The multi-sectoral group Bayan is planning to hold protest actions against both the United States and China in the upcoming APEC meeting here in November for “their continuing arms race and incursions in the West Philippine Sea.”
In a statement, Bayan said: “The two imperialist powers should back off and demilitarize the contested region. The two rivals pose a threat to regional peace because of their contest for dominance.”
Calling China’s reclamation activities in the West Philippine Sea as “illegal occupation,” the group condemned China’s “continuing incursions in our country’s Exclusive Economic Zone and their harassment of Filipino fishermen. We denounce their absurd claims over 90% of the South China Sea.”
Bayan also said it is protesting the continuing military intervention of the US in the West PH Sea dispute.
“The US is using the dispute to justify its military pivot to Asia. The US wants to assert itself as a Pacific power and use its military might as leverage for economic dictates. It is no coincidence that the US maneuvers in the West PH Sea come less than a month before the APEC meeting in Manila where other claimants in the maritime dispute will be present. The maneuvers are a pre-APEC show of force by the US,” it said.
Bayan urged the Aquino government to defend national sovereignty and not rely entirely on US support, even trying to “bring back US bases to the country in exchange for false promises of support under a questionable Mutual Defense Treaty.”
Bayan noted that while the US and China are locked in a battle for dominance in the region, the two also cooperate under the framework of the world capitalist system through bilateral economic and military agreements.
“When it suits them, the US and China can certainly work together. This only means that the Philippines cannot simply rely on either one when it comes to defending sovereignty. No one will defend Philippine sovereignty except Filipinos.
“Neither the claws of the dragon nor the eagle, we demand a truly sovereign Philippines free from the dictates and intervention of foreign powers,” Bayan said.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/119584/bayan-plans-protests-vs-both-us-and-china-during-apec-meeting-for-militarizing-west-ph-sea
Apparently the Philippine commies have become equal opportunity haters. The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-New Patriotic Alliance) is the main Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) multisectoral umbrella front organization. It would seem that for many of the anachronistic Philippine Maoists protest activity has become a near full-time job. lol
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