AUSTRIA – Concerned Filipinos in Austria Against Chinese Incursion will join the chorus of protest against the bullying tactics employed by China on Philippine territories in a rally-demonstration on Friday, May 11, in front of the Chinese Embassy in Austria.
In its open letter distributed to Filipinos in Austria, the initiator of the move, Volet SB Gerstl said that “it is deplorable that China willfully ignores well established facts.”
Gerstl maintained that archaeological and geological evidence make clear that the islands, reefs and shoal under dispute have been used and maintained by Filipino inhabitants since prehistoric times.
“Within the 200-nautical mile, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has exclusively defined the place as a economic zone (EEZ).The said Convention entered into force on November 16, 1994, and established an international framework for law over all ocean space, its uses and resources,” Gerstl added.
It has been reported in Philippine media that China’s increasing incursions in Philippine territory particularly in the Spratly Islands, Recto Reed and Panatag (Scarborough) shoal are defiant violations of international law.
The organizers of the protest rally called for the resolution of this issue within the framework of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, without US meddling.
“What we need now is to enjoin the leaders of our country and other signatories to move forward by establishing mechanisms to implement the intent of the declaration,” one of the organizers told ABS-CBN News.
“With one heart and one voice, by the whole Filipino people with the support of peace-loving peoples of the world, let us defend ourselves decisively against all foreign enemies and protect Philippine sovereignty and dignity! We should pursue all legal remedies to assert our right,” Gerstl said.
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