They have filed a formal complaint with an international tribunal. Two former Philippine government officials, along with a group of Filipino fishermen, filed a complaint last Thursday with the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing China's President Xi Jinping of "crimes against humanity" for irreversible environmental degradation caused by China's construction projects on reefs and atolls in the South China Sea. Albert del Rosario, the former foreign secretary, and former anti-corruption chief Conchita Carpio-Morales, issued the complaint. They accuse China of "seriously undermining the food and energy security of coastal states in the South China Sea." "It presents one of the most massive, near permanent and devastating destruction of the environment in humanity's history," said del Rosario in a statement. "This adversely affects not only 320,000 Filipino fishermen, but also present and future generations across nations." "We demand accountability from those who destroy marine … [Read more...] about Philippines’ ex-top officials say China commit ‘crimes against humanity’ in South China Sea
Disputed islands in south china sea
Vietnam, Philippines stand side by side in South China Sea security
The Hanoitimes - Given China’s aggressiveness in the sea, Vietnam and the Philippines are calling for the completion and implementation of a Code of Conduct (COC) draft in the disputed region. World experts gather in Vietnam for South China Sea issues following recent tensions Vietnam's top diplomat discusses South China Sea issues in Manila Vietnam and the Philippines taken steps together in settling maritime issues in the South China Sea, to which Vietnam refers as the East Sea, amid escalating tensions in the region which China claims the majority. Vietnamese Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich and Filipino Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in Hanoi on March 10. Photo: Tienphong Earlier this month, Filipino Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana visited Vietnam for a bilateral meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich. The Philstar quoted Delfin Lorenzana as saying that the two sides discussed how to navigate the issue in the face of the … [Read more...] about Vietnam, Philippines stand side by side in South China Sea security
Vietnam demands China, Philippines to restrain in South China Sea
The Hanoitimes - Vietnamese Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said all parties must act responsibly while seeking peaceful solutions to maritime disputes. China rams Vietnam fishing boat near Paracel Islands Vietnam's top diplomat discusses South China Sea issues in Manila Concerning parties in the South China Sea must restrain and not complicate the situation in the region, a Vietnamese spokeswoman said following rising tensions caused by China’s approach to an island occupied by the Philippines in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands. Vietnamese Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang. Photo: MOFA Hanoi demands related parties closely follow the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) to avoid escalating tensions and ensure no illegal seizure of any part, even unoccupied structures in the sea, Spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said Thursday. All parties must act responsibly while seeking … [Read more...] about Vietnam demands China, Philippines to restrain in South China Sea
Vietnam asks China and Philippines to restrain in South China Sea
The parties involved need to comply with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and not to complicate the situation in the waters, foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang told the press Thursday. She asked countries not to further tension and not to take over unoccupied structures in the waters. "Behave responsibly and contribute practically and positively to peace and stability in the region," she said. She affirmed that these are necessary actions while countries are looking for peaceful solutions to disputes in the East Sea, using the Vietnamese name for the waterway. Hang's comments came following recent encounters between China and the Phillipines near Thitu, the second largest island of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago which is under Vietnamese sovereignty but claimed and now occupied by the Philippines. On March 5, Philippine officials said Chinese fishing boats forced Filipino fishermen around the island to leave. The U.S.-based … [Read more...] about Vietnam asks China and Philippines to restrain in South China Sea
China building on new reef in South China Sea, think tank says
The strategic waterway is claimed almost in its entirety by China, whose continued building of military and other installations on artificial islands and reefs there has unnerved the region and angered Washington, according to recent satellite images reviewed by a U.S. think tank. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative of Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies said the images showed a "modest new structure" on Bombay Reef, topped by a radome and solar panels. "The development is interesting given Bombay Reef's strategic location, and the possibility that the structure's rapid deployment could be repeated in other parts of the South China Sea," the group said in a statement on Tuesday. The purpose of the platform and radome was unclear, but it could be for military use, it said. "The reef is directly adjacent to the major shipping lanes that run between the Paracels and the Spratly Islands to the south, making it an attractive location for a sensor array to … [Read more...] about China building on new reef in South China Sea, think tank says