Taiwanese fishermen threw eggs at the sign of the Philippines’ representative office in Taipei Monday, demanding an apology for the shooting dead of a Taiwanese fisherman.
The protest in front of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei came four days after a Philippine government vessel fired at a Taiwanese fishing boat operating in an area where the two countries’ economic zones overlap, killing a 65-year-old fisherman.
Hundreds of people from various fishermen’s associations around Taiwan braved rainy weather to express their anger over the shooting.
Shouting slogans such as “we want an apology,” “we want justice,” and “hand over the perpetrators,” the group also delivered a protest letter to Serjio Eulojio, director of the office’s Assistance to Nationals Department. He made no comment.
The protesters threw eggs at the office’s nameplate and burned images of the Philippines’ national flag in front of the office.
They included members of the New Taipei-based National Fishermen’s Association, as well as those from two other fishermen’s associations in Hsinchu and Yilan. The group was accompanied by ruling Kuomintang lawmakers including Su Ching-chuan and Wang Chin-shih.
“The weather cannot stop us from standing up,” said Huang Yi-cheng, an official of the National Fishermen’s Association. “We need to protect our fishing rights,” he added.
The group also demanded that the government of the Philippines respect Taiwan’s fishing rights in the area, which they described as their traditional fishing grounds, according to a prepared statement by the association.
Among the protesters was Liouciou Township chief Tsai Tien-yu, who voiced his support for the group. The boat that was attacked is from the township’s Siaoliouchiou Island, which lies off Pingtung County, southern Taiwan.
The protest came after the Taiwanese boat, the Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28, was strafed by a joint patrol of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on May 9.
Fisherman Hung Shih-cheng of Pingtung was shot dead in the incident.
Earlier Monday, a group of opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members, including lawmaker Yao Wen-chih and Taipei City Councilor Chuang Ruei-hsiung also lodged a protest at the same venue and delivered a protest letter to Eulojio.
Taiwan has demanded a formal apology from the Philippines, compensation for the victim’s family, an investigation into the incident and punishment for the perpetrators, as well as fishery agreement talks with Taiwan as soon as possible.
If Manila does not issue an appropriate response by midnight Tuesday, the Taiwan government will “immediately” suspend the processing of applications by Filipinos seeking employment in Taiwan and recall its representative to the Philippines, Foreign Minister David Lin said.
Antonio Basilio, head of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, visited the family of the deceased fisherman in Pingtung County May 11 and offered an apology and his condolences, but Taiwan is still demanding an official apology from the Philippine government.
He returned to Manila Monday for an “important meeting” with his home government, according to Lin.
The Central News Agency