“We strongly condemn China’s militarist approach to the sea dispute.”
MANILA — “Defend Philippine sovereignty!”
This was the call of youth groups who stormed the Chinese Consulate in Makati City on Friday, Feb. 19.
Youth groups led by Kabataan Partylist expressed indignation over the “orchestrated move” by Beijing to escalate tensions in the disputed waters of the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).
The protest comes right after Beijing has reportedly been installing surface-to-air missiles in Woody Island, one of the major islands in the Paracel Island chain.
A report, meanwhile, said China state media claimed the surface-to-air missiles had been in place for years and denied it was militarizing the island.
Protesters burned mock missiles in front of the Chinese Consulate.
“We strongly condemn China’s militarist approach to the sea dispute. The Philippines has brought this issue to the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, yet China refuses to participate. Instead, China is seemingly preparing for an armed confrontation that will surely result in the destabilization of the whole Asia-Pacific region,” said Sarah Elago, national president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) and Kabataan Partylist first nominee.
Elago added that while most of the Paracel Islands are within China’s 200 nautical-mile exclusive economic zone as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the installation of missile launchers in Woody Island is proof of Beijing’s aggressive effort to militarize the area.
The groups also expressed fears that the United States is “exploiting” the situation in the Paracel Islands to assert its “freedom of navigation” tactic. The U.S. has been conducting naval and air patrol in the disputed waters since last year.
“While we protest against Chinese military aggression, we must also see through Washington’s opportunistic moves. The US government is feigning interest and concern over the disputed waters not because it wants to help countries like the Philippines to assert sovereignty, but precisely because it wants dominion over the disputed waters for themselves,” Elago said, noting that the South China Sea is a valuable shipping route, where most of the world’s crude oil passes through.
She said Filipinos “must stand guard at this important juncture in history.”
“West of us, China is embarking on an alarming militarist campaign that directly tramples upon our territorial integrity. To the East comes the US, pervasive and scheming, ready to pounce upon every opportunity to gain the upper hand in the battle for imperial domination in the Asia-Pacific. Against these two giants, Filipinos must stand up and be critical – neither country has the right to crush our sovereignty as a nation,” Elago ended. 
Contributed photos
