DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
5/15/2013
Little noticed over the din of the last elections is a mounting tsunami of rage and potential for economic-political retaliation from the Taiwan government and people over the killing by elements of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) of 65-year old Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-Cheng of the fishing vessel Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28.
At first blush the PCG contention seems to be an open-and-shut case as Rear Adm. Rodolfo Isorena claimed the Taiwanese fishing vessels were "poaching" in the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ), 43 nautical miles east of the Balintang Islands which is just about 40 kilometers North-North East of the Babuyan Islands. The PCG defended its use of high caliber weaponry claiming the Taiwanese fishing vessel tried to ram the PCG patrol vessel.
At first blush the PCG contention seems to be an open-and-shut case as Rear Adm. Rodolfo Isorena claimed the Taiwanese fishing vessels were "poaching" in the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ), 43 nautical miles east of the Balintang Islands which is just about 40 kilometers North-North East of the Babuyan Islands. The PCG defended its use of high caliber weaponry claiming the Taiwanese fishing vessel tried to ram the PCG patrol vessel.
Protests exploded in Taiwan and the grief stricken family of the dead Taiwanese fisherman dominated Taiwan news media. Taiwanese fishermen threw eggs at the Philippines' representative office in Taipei and burned images of the Philippines' flag. Protesters included members of the New Taipei-based National Fishermen's Association, as well as from other fishermen's associations in Hsinchu and Yilan. Politics entered the picture as the opposition DPP (Democratic People's Party) criticized as weak the actions of ruling Kuomintang (KMT) president Ma Ying-jeou who has threatened to cut the employment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) (87,000 there) unless the Philippine government meets a deadline (Tuesday, midnight) for an investigation, official apology (which the Philippine government is hesitant to make) and compensation for the bereaved family.
The mainland China English news channel CCTV 9 also covered closely the Taiwan fisherman's tragic death. I first understood the Taiwanese perspective on the controversy from CCTV 9 in an interview with a Taiwanese lady politician and two foreign affairs analysts. Taiwan's view is not covered much in the Philippine media. After hearing their view the PCG's defense of its action may not be as tenable as it first looked. The Philippine's claim of the fishing vessel being in Philippine EEZ is only half the story, the other half is that that same area is just 165 miles off the Taiwan coast and within the 200 miles EEZ of Taiwan. Thus, the area is an overlapping EEZ. According to the Law of the Sea, when EEZs overlap or coastal baselines are less than 400 nautical miles apart, it is up to the states to negotiate the actual maritime boundary.
The Philippines may argue that the location where the incident occurred is a point closer to the Philippine coastal baseline and defaults to the nearest state or the Philippines. The more difficult case for the Philippines is the use of heavy armament against the unarmed Taiwanese fishing vessels, and the contention that the fishing vessel tried to ram the clearly heavily armed PCG vessel. Why would an unarmed vessel manned by scrawny, ordinary fishermen, as obvious from the video footages of the crews, dare to assault another armed vessel? Worse, if the Taiwanese view is validated, the Taiwan news reports claim the PCG shots were fired 52 rounds at the rear of the fishing vessel which was apparently speeding away instead of confronting the PCG vessel. The PCG claimed it wanted to disable the "poachers," but 52 rounds do seem excessive.
On CCTV 9 a Chinese foreign relations expert emphasized that the Philippine maritime officers have killed Chinese fisherman before the last time in 2006. He added that 30 incidents of arrests have been recorded over the years, and often demands for ransom for the release of the fishermen were made. The Hong Kong Tourist Massacre incident in Luneta was recalled and opprobrium heaped on Philippine police and governance. The Taiwanese lawmaker added that given the facts, the US must take a position on the side of the Taiwanese against it other ally, the Philippines; implying that otherwise, In the "new era of cross-straits relations" (PROC and Taiwan) where the US does not count as much as previously, Taiwan can gravitate closer to China if the US does not support the Taiwanese case. Taiwan's bitterness can be a coup for PROC's diplomacy.
A fellow Filipino said to me "Why should be stand for a 'deadline' from a country of only 20-million people (Taiwan)?" The Philippines often feels it is always in the losing end of disputes with its northern neighbors of the China or West Philippines Sea, but a lot of its woes has to do with its own failings. Besides, the Taiwanese did lose a life to the PCG, just as the Hong Kong people lost eight killed in the Luneta, and we do have 87,000 OFWs in Taiwan and China does buy billions from Filipino exporters. But the Philippines is in a hapless position not because of them but because it has the kind of leaders like those unremarkable top senators chosen in the last elections who can never oppose US-local oligarchy, corporatist corruption and economic abuse and exploitation impoverishing this country.
(Tune to 1098AM, 5 to 6 p.m., Tuesday to Friday; Destiny Cable, Channel 8, Sat. 8pm and Sun 8am: this week "Circus Over: What to expect"; visit: http//www.newkatipunero.blogspot.com)
