Taiwan beefs up patrols after fisherman's death
Source: AFP |
May 13, 2013, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Taiwan sent four coast guard and naval vessels to strengthen patrols in waters near the Philippines yesterday following public outrage over the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coast guards.
"The government is determined to protect our fishermen," government spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen said in a statement as a frigate and coast guard vessels set sail for the area where the 65-year-old was killed last Thursday.
In a strongly-worded statement on Saturday, Taiwan demanded Manila apologize and compensate the victim's family or face a freeze on the hiring of its nationals.
It also asked the Philippines to bring to justice the coast guards responsible and start negotiating a fisheries agreement.
"If the Filipino government fails to respond in a positive manner within 72 hours, the hiring of Philippine workers will be frozen," said spokeswoman Lee Chia-fei of Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou's office.
There are about 87,000 Philippine domestic helpers and other workers in Taiwan and they send home hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
More than 50 bullets hit the 15-ton "Guang Ta Hsin 28," killing skipper Hung Shih-cheng.
"This is nothing but a slaughter," prosecutor Liu Chia-kai said after examining the ship.
Ma visited the victim's family on an island off the southern city of Kaohsiung yesterday and promised to pursue the strong protest against the Philippine government.
In Manila, Abigail Valte, a spokeswoman for President Benigno Aquino, extended "sincere and deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family of the victim," Xinhua news agency reported.
According to Xinhua, she said in a statement: "As the Philippine Coast Guard has stated, we express our heartfelt sorrow on the unfortunate situation that occurred during one of the anti-illegal fishing patrols conducted by a Philippine fishery law enforcement vessel within the maritime jurisdiction (waters off the Batanes group of islands) of the Philippines on the morning of May 9, which tragically resulted in the death of a fisherman from one of the fishing vessels reportedly poaching in the area."
Asked if the statement was an acknowledgment that the Philippines authorities made a mistake, Valte said it was more an "expression of heartfelt sorrow at the unfortunate incident," stressing that investigations were ongoing.
Valte added that the resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan, Antonio Basilio, had visited the family of the victim and extended condolences and offered his apologies.
Taiwan's government has come under pressure from the opposition and the media to take action, with the Philippines saying the coast guard was tackling "illegal fishing."
A coast guard spokesman said on Friday that the incident took place in Philippine waters and the crew had been carrying out their duty to stop illegal fishing.
"If somebody died, they deserve our sympathy but not an apology," he said.
The victim's son, who was with his father and two other sailors on the boat, insisted they did not cross into Philippine waters.
Meanwhile, Taiwan confirmed that websites of several government agencies, including Ma's office, the defense authorities and the coast guard administration, had been hacked, after Internet attacks on Philippine government websites were reported on Friday night.
Several fishermen's groups plan to file a protest at the Philippine mission in Taipei today.
"The government is determined to protect our fishermen," government spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen said in a statement as a frigate and coast guard vessels set sail for the area where the 65-year-old was killed last Thursday.
In a strongly-worded statement on Saturday, Taiwan demanded Manila apologize and compensate the victim's family or face a freeze on the hiring of its nationals.
It also asked the Philippines to bring to justice the coast guards responsible and start negotiating a fisheries agreement.
"If the Filipino government fails to respond in a positive manner within 72 hours, the hiring of Philippine workers will be frozen," said spokeswoman Lee Chia-fei of Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou's office.
There are about 87,000 Philippine domestic helpers and other workers in Taiwan and they send home hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
More than 50 bullets hit the 15-ton "Guang Ta Hsin 28," killing skipper Hung Shih-cheng.
"This is nothing but a slaughter," prosecutor Liu Chia-kai said after examining the ship.
Ma visited the victim's family on an island off the southern city of Kaohsiung yesterday and promised to pursue the strong protest against the Philippine government.
In Manila, Abigail Valte, a spokeswoman for President Benigno Aquino, extended "sincere and deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family of the victim," Xinhua news agency reported.
According to Xinhua, she said in a statement: "As the Philippine Coast Guard has stated, we express our heartfelt sorrow on the unfortunate situation that occurred during one of the anti-illegal fishing patrols conducted by a Philippine fishery law enforcement vessel within the maritime jurisdiction (waters off the Batanes group of islands) of the Philippines on the morning of May 9, which tragically resulted in the death of a fisherman from one of the fishing vessels reportedly poaching in the area."
Asked if the statement was an acknowledgment that the Philippines authorities made a mistake, Valte said it was more an "expression of heartfelt sorrow at the unfortunate incident," stressing that investigations were ongoing.
Valte added that the resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan, Antonio Basilio, had visited the family of the victim and extended condolences and offered his apologies.
Taiwan's government has come under pressure from the opposition and the media to take action, with the Philippines saying the coast guard was tackling "illegal fishing."
A coast guard spokesman said on Friday that the incident took place in Philippine waters and the crew had been carrying out their duty to stop illegal fishing.
"If somebody died, they deserve our sympathy but not an apology," he said.
The victim's son, who was with his father and two other sailors on the boat, insisted they did not cross into Philippine waters.
Meanwhile, Taiwan confirmed that websites of several government agencies, including Ma's office, the defense authorities and the coast guard administration, had been hacked, after Internet attacks on Philippine government websites were reported on Friday night.
Several fishermen's groups plan to file a protest at the Philippine mission in Taipei today.
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