Lieutenant General
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

If that report is accurate, than this is about as comprehensive a screw up as it is possible to get.

Firing on unarmed fishing boats is bad enough, but somehow letting it get away despite it having engine damage and then to not report it to their superiors. That's three levels of screw ups right there, and gives China and Taiwan the perfect reason to form a unified front and deploy ships of their own to disputed waters to monitor the situation and safeguard their own fishermen.

China and Taiwan should also demand that the Thai government explain themselves, and if the Thai government does not take ownership of this incident as a government directed operation, they should demand that the captain of the Thai ship and anyone else deemed to be responsible be handed over to be tried in China or Taiwan for murder.

If Thailand refuses, that opens the door for China and Taiwan and deploy warships to patrol disputed waters with Thailand, and only Thailand since China and Taiwan would have lost faith with Thailand's ability to control their own military. It would also serve as a warning against anyone else getting trigger happy with Chinese fishing boats.

That is the only way you can get bullies to back down and respect you. Appeasement will just make the, bolder and make it harder to rein them in later.

Too bad the Chinese government probably won't have the balls to be so bold.
 

no_name

Colonel
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

^^^ It's the Philippines, not Thailand. :)

I don't not know why they would open fire on an unarmed boat unless they had approval from superior. Manila hasn't offered explanations yet so that does not help.

Wondering if the fishing boat is flying any flags.
 

ManilaBoy45

Junior Member
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

The reports are sketchy and unconfirmed, this might just be another propaganda from the mainland ...
 

justadude

New Member
Registered Member
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

The reports are sketchy and unconfirmed, this might just be another propaganda from the mainland ...

No, its true. It is in the front pages of our(Taiwan) newspapers. Our govt has lodge a complaint with your govt. Hopefully, because of the island issues, China and Taiwan will draw closer to each other, by defending our territories.
 
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AssassinsMace

Lieutenant General
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

Interesting... Did the Filipinos think it was a boat from the Mainland so they fired. Or did they fire because they knew it wasn't from the Mainland?
 

AssassinsMace

Lieutenant General
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

I think it says a lot. If they thought they were shooting a mainland ship that means the Philippines wanted to start a conflict. Were they going to say the Chinese fired first as the cover story? If they knew it wasn't from the mainland, then the Filipinos are no different from what conspiracy they portray of China since they have this violent incident and the attack on Malaysia.
 

joshuatree

Captain
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

The reports are sketchy and unconfirmed, this might just be another propaganda from the mainland ...

Based on what? You don't like the report that puts the Philippines in bad light and question it's authenticity but in the same breath cast a conjecture with no confirmation or evidence but just your bias.
 

joshuatree

Captain
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

I think it says a lot. If they thought they were shooting a mainland ship that means the Philippines wanted to start a conflict. Were they going to say the Chinese fired first as the cover story? If they knew it wasn't from the mainland, then the Filipinos are no different from what conspiracy they portray of China since they have this violent incident and the attack on Malaysia.

If there are bullets recovered from the fishing boat and victim, forensics should be done to narrow down type of weapon. That would help at least indicate an armed force such as a naval vessel or coast guard, or indicate armed bandits.
 
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