Hundreds of fishermen from across the country yesterday staged a protest outside the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taipei, demanding that the Philippines apologize for the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman.
“Admit the mistake! Apologize! We want justice!” the fishermen, representing more than 30 fishermen’s associations across the country, shouted as they threw eggs at the building where the MECO is located amid heavy rain.
“This is very upsetting. The Philippines must pay for what they did,” National Fishermen’s Association Taiwan general manager Lin Chi-chang (林啟滄) told the crowd. “We will not stop until we receive a positive response to our demands from the Philippines.”
Photo: EPA
“A fisherman was killed. The Philippines must say something,” he added.
Tsai Tien-yu (蔡天裕), mayor of Pingtung County’s Liouciou Township (琉球) where the fisherman was from, said that, whatever the reason, shooting an unarmed fisherman cannot be justified.
“The killing happened on Thursday last week, but the Philippines has refused to admit its mistake and apologize. Everyone in this country must stand united,” he said.
A MECO official, Sergio Eulogio, came out from the heavily guarded building to receive a letter from the protesters. However, he quickly had to retreat into the building after several protesters rushed toward him.
Unhappy with Eulogio’s brief appearance, the protesters burned several Philippine flags.
Tsai Fu-jung (蔡富榮), general manager of Taitung County’s Chenggong District Fishermen’s Association, said that last week’s incident was not the first time that a Taiwanese fisherman had been killed by Philippine government personnel.
“Seven years ago, two brothers from Taitung County were also shot by Philippine law enforcement. One was severely injured, while the other died,” Tsai Fu-jung said. “To this day, the Philippines has not said anything about it.”
While fishermen from Hsinchu City have never fallen victim to Philippine government agencies, Hsinchu District Fishermen’s Association general manager Tung Chin-chieh (童錦杰) said that fishermen from Hsinchu had joined the protest to support their fellow fishermen.
“Whatever happens, law enforcement agencies should never use firearms against unarmed fishermen. It’s clear that killing — not expelling — was their aim,” Tung said.
Many passersby stopped to show their support for the fishermen.
Although the protest targeted the actions of the Philippine Coast Guard, it also stirred nationalistic sentiment, with some passersby shouting “expel Filipino workers.”
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉) called the Philippines “a gangster” and “a savage country.”
Prior to the protest, the fishermen also went to the legislature, where they were received by Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and the KMT caucus, who condemned the Philippines and voiced their support for government action.
Earlier in the day, a small group of Taipei City councilors from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and pro-independence organizations held a protest in front of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office.
Meanwhile, both DPP and KMT lawmakers showed their concern about the shooting at a meeting of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee, where Coast Guard Administration Minister Wang Jinn-wang (王進旺) made a special presentation on the issue.
Responding to the lawmakers’ questions, Wang said that the Coast Guard would consider extending its temporary enforcement line to better protect fishermen’s rights.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
TOKYO SUMMIT: The new Japanese PM’s words have demonstrated Japan’s ‘firm position on urging the prioritization of cross-strait peace,’ the foreign ministry said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday thanked US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for supporting peace in the Taiwan Strait, a day after the two at a summit in Tokyo emphasized the importance of regional stability and ahead of a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea today. The previous day’s meeting was the first time Takaichi had met with the US leader since becoming Japanese prime minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Since taking office on Tuesday last week, Takaichi has urged the international community to
RSS