Christmas cancelled for Philippines troops in disputed sea amid ‘high tensions’ with China

Festive plans of civilian groups requesting access to disputed waters cancelled over tensions with China

A Chinese coastguard vessel maneuvers beside the Philippine coast guard ship BRP Cabra as they approach Second Thomas Shoal (AP)

The Philippines government said a plan by civilians to travel to the disputed waters of the South China Sea and spread Christmas cheer for soldiers posted there was “ill-advised”.

A coalition of civilian groups, called the Atin Ito coalition, earlier planned to sail a convoy of volunteers in nearly 40 ships and bring Christmas presents and provisions to soldiers deployed at the BRP Sierra Madre Shoal in the South China Sea, that has been the flashpoint of tensions between the Philippines and China.

Marines of the Philippines are stationed at a deliberately grounded and rusted old warship called BRP Sierra Madre.

The warship has been parked at the Second Thomas Shoal – also known as Ayungin Shoal – in the West Philippine Sea since 1999 as a reminder to China that the Philippines has staked its territorial claim to the island.

The Philippines’s National Security Council called the plan by civilians to send a convoy to the shoal “ill-advised”, reported the Inquirer.

The plan to send the convoy was made in early October.

The National Security Council’s assistant director general Jonathan Malaya said the intention by civilian groups was supported by the government “in principle”.

However, he warned that “undertaking such a convoy to Ayungin Shoal at the time of heightened tensions between the Philippines and China is ill-advised”.

The government has now urged the civilian group to take the convoy to other islands like the Kalayaan Island Group of Palawan province, particularly Pag-asa (Thitu) Island.

It is the largest among the Filipino islands that has a permanent civilian habitation of at least 400.

The government also suggested they visit other outposts in the West Philippine Sea.

“There is, therefore, no need for a civilian Christmas convoy mission at this time,” Mr Malaya said.

He said the group can also look to send Christmas donations to the Philippine Navy and the Philippine coastguard, that would bring them to soldiers at the BRP Sierra Madre during its resupply missions.

Edicio Dela Torre, convenor of the Atin Ito campaign, was quoted as saying by The Guardian that the mission will go ahead, but with negotiations about the form of bringing festive cheer to the troops.

“We want something peaceful, something fun, we are not going [in order] to confront,” he said.