Human Rights Online Philippines

GROUPS DEMAND DEMILITARIZATION OF WPS

For peaceful implementation and preservation of Arbitral Ruling
A network of Philippine movements which seeks for deeper

democratization of the country’s socio political and economic system warned of catastrophic consequences once political and diplomatic solutions are eclipsed by increasing militarization of the West Philippine Sea principally by China, and secondly, by the United States which won’t allow the former to challenge its military supremacy in the Indo-Pacific region.

“We want the arbitral ruling respected and complied with by China. It is therefore in the best interest of the Philippines and the international community, especially the United Nations, to preserve the integrity of that ruling by keeping the peace rather than have it wiped out by a devastating war. And for peace to reign in this region, demilitarization is the most applicable if not the only option available to all of us,” said the The Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa (Kalipunan) in a statement sent to media Wednesday, the 7th anniversary of the arbitral award.

Demilitarization, according to Kalipunan, should involve China’s withdrawal of all its armed forces and militias away from Philippine waters, disarmament of the artificial island bases, and the recall of its oppressive total fishing ban that extends into the entire West Philippine Sea (WPS). It should be the same thing for the United States and its allies that are deploying forces and modern military hardware through the establishment of several inter-operable bases along the Philippine coastlines, all facing the South China Sea.

“Sadly, these provocations and display of military power, offshore and inland, are no longer about the Philippine arbitral award. Clearly, the conflict goes beyond the ‘mere piece of paper’ being claimed by China of the Hague ruling but rather, a grand display of warships and warplanes, ballistic and supersonic missiles, smart bombs and patriot interceptors, and the massive military drills by both camps in preparation for the inevitable war. But who’s war and for whom,” asked Kalipunan.

This condition, the group said, complicated the matter so that its demilitarization call no longer applies to China alone but also for the US which pivot to Asia policy and the re-establishment of military bases in the Philippines may be viewed by all, including China, as part of its hegemonic geopolitical agenda in the region.

It added how important it is for the Philippines to hold this victory from the Arbitral ruling as firmly as a sovereign nation for the sake of its present and future generations, thus, the need to keep the pressure against China to demilitarize the area and finally recognize the ruling.

“Rivalry with the US never gave China the reason to occupy another country’s sovereign territory. But the US involvement in this territorial dispute further militarizes the situation and places the Philippines’ independent foreign policy in trouble. We cannot drive China out of its 9-dash line narrative by allocating 9 strategic sites for the US where it can operate modern military bases 9,000 miles away from its homeland,” concluded Kalipunan.

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Kalipunan is composed of Alyansa Tigil Mina, Coalition Against Trafficking of Women-Asia Pacific, Kilos Maralita, Pakisama, Partido Manggagawa, and Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa

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