Philippine Artists, Youths, Pil-Ams joins July 24 “global day of protests.” against China's arrogance & Invasions

 

Philippine Group Plans Global Anti-China Protests

By  Zachary Keck

 

On Wednesday a new coalition of Philippine groups announced their intention to hold anti-China protests across the world on July 24.

 

The West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) coalition said that it will convene protests over the South China Sea dispute on July 24 in various cities around the world, including Manila, various cities in the U.S., London, Rome, Sydney, Copenhagen, and Israel, among others, local media outlets reported, citing a press conference the coalition held on Wednesday. The protests will be held outside Chinese embassies and consulate buildings, the group said.

 

The West Philippine Sea coalition is comprised of numerous former Philippine officials, led by former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III and including former National Security Adviser Rolio Golez. Local media described the coalition as consisting of "former government officials, youth leaders, netizens and even Filipino-Americans," while others noted that musicians and artists would also be participating in the rallies.

 

Golez told reporters on Wednesday that, "This protest rally is only going to be the start of something that we intend to become bigger, not only in the Philippines but worldwide, in order to tell the world what is happening in our backyard – the bullying that's being done by our big neighbor."

 

Meanwhile, Alunan said that July 24 was a "global day of protests." He added: "We protest the belligerent and blatant disregard of international laws in the West Philippine Sea. We ask China to respect the rule of law and be a good neighbor."

 

Vonz Santos, head of the NGO U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance, said his group was leading the effort in North America, where it is planning protests in Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Denver, and Atlanta.

 

The U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance has previously organized protests in U.S. cities over the South China Sea issue, which have been attended by hundreds of people.

 

The main site of the protests in the Philippines will be outside the Chinese Consulate in Makati City in metro Manila. Local newspapers said crowds of up to 5,000 people were expected to attend.

 

A similar protest outside the Chinese Consulate in May 2012 only drew about 200 protestors, way below the expected number of attendees.

 

Protests over sovereignty issues are common in much of the region, including Vietnam, which like the Philippines is often at odds with China over overlapping claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea.

 

China itself has witnessed numerous anti-Japan protests, most recently last year after Japan moved to nationalize the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands.

 

China and the Philippines have been at odds over overlapping claims in the South China Sea for years, which has led to prolonged standoffs on a number of occasions. Last year a standoff over the Scarborough Shoal saw China effectively seize control of the area through conducting frequent patrols.

 

The Philippines have sought to counter this move by bolstering its own defenses while strengthening ties to key allies like the United States and Japan.

 

Last month the Philippines announced it was considering giving Washington and Tokyo increased access to a naval base in Subic Bay to both Washington and Tokyo. Reuters reported on Tuesday the agreement currently being negotiated between the U.S. and the Philippines is far more expansive than public announcements let on.

 

The Philippines has also appealed to international tribunals to help mediate its dispute with China. Just this week the Philippines announced that a five-member tribunal under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea had convened to hear Filipino complaints against China. The Philippines had asked China to join it in seeking international adjudication for their dispute, but Beijing demurred.

 

the Diplomat

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United Nations tribunal starts arbitration process on Philippines -China sea dispute

A United Nations tribunal has been convened in the Netherlands to look into a complaint filed by the Philippines questioning the legality of China's massive territorial claim in the resource-rich South China Sea.

 

"The Philippine government is pleased that the Arbitral Tribunal is now formally constituted, and that the arbitration process has begun," Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez told a press briefing Tuesday.

   

The progress in the Philippines's legal challenge against China comes amid increasing animosity between the two Asian neighbors due to their long-standing territorial conflict.

 

Manila and Beijing recently traded diplomatic barbs over the Philippines's decision to seek international arbitration - the latest manifestation of a longstanding territorial feud between the two countries over South China Sea territories.

 

Recently, the conflict was reignited with tense confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in two disputed shoals – Scarborough and Ayungin – off Manila's western coasts.

 

At their first meeting on July 11, the President and Members of the Tribunal designated The Hague in the Netherlands as the seat of the arbitration and the Permanent Court of Arbitration as the Registry for the proceedings, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

 

Part of the process is to determine if the tribunal has jurisdiction over Manila's complaint. The case will only proceed once the tribunal decides that the complaint filed by the Philippines has legal merit and falls under its jurisdiction.

 

"Whether they have decided jurisdiction, they will publicly announce this," Hernandez said.

 

Manila pledged its "fullest cooperation" with the tribunal "in order to assure a fair, impartial and efficient process that produces a final and binding judgment in conformity with international law."

 

Set of rules

 

At the July 11 meeting, the tribunal approved a draft set of Rules of Procedure to govern the proceedings, which were sent to the Philippines and China for comment.

 

The tribunal requested both parties to submit their comments by August 5, along with their proposed schedule for the submission of their written pleadings.

 

With or without China's response, the proceedings will carry on, Hernandez said.

 

The Philippine government and its counsel, Paul Reichler of Foley and Hoag, are now studying the draft Rules of Procedure, and will submit the required documents requested by the tribunal, Hernandez said.

 

The DFA, he added, will issue statements from time to time to keep the public informed about the progress of the arbitration.

 

Information will also be made available to the public on the website of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

 

Source of conflict

 

The Philippines sought arbitration under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) last January to try to declare as "illegal" China's nine-dash claim, which covers almost all of the South China Sea, including sections that have been declared as the West Philippine Sea.

 

China has resisted Manila's move to let a U.N. body intervene in the disputes, saying the Philippines' case was legally infirm and carried unacceptable allegations.

 

China prefers to negotiate one on one with other claimants, which would give it advantage because of its sheer size compared to smaller rivals that have less military force.

 

The South China Sea - a strategic waterway and major trade route – had been a source of conflict among competing claimants the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, China and Taiwan.

 

The vast waters are dotted with islands, reefs, cays, shoals and rock formations. The region is believed to be rich in natural gas and oil deposits, and analysts say the competing claims could spark a military conflict in the region.

 

Tensions in the area spiked anew last year after the Philippines and Vietnam separately accused China of fresh incursions in areas they say fall within their sovereign waters. - VVP/YA

 

GMA News

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