Killing of fisherman leads to inquiry call by Taiwan
Taipei expressed its "grave concern" to Manila yesterday after a Taiwanese fisherman was killed by armed men aboard a Philippine vessel. The incident in waters 164 nautical miles off the southernmost tip of Taiwan came as the Philippine navy intensified its patrols after Beijing reportedly sent one of its largest fishing fleets to the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
Taipei expressed its "grave concern" to Manila yesterday after a Taiwanese fisherman was killed by armed men aboard a Philippine vessel.
The incident in waters 164 nautical miles off the southernmost tip of Taiwan came as the Philippine navy intensified its patrols after Beijing reportedly sent one of its largest fishing fleets to the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
Taiwan's foreign ministry said the death occurred in overlapping economic zones of both the island and the Philippines when an armed vessel, identified as a Philippine ship, suddenly shot at a Taiwan-registered fishing boat operating in the area.
The shooting caused serious damage to the boat, which subsequently lost mobility, and killed fisherman Hung Shih-cheng
"The shooting caused serious damage to the boat, which subsequently lost mobility, and killed fisherman Hung Shih-cheng, 65," the ministry said in a statement. It added that the Philippine vessel was unaccounted for after the incident.
The fishing boat was towed back to Taiwan by two other Taiwanese fishing vessels, under the escort of the coastguard.
Three other crew members, including the skipper, were safe, the statement said.
The ministry asked Taiwan's representative office in Manila to "express our grave concern to the Philippine government over the incident and demand an immediate investigation of the case", as well as to find and penalise those responsible.