The Chinese coast guard will be able, starting this Saturday, to detain, without prior trial, foreigners “suspected of having violated the organization of border entries and exits.”
China has unveiled a set of rules allowing the coast guard to detain foreigners without trial for a maximum period of 60 days in disputed waters in the South China Sea.
Beijing cites historical reasons for claiming sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, something that conflicts with other countries such as Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei.
The Chinese coast guard will be able, starting this Saturday, to detain without trial foreigners “suspected of having violated the organization of border entries and exits”, according to the new regulation, published on the Internet. The document provides for a detention period of up to 60 days for “more complex cases” and “if the nationality and identity [dos detidos] They are not clear.”
“Foreign ships that have illegally entered Chinese territorial waters and adjacent waters may be boarded in accordance with the law,” the regulation added.
To bolster its territorial claims, China has used speedboats and boats to patrol the waters and reefs of the South China Sea and has built militarized artificial islands in waters near the Philippines.
Philippine army chief Gen. Romeo Brawner told reporters on Friday that authorities in Manila were “discussing a series of measures to protect fishermen.” Filipino fishermen “should not be afraid and continue with their normal fishing activities in our Exclusive Economic Zone” (EEZ), the general said. “We have the right to explore the region’s resources,” he added.
Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime incidents, which have worsened in recent years. The Chinese coast guard has used water cannon against Philippine ships in disputed waters, where ship collisions have also been reported.
On June 9, the Philippines refused to notify Beijing about operations in Philippine outposts in the South China Sea, a demand Manila described as “absurd, meaningless and unacceptable.” “We reaffirm our commitment to defend our sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Ayungin Atoll,” said Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo Año, referring to the atoll also known as Ren’ai Jiao in China.
The atoll “is within our EEZ, as recognized by international law and the 2016 arbitration award,” Año added.
In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over sovereignty over Scarborough Atoll, which is less than 321 kilometers from the Philippine island of Luzon and would be within Manila’s EEZ according to the law. Beijing did not accept the decision.
Source: Observadora
