Taiwan demands Filipino response

Taipei said on Sunday it is "determined" to protect its fishermen by beefing up patrols in waters near the Philippines amid widespread public outrage over the fatal shooting of a fisherman from Taiwan by Filipino coast guard officers.

Four coast guard and naval vessels set sail for the area where the 65-year-old fisherman was killed on Thursday morning, according to a statement from authorities in Taiwan, following an exercise held by the island's coast guard on Saturday.

The move also came shortly after Taiwan's leader Ma Ying-jeou pledged that if Manila had not responded to Taipei's demands regarding the shooting within 72 hours, Taiwan would retaliate.

According to a statement released on Saturday, Ma demanded that the Philippines apologize, give a true account of the event, punish those responsible, compensate the fisherman's family and for the damage to the boat and start negotiations with Taiwan on a fishery agreement as soon as possible.

Manila also expressed its sympathies over the "unfortunate situation".

"Mr Antonio Basilio, Resident Representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan, has visited the family of the victim and extended condolences and offered his apologies," Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

Valte said an inquiry into the matter has already started, adding that the investigation will be "impartial and transparent".

She also said the commander and crew of the Philippine vessel in question have already been relieved of their duties.

"The Philippine Coast Guard, together with other agencies, assures everyone that this investigation will be conducted in an impartial, transparent and expeditious manner. Moving forward, relevant agencies will look into ways to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future," she said.

A response from Manila will come after the ongoing investigation is completed, Taiwan's Central News Agency quoted Valte as saying.

Observers said the Philippines has violated international law and called for strengthened and coordinated law enforcement from Beijing and Taipei to protect their fishermen's legitimate rights.

Hung Shih-cheng, the skipper of the 15-ton, 13-meter Guang Ta Hsin 28, was killed during the incident, which also left the boat riddled with more than 50 bullet holes. Hung's body was taken back to Taiwan on Saturday morning.

His death highlights the tension between Taiwan and the Philippines. Recently, people from both sides have been accused of hacking each other's government websites.

Manila admitted on Friday that its coast guard had fired on the boat from Taiwan, but said the action took place inside its territorial waters. "If somebody died, they deserve our sympathy but not an apology," Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armand Balilo said.

Gong Yingchun, an expert on international law at China Foreign Affairs University, said competitive law enforcement in this area will lead to more tension, but "based on international law, the use of weapons in such scenarios is only applicable to stop vessels for security checks when forced to, not to kill people".

"Manila's brutal and excessive actions go beyond the scope of law enforcement and they therefore have to be held responsible for the damage caused," she said.

Contact the writers at zhaoshengnan@chinadaily.com.cn and puzhendong@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/13/2013 page11)