World
Recent developments surrounding the South China Sea
South China Sea Watch
BEIJING (AP) — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple territorial disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons. The waters are a major shipping route for global commerce and are rich in fish and possible oil and gas reserves.
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INDONESIA CONDEMNS TREATMENT OF NATIONALS BY CHINESE FISHING COMPANY
Indonesia’s government has condemned what it calls the “inhuman” treatment of its nationals by a Chinese fishing company that allegedly kept Indonesian fishermen as virtual slaves, leading to the deaths of at least three of them. The issue threatens to further inflame tensions between China and Indonesia, which accuses Chinese boats of poaching in its exclusive economic zone.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a video conference Sunday from the capital, Jakarta, that 49 Indonesian fishermen, ranging from 19 to 24 years old, were forced to work an average of over 18 hours a day on at least four Chinese fishing boats.
Marsudi said some of the fishermen were either not paid at all or did not receive the amount they had agreed to. The ceaseless work and poor conditions on the ship caused illnesses among the crew members, killing at least three Indonesians, whose bodies were cast overboard into the Pacific Ocean, she said.
At a Monday briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China was investigating the incident, but that preliminary results had shown that “parts of the report are false."
“China and Indonesia have maintained close communication on this matter and will properly handle relevant issues on the basis of respecting facts and laws," Zhao told reporters.
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U.S. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT BEEF UP INDO-PACIFIC DEFENSES
The U.S. military says it has substantially beefed up its presence in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes the South China Sea, with the deployment of a pair of MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
The aircraft can operate at more than 15,000 meters (50,000 feet) and have a range of more than 3,700 kilometers (2,000 nautical miles), providing “unmatched high-altitude persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability," the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a statement from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
“Bringing Triton forward creates a complex problem set for our adversaries,” said Cmdr. Michael Minervini, commanding officer of the unit operating the aircraft.
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U.S. NAVY SENDS SHIPS TO SCENE OF CHINA-MALAYSIA MINERAL RIGHTS DISPUTE
A pair of U.S. Navy ships sailed to the scene of a mineral rights dispute between China and Malaysia in the South China Sea, according to the news service of the U.S. Naval Institute.
USNI News said the littoral combat ship USS Montgomery and replenishment ship USNS Cesar Chavez conducted a patrol on Thursday near the Panamanian-flagged drill ship West Capella, which has been contracted by Malaysian state oil company Petronas to conduct surveys within Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone.
Chinese navy and coast guard vessels have been shadowing the drilling ship.
In late April, U.S. and Australian ships conducted drills near where a Chinese government survey ship, Haiyang Dizhi 8, was reportedly operating under the protection of Chinese coast guard ships.
On Friday, the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, Adm. John Aquilino, said China must cease “bullying Southeast Asians out of offshore oil, gas, and fisheries.”
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Associated Press writers Edna Tarigan and Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
Indonesia condemns abuse of its fishermen on Chinese boats
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia's government on Sunday condemned what it called the “inhuman” treatment of its nationals by a Chinese fishing company that allegedly kept Indonesian fishermen as virtual slaves, leading to the deaths of at least three of them.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a video conference from the capital, Jakarta, that 49 Indonesian fishermen, ranging from 19 to 24 years old, were forced to work an average of over 18 hours a day on at least four Chinese fishing boats.
Marsudi said some of the fishermen were either not paid at all or did not receive the amount they had agreed to. The tireless work and poor conditions on the ship caused illnesses among the crew members, killing at least three Indonesians, whose bodies were cast overboard into the Pacific Ocean, she said.
“We condemn the inhuman treatment against our crew members working at the Chinese fishing company,” Marsudi said. “Based on the information from the crews, the company has violated human rights.”
Marsudi said almost all of the fishermen were repatriated to Indonesia from four Chinese fishing vessels after undergoing a mandatory coronavirus quarantine at a hotel in the South Korean city of Busan, where their boats were docked after 13 months at sea.
The move came after videos released by local media in South Korea drew a public outcry.
On May 5, an unidentified Indonesian fisherman told the South Korean television station MBC about the unfair treatment the crew members received while working on the Chinese boats. The station also aired a video that showed the dead body of another Indonesian fisherman being thrown overboard one of the vessels.
Two other Indonesian fishermen who had previously died were also cast overboard, the fisherman said, adding that some crew members were sick for over a month but received no medical care.
The crew members received less than $300 for a full year’s work as opposed to the $300 per month that their contract had called for, according to a group of Indonesian lawyers who represented 14 of the 49 fishermen.Marsudi said the Chinese government has paid special attention to the case and authorities from the two countries will set up a joint investigation into the allegations against the Chinese fishing company.
“We will ensure that the company has to fulfill our crews’ rights,” she said.
As the result of an Associated Press investigation in 2015, about 4,000 foreign fishermen, mostly from Myanmar, were rescued and freed after being stranded on several remote eastern Indonesian islands, including some found to have been enslaved for years.
The treatment of both the Myanmar and Indonesian fishermen falls under the U.S. government’s definition of slavery, which includes forcing people to keep working even if they had signed up for the jobs, or trafficking them into situations where they are exploited.
Source:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/indonesia-condemns-abuse-fishermen-chinese-153916756.html
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Reuters
China says Vietnam's claims in South China sea are illegal, 'doomed to fail'
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comments at a daily briefing Tuesday. Vietnam in recent days has protested against China's efforts to expand in the disputed waters, including by submitting a claim to the United Nations.
(Reporting by Gabriel Crossley; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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