The Philippines-based non-governmental organization Atin Ito, translating to \"This is ours,\" has recently garnered attention for its activities in the contested waters around China's Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea. According to Philippine media reports from mid-May, the group of fishermen organized by Atin Ito is initiating a new round of provocations in the disputed area.
Experts and media sources suggest that Atin Ito, though self-proclaimed as a \"group of civilian volunteers,\" is politically affiliated and operates as a government-led effort supported by both the Philippines and the United States. Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies, remarked on CGTN, \"It's not the first time that the organization conducted the so-called peaceful activities in the South China Sea.\"
Diving deeper, Ding highlighted Atin Ito's political connections, noting that Rafaela David, the organization's apparent leader, also chairs the Akbayan Party in the Philippines. Despite the Akbayan Party's relatively modest presence in the Philippine political landscape, it has been strategically amplifying its influence through various political issues in recent years.
The collaboration between Atin Ito and the Philippine and U.S. militaries is apparent. The Philippine Star reported that Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, a spokesman for the Philippine navy, expressed support for Atin Ito's upcoming \"civilian supply mission\" to Huangyan Dao on May 2, emphasizing adherence to government guidelines.
Further analysis by the Asian Century Journal cites \"Lighting Up The Gray Zone,\" an article by U.S. Air Force Captain Benjamin Goirigolzarri, indicating that the U.S. has developed a strategy in the South China Sea known as Project Myoushu. This initiative, a derivative of the U.S. Naval Institute's Maritime Counterinsurgency Project, aims to counter perceived Chinese dominance in the region. The report suggests that Atin Ito is a collaborative effort between the U.S. and the Philippines, contributing to heightened tensions and challenging the existing peace in the South China Sea.
The Legal Standpoint on Huangyan Dao
Huangyan Dao's status as part of the South China Sea is contested. International treaties defining Philippine territory, including the 1898 Treaty of Peace between the United States and Spain, the 1900 Treaty for Cession of Outlying Islands, and the 1930 Convention between the United Kingdom and the United States regarding boundaries, exclude Huangyan Dao from Philippine sovereignty.
Official Philippine maps from 1981, 1984, and 2006 consistently mark Huangyan Dao as outside the Philippines' territorial limits, reinforcing its contested status.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
