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https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/26/thitu-island-philippines-south-china-sea-tensions-pag-asa-fishing-community>
"From the sandy beaches of Thitu Island, blue waters stretch for as far as the
eye can see. It feels like a tranquil paradise: there’s no noisy road traffic,
air pollution or crowds. But Thitu is not a luxury retreat, it’s a tiny island
in the remote Spratly chain and one of the world’s most fiercely contested
maritime sites.
Thitu has been occupied by the Philippines since 1974 and is home to 387
civilians. However, China also claims the island and much of the surrounding
South China Sea. Thitu and its people are on the frontline of an intensifying
struggle against their superpower neighbour.
As is the case for many other features in the South China Sea, even the name of
the island is controversial. The Philippines calls it Pag-asa Island (meaning
“hope” in Tagalog), while the other claimants, China, Vietnam and Taiwan, use
separate names. The name Thitu is used by international courts.
“We will not leave the island, no matter what happens,” says Larry Hugo, the
head of the fisherfolk association on Thitu. Over the years he has been chased
by Chinese vessels and has seen the number of Chinese boats plying the waters
off Thitu grow in number, joined by aircraft and even drones overhead, he says.
“It seems like Pag-asa is under surveillance. They are watching over what
residents of Pag-asa Island are doing. They are more now than before.”
Residents have lived with the threat of China for years, but recently tensions
in the South China Sea have escalated. Earlier this year, Chinese vessels in
effect imposed a blockade to stop Philippine resupply missions from reaching
troops based at Second Thomas Shoal, which lies 121 nautical miles away from
Thitu, with the Philippines repeatedly accusing China of ramming its boats and
blasting them with water cannon.
This month, two Filipino coastguard ships were damaged in a collision with
Chinese vessels at another site, Sabina Shoal, in the first such incident there
in recent memory. Both Sabina and Second Thomas fall within the Philippines’
exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Thitu does not.
On Friday, Chinese state media drew attention to Thitu, saying the Philippines
could “stir up trouble” through its presence on the island and accusing Manila
of “illegally” occupying it and expanding military infrastructure. Then on
Sunday, Philippines and Chinese vessels clashed near Sabina Shoal over what
Manila said was a resupply mission for fishers, and what China’s coast guard
termed an “illegal” entry into its waters.
China also introduced new regulations in June that empower its coastguard to
detain foreigners accused of so-called trespassing. Thitu’s fishers now go out
only in larger groups, says Hugo. “We discussed that if one of us is arrested,
all of us will join,” he says."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
