Manila: China has been charged by the Philippines for destructive activities and obstacles and reinstalling a barrier at the disputed Scarborough Shoal. It was blockaded and seized from Manila in 2012 by Beijing.
According to Jay Tarriela, spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), two Philippine ships on navigational patrol faced four China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels and six crafts from its marine militia in the area. A ship from the PCG and another from CCG were involved in a water cannon incident near a shoal called Bajo de Masinloc.
The attack took place around 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) away from the shoal. The PCG ship was struck by a water cannon when it was about 1,000 yards (914 meters) away from the shoal, while the other ship was hit by a water cannon from one of the CCG crafts.
A social media post by Tarriela mentioned that the ship’s barrier and canopy were vandalised, and a video chaperoning the post showed a water cannon striking the dockyard and starboard sides of the craft.
Tarriela noted in his post that, “This damage serves as evidence of the forceful water pressure used by the China Coast Guard in their harassment of the Philippine vessels.” Beijing recently proclaimed that it banished Philippine crafts from a conventional fishing ground that also delivers protection in stormy weather.
The zone in question is encountered about 220 kilometres (137 miles) off the coast of the Philippines and within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) – which is a location that lengthens some 200 nautical miles (about 370 kilometres) from a country’s coast, as described by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
PCG spokesman declared that China also reinstalled a barricade about 415 yards (380 metres) long across the opening to the shoal. China installed a barrier last year, but the Philippines withdrew it in September, mentioning that it transgressed international maritime law.
Several incidents occurred between the Philippines and China in and around the challenged reef in the South China Sea. Beijing proclaims the area almost completely under a nine-dash line, which an international tribunal considered invalid in 2016.
The city of Manila appealed to the court after China took control of Scarborough Shoal over ten years ago. Despite the legislation, China disregarded it and persistently affirmed its claim over the disputed territory. Additionally, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam also assert regions of the sea encircling their coasts.
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