'Chinese militia' nagbalik sa Iroquois Reef, Union Banks ng West Philippine Sea — ulat
MANILA, Philippines — Muling nagsusulputan ang ilang dayuhang sasakyang pandagat, na pinaghihinalaang mga Tsino, sa ilang bahura at banks na matatagpuan sa loob ng West Philippine Sea — bagay na parehong bahagi ng exclusive economic zone (EEZ) ng bansa.
Nangyayari ito kahit na naghain na ng protesta si Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. nitong ika-30 ng Setyembre dahil sa Chinese fishing vessels sa kalugaran ng Iroquois Reef.
"Recent imagery shows that the number of ships at Iroquois has fallen since the Philippine protest, but it also suggests that many of those vessels likely headed back to Union Banks, where numbers are now reaching the levels seen in March," wika ng Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative nitong Sabado.
"When international outcry or patrols by other claimants convince them to leave a disputed feature, they disperse to nearby reefs for a time. But their overall numbers in the Spratlys remain consistent."
Latest @AsiaMTI feature on the Chinese maritime militia's shell game in the Spratlys. Dispersed from Whitsun/Union Banks in March, they headed to other reefs including Iroquois. Now they're back at Union Banks in force. https://t.co/Vq8A1hqXyo pic.twitter.com/Le9COQjiiD
— Greg Poling (@GregPoling) October 22, 2021
Sa pagsusuri ng AMTI sa satellite imagery, lumalabas na nagsimulang magtipon ang Chinese militia vessels sa Iroquois nitong Abril matapos magsialisan ang nasa 200 sasakyang pandagat na nagtipon at Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef sa loob ng Union Banks ngayong 2021 lang.
Matatagpuan ang Iroquois sa timog bahagi ng Recto (Reed) Bank, na sakop ng 200 nautical mile EEZ ng Pilipinas. Sinasabing mayaman ito sa mga likas yaman gaya ng langis at gas. Dito rin napalubog ng isang Chinese vessel ang Filipino fishing boat na F/B Gem-Ver noong 2019.
"Ranging in size from 40-50 meters, the first ships are visible in imagery as early as April 9," patuloy ng AMTI.
"The average number of vessels fell back to 15 in August before rising again to 30 in late September."
'Naglipatan sa Union Banks'
Sa pag-alis ng mga Chinese vessel sa Julian Felipe Reef, namataang nagsilipatan naman sa isa pang erya sa loob ng Philippine EEZ ang mga nabanggit — sa Union Banks na 120 nautical miles lang kanluran ng Philippine coast.
"In early August, imagery showed only an average of 40 vessels visible in the northern half of Union Banks, which includes Whitsun Reef. By September, over 100 boats were visible. And in an image from October 17, well over 150 ships can be seen," wika pa ng AMTI.
"These numbers include some Vietnamese coastguard and fishing boats, but the vast majority are Chinese fishing vessels 50 meters or more in length."
Ang ilang barko gaya ng Yue Tai Yu (pinagmamay-arian ng Taishan Fancheng Fisheries Development), Zhu Xiang 1163 at Qiong Sanya Yu 72186 ay makikitang nagbro-broadcast ng AIS sa commercial platform Marine Traffic.
Ika-20 lang ng Oktubre nang sabihin ng Department of Foreign Affairs na naghain sila ng mga panibagong diplomatic protests laban sa Tsina dahil sa sari-saring radio challenges, pagpapatunog ng sierna at iba pang provocative acts sa South China Sea na aabot sa 200.
Nangyayari ang lahat ng ito kahit na Setyembre lang ay nanawagan ang Estados Unidos sa Tsina na sumunod sa 2016 arbitral ruling na pumapanig sa Pilipinas pagdating sa pamamahala ng West Philippine Sea, na nasa loob ng South China Sea.
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