China called ‘inhumane’ for trying to block evacuation of sick Philippines soldier

The Philippines has denounced China’s “barbaric and inhumane” efforts to block a medical evacuation mission in the South China Sea last month.

The Philippines coast guard alleged that “despite informing the Chinese Coast Guard via radio and public address system about the humanitarian nature of our mission for medical evacuation they still engaged in dangerous manoeuvres and even intentionally rammed” a vessel “transporting the sick personnel”.

Philippine sailors eventually managed to evacuate the sick soldier to nearby Palawan, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, said.

The incident occurred on ​​19 May near the contested Ayungin Shoal but the Philippines coast guard made videos of the altercation public on Friday.

“The barbaric and inhumane behaviour displayed by the China Coast Guard has no place in our society,” Mr Tarriela said. “What should have been a simple medical evacuation operation was subjected to harassment, with the excessive deployment of two China Coast Guard vessels, two small boats and two rubber boats.”

“Their actions clearly demonstrated their intention to prevent the sick personnel from receiving the proper medical attention he urgently needed.”

The Philippines says that Ayungin lies within its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea but Beijing contests this claim.

In 1999, the Philippines deliberately grounded a vessel named BRP Sierra Madre on the shoal, converting it into a military outpost. The sick soldier was stationed on Sierra Madre.

Philippine missions to hotspots like Ayungin or the similarly contested Panatag Shoals have grown tense in recent years and are often marked by Chinese coast guard harassment.

Manila last month summoned a Chinese envoy to protest the Chinese coast guard’s use of a water cannon that reportedly damaged a Filipino vessel in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

The country’s foreign ministry said it protested the “harassment, ramming, swarming, shadowing and blocking” of its vessel.

China and the Philippines have previously said they would seek better communication and management of skirmishes in the vast South China Sea, but tensions have risen lately as the Philippines has forged stronger diplomatic and military ties with the United States.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared that a Filipino casualty in the disputed waters could trigger the activation of Manila’s Mutual Defense Treaty with the US.