Philippines reports Chinese coast guard injured Filipino sailor in disputed shoal
12 reported3 unconfirmed
The Philippine military reported that Chinese coast guard personnel struck a Filipino sailor on the head with a wooden baton Monday in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. The incident, captured on video by other Filipino sailors, resulted in injury to the sailor and damage to his vessel. Philippine officials condemned the action, praising their navy personnel for not escalating the situation. Chinese officials did not immediately issue a statement, though they have previously restated their claim to the shoal and demanded the Philippines remove a marooned navy ship there. The Philippine military said the Chinese coast guard deployed an inflatable boat with eight personnel, who approached the BRP Sierra Madre and reacted aggressively when Filipino sailors asked them to back away. The extent of the Filipino sailor’s injury was being assessed to determine if medical evacuation was needed. The incident is part of ongoing territorial disputes involving multiple nations, with talks between ASEAN foreign ministers and China’s foreign minister scheduled in Manila this week.
What’s reported
The Philippine military said Chinese coast guard personnel struck a Filipino sailor on the head with a wooden baton on Monday in the Second Thomas Shoal.
The assault was captured on video by other Filipino sailors.
The Filipino sailor was injured and his vessel was damaged.
Chinese officials did not immediately issue a statement on the incident.
The Philippine military said a Chinese coast guard inflatable boat with eight personnel approached the BRP Sierra Madre and maneuvered around while taking pictures and video.
Filipino sailors aboard two rubber boats asked the Chinese to back away in a non-confrontational manner.
The Philippine military stated the Chinese personnel “reacted violently and aggressively” by striking the sailor and damaging the navy rubber boat.
The extent of the sailor’s injury was being assessed to determine if medical evacuation was needed.
The Philippine Department of National Defense called the incident “the latest act of violence and harassment” and said it adds to a “clear pattern of provocative and hostile behavior.”
The Philippines beached the BRP Sierra Madre in the shoal in 1999 as a territorial outpost.
Territorial disputes also involve Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
Talks between ASEAN foreign ministers and China’s foreign minister Wang Yi are scheduled in Manila this week.
Open questions
The exact extent of the Filipino sailor’s injury was not specified.
Whether the sailor required medical evacuation was not determined at the time of reporting.
China’s official response to the incident was not provided in the article.
Key figures
Wang Yi, Chinese foreign minister (mentioned as attending talks in Manila)
No other specific individuals named in the source article.
Sources: abcnews.com
