China must cease its falsehoods and take full responsibility for its crimes against humanity, particularly for the destruction of marine ecosystems not only in the West Philippine Sea but throughout the South China Sea due to its illegal reclamation/island building and destructive fishing operations.
The 2016 Arbitral Award has clearly stated that “China caused severe harm to the coral reef environment,” specifically due to its extensive land reclamation and artificial island construction. These activities violated China's obligations to preserve fragile ecosystems and have inflicted irreparable harm on the marine environment.
Furthermore, the arbitral tribunal held the Chinese government accountable for poaching and the resulting devastation of coral reefs. It ruled that “Chinese authorities were aware that Chinese fishermen had harvested endangered sea turtles, coral, and giant clams on a substantial scale in the South China Sea,” and had failed to prevent these destructive practices.
The tribunal also indicated that Chinese fishermen were permitted to harvest clams in areas designated for future construction, as Beijing was aware that these reefs would soon be destroyed. It concluded that China, despite its regulations on protecting giant clams and coral reefs, knowingly tolerated these practices to exploit marine resources before the reefs faced permanent destruction from island-building activities.
Therefore, China should stop deflecting blame onto the Philippines for environmental damage. It is illogical to suggest that a small number of Filipino fishermen pose a greater threat than the hundreds of Chinese Maritime Militia vessels that engage in irresponsible poaching and disregard for environmental protection.
In most countries, Big Brother stayed true to its Orwellian roots: cold, omnipresent, slightly terrifying—a symbol of control and surveillance.
Except in one place. The Philippines.