Chinese Bullying Forces Christmas Convoy To Abort WPS Trip

A convoy of civilian boats planning to deliver provisions to Filipino fishermen and troops in the disputed South China Sea aborted the trip on Sunday, Dec. 10, after “constant shadowing” by Chinese vessels, the organizer said.

The “Christmas convoy,” which departed Palawan early on Sunday, was being led by dozens of volunteers on two boats carrying food, water and other donations.

Akbayan party president Rafaela David, co-convenor of ATIN ITO! that organized the mission, said in a statement on Sunday that the captain of the mother ship, M/V Kapitan Felix Oca, deemed the situation unsafe based on his expertise and experience as a veteran civilian captain.

David said several Chinese vessels conducted dangerous maneuvers.

Earlier, the group said it changed course after a confrontation between Philippine and Chinese vessels earlier in the day.

The group noted it was “erring on the side of caution” in consultation with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and had decided to return to El Nido in Palawan “after the constant shadowing of four Chinese vessels.”

The Chinese vessels included two Navy ships, one China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel and one Chinese cargo ship, the group said in a statement.

Fishermen in 40 wooden outrigger boats who had joined the convoy would also return to shore, said Emman Hizon of Atin Ito.

“Even going back to El Nido, they are still being shadowed by two Chinese Navy and one Chinese Coast Guard.”

ATIN ITO! leaders reported that the two Chinese vessels shadowed M/V Kapitan Felix Oca at 3:40 pm on Sunday starting at the south of Kayumanggi Bank on its way to Lawak Island to drop off supplies to fishermen and frontliners.

“A Chinese Navy warship traveling in the opposite direction and another shadowing closely heightened concerns,” David said.

The group said one of the most dangerous moments occurred when a fast-moving CCG ship reportedly intersected with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel, BRP Melchora Aquino.

The PCG escorted the convoy as it travelled through the hotly contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely

“If it were only up to us and the Philippine Coast Guard, we would like to proceed with the Christmas convoy. However, we recognize and respect the expertise and experience of the captain,” David stressed.

David said that the danger faced by the mission was heightened due to the recent and subsequent water cannon attacks done by Chinese maritime vessels against government supply missions in the Bajo de Masinloc and Ayungin Shoal.

“There remains a single narrative: West Philippine Sea (WPS), atin ito! As Filipinos, we are united in the fight for what is rightfully ours. Let's not lose sight of the true threat within our territory. As China intensifies its aggression within our territory, we should also scale up our unity," David asserted.

Despite the development, ATIN ITO! declared the mission a significant accomplishment as the first ever civilian-led supply mission in the WPS.

It also emphasized the successful collaboration among civil society, media, and the government, and media’s freedom to broadcast live in the area, including the first-ever participation of foreign journalists. The campaign network said that it will turn over all donations and supplies to the PCG for immediate distribution to WPS fisherfolk communities and frontliners.

"This marks the inaugural civilian-led supply mission in the West Philippine Sea, with many more to come. Our goal is to regularize and normalize the travel and movement of the Filipino people in this region. After all, it is ours,” David said.

The Philippines has outposts on nine reefs and islands in the Spratlys. It was not immediately clear how far the convoy got before turning back.

The coalition said previously the convoy aimed to highlight the living and working conditions of Filipino fishermen and personnel, and to defend the country’s maritime territorial rights.

The convoy had planned to go past Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin), where a handful of Filipino troops are stationed on a grounded warship, on its way to the Philippine-held Nanshan Island (Lawak) where donations would be left.

A collision and confrontation between Philippine and Chinese vessels near the reef, however, forced organizers to reroute the convoy to head straight towards Nanshan.

Both countries’ coast guards blamed the other for Sunday’s collision, the latest in an escalating series of such conflicts in the disputed sea. Manila also accused Chinese vessels of firing water cannon at its boats.

David said earlier the Chinese actions had endangered “the safety of our civilian supply mission.”

“(It) also runs counter to the principles of human rights that the international community upholds, and our rightful claims to the West Philippine Sea,” David said.

“We joined the (convoy) ... because we need to fight for what is rightfully ours,” said Maureen Ignacio, whose family depends on fishing in Bataan province, near Manila.

Organizers had originally hoped to visit the troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-vintage warship grounded on Ayungin Shoal in 1999.

The rusty hulk has long been a flashpoint for Manila and Beijing, with several recent incidents involving Philippine and Chinese vessels straining diplomatic relations.

But the National Security Council advised the organizers to pass only within the “general vicinity” of the reef, where Chinese vessels regularly patrol.