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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 15 February 2023
U.S. renews warning it’ll defend Philippines after China spat

By JIM GOMEZ and his successor, Ferdi-
Associated Press nand Marcos Jr., who met
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping in
The United States renewed January in Beijing, tensions
a warning that it would de- have persisted, drawing in
fend its treaty ally if Filipino closer military alliance be-
forces come under attack tween the Philippines and
in the disputed South China the U.S.
Sea, after a Chinese coast Chinese Foreign Ministry
guard ship allegedly hit a spokesperson Wang Wen-
Philippine patrol vessel with bin said Monday that a
military-grade laser that Philippine coast guard ves-
briefly blinded some of its sel trespassed into Chinese
crew. waters without permission.
President Ferdinand Mar- Chinese coast guard ves-
cos Jr. summoned Chinese sels responded “profession-
Ambassador Huang Xil- ally and with restraint at
ian in Manila on Tuesday the site in accordance with
to express his serious con- China’s law and interna-
cern “over the increasing tional law,” he said, without
frequency and intensity of elaborating or mentioning
actions by China against the use of laser.
the Philippine coast guard U.S. State Department
and fishermen,” Commu- spokesperson Ned Price
nications Secretary Cheloy Aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and the USS Makin Island fly in formation past Nimitz said China’s “dangerous
Garafil said without elabo- in the South China Sea, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, as Nimitz and Makin Island with embarked 13th operational behavior di-
rating. Marine Expeditionary Unit were conducting operations. Associated Press rectly threatens regional
The Department of Foreign peace and stability, infring-
Affairs separately sent a Chinese ship. to Filipino forces there, ac- been accused of using mili- es upon freedom of navi-
strongly worded diplomatic The incident took place cording to Philippine offi- tary-grade lasers previously gation in the South China
protest to the Chinese Em- Feb. 6. when the Chinese cials. against Australian military Sea as guaranteed under
bassy that “condemned coast guard ship beamed China claims the South Chi- aircraft on patrol in the international law and un-
the shadowing, harass- high-grade lasers to block na Sea virtually in its entire- South China Sea and other dermines the rules-based
ment, dangerous maneu- the Philippine patrol vessel ty, putting it on a collision spots in the Pacific. international order.”
vers, directing of military- BRP Malapascua from ap- course with other claim- Despite friendly overtures to “The United States stands
grade laser, and illegal proaching Second Thomas ants. Beijing by former Philippine with our Philippine allies,”
radio challenges” by the Shoal on a resupply mission Chinese naval forces have President Rodrigo Duterte Price said in a statement.q

Dutch appeals court prohibits border police ethnic profiling

By MIKE CORDER Marechaussee, “makes a who was born in Congo,
Associated Press distinction on the basis of said after the original rul-
THE HAGUE, Netherlands race. ing in 2021, every time he
(AP) — An appeals court Given the serious conse- returned to “my country,
on Tuesday prohibited the quences of discrimination the Netherlands, I’m being
Netherlands’ military police on grounds of race, such stopped because of my
from using racial profiling discrimination should only ethnicity.”
as a way of selecting peo- be made if there are par- On Tuesday, he was jubi-
ple for identity checks at ticularly compelling rea- lant at the court’s ruling.
borders, marking a victory sons. The State has not “This is discrimination, it’s
for two citizens and rights demonstrated such com- ethnic profiling,” he said in
groups who sued the gov- pelling reasons.” a telephone interview. And
ernment. The court said it “therefore it’s so wonderful to see that
The Hague Court of Ap- prohibits the State from the higher courts basically
peal overturned a 2021 making selection decisions acknowledge it. And for
ruling that said ethnicity that are (partly) based me, as a human being, it’s Mpanzu Bamenga, center, stands with his legal team and
could be one of the criteria on race” during border so good to see that justice rights activists outside a courtroom at The Hague District court,
for singling out passengers, checks. has prevailed.” Netherlands, Sept. 22, 2021. Associated Press
but not the only one. The The case was brought by The Marechaussee said af-
checks are carried out at two citizens who argued ter the 2021 court case that carefully study the ruling clear that someone’s ap-
airports and on trains and that they were singled it would change the way “and see what its conse- pearance and color say
buses from European Union out for checks by officers it works at border checks, quences are for now.” nothing about someone’s
destinations to prevent from the country’s Mare- but the appeals court said The organization has the nationality.
people illegally coming chaussee police force be- it saw “no or only limited option to appeal the ruling That’s an important correc-
and staying in the Nether- cause of the color of their change in working meth- to the Supreme Court. tion to the court’s earlier
lands. skin. od.” Dionne Abdoelhafiezkhan ruling that shocked many
The appeal court said in One of the plaintiffs, Marechaussee spokesman of the Dutch rights group people of color and made
a statement that it found Mpanzu Bamenga, a city Maj. Robert van Kapel said Controle Alt Delete said the us feel like second-class
that the police, called the councillor from Eindhoven the organization would court ruling “also makes it citizens.”q