Australian envoy: We’ll continue to work with PH to ensure 2016 arbitral ruling is ‘properly followed’

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu faces the media to answer queries in line with the 7th year anniversary of the 2016 arbitral ruling. (Photo by Charie Abarca)

MANILA, Philippines — Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu on Wednesday stressed that Australia will continue to work with the country to ensure that the 2016 arbitral ruling is “properly implemented” and “properly followed.”

This is in line with the seventh-year anniversary of the historic arbitral ruling. On this day, seven years ago, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines, declaring that the country has the exclusive sovereign rights to the West Philippine Sea.

“Today is a really important day, not just for the Philippines, but for the whole world. Australia is a long-standing [and] strong partner to the Philippines. We want to work with the Philippines to ensure that the 2016 arbitral award is properly implemented and properly followed,” said Yu in an ambush interview during a media forum held Wednesday.

But seven years after historic ruling, Chinese fishing vessels continue to swarm in Philippine waters. In late June, the Armed Forces of the Philippines noticed Chinese maritime assets around Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The military labeled these incidents as “alarming” and “potential threat” to Recto Bank.

The Philippine Coast Guard, in a separate event, likewise raised concern over the behavior of the Chinese Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea, after the latter “maneuvered dangerously close” to PCG’s ships supporting a resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal in late June.

When asked to comment on this continued aggression, Yu said this should not stop the Philippines from “cooperating” and “working for what it believes in.”

“Sadly, those behaviors continue, but, we, all the countries in the region, we all have the right to make decisions and act in the interest of our own,” said Yu.

“What that means is that we cannot give up, we have to remain united and work together to create the region that we want to live in. Yes, it has been seven years and unfortunately, we are still [seeing] the behaviors we do not want to see, but that is not a reason to stop cooperating, and stop working for what we believe in,” she furthered.

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