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.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source