Philippines activist voyage scarborough

A group of young activists in the Philippines said they were "harassed" by Chinese ships and aircraft from China was "tracking" when making the trip to the island in the disputed area.

Atin Ito Kalayaan Group repeatedly used fishing vessels to go out of the disputed area in the South China Sea sovereignty since the end of 2015.
12/6 days, Atin Ito Kalayaan group made the trip by fishing vessels off Scarborough Shoal / Huangyan beach, on the day of Philippine Independence.
"We depart from Masinloc, Zambales province, the nearest from the mainland to the Shoals. And we went 17 hours out to sea to Scarborough, "chief Ban-eg Vera Joy recounts the journey early June.
When he came Shoals, their fishing vessels met many Chinese ships appear. In a video filmed from on board fishing vessels, Atin Ito Kalayaan group in a position very close to the small speedboats, iron ships are signposted as Chinese characters.
Ban-eg She said: "A Chinese high-speed train approaching us. Two people aboard the signs say we "go, go, go, go back".
"Then a larger ship appears, and then to the mother ship, and a high-speed train again close, finally there are 5 ships appear and around our ship."
"On Mother's largest ship we saw six Chinese. I think they are the officers, they were very young, like us. And they kept saying: "Go away, this is China, one of China's lakes", things like that for four hours. "
Young activists groups say they "calm" and has "prepared" for situations happen and "come here just to fish."
"One of our goals is waving flags in Shoals," a volunteer member of the group named Andrei Villato told BBC Vietnamese.
"We have to carry flags of the Philippines and the United Nations flag. I jumped into the water, carrying the flag, but I do not ask other volunteers to dance to, I take risks, but I do not want them to take risks, "she described Ban-eg early June trip.
Image from video shows activists speedboats were running around in so that they could not come near Scarborough Shoal.
Andrei describes: "I and the swim was plagued by waves and spray faucet and being unable to swim into the" lake ", the Chinese name called clumsy inner sea."
But some members have been swimming in the Philippines Shoals and waving flags.
They return to the ship, leaving the Scarborough area and "not having anything impede".
The group said the trip helped them early January 6/2016 "confirm it":
"Marine Week Tau China has established a presence in Scarborough Shoal. And according to their views, Shoals belongs to them and they do not come to the Philippines for fishing there. "
"Secondly, the surrounding area no fishing boats, no patrol boats of the Philippines during the 17 hours we went and there," the representative of the group told the BBC.
"The question is why they [the Chinese] do not want us fishing there. Chinese people always think that their Scarborough Shoal, both in mind and their DNA, "Andrei said.
"This will be a long struggle of us."