Too quick on the trigger

Press, 20 January 1982, Page 18

Too quick on the trigger

Further investigations are going to be made into the attack on a Japanese tanker by two Philipins Air Force aircraft last Friday. The issue is not likely to be resolved by a simple ascertaining of facts. The Japanese.. < Government and the Philippines Government have made statements about ’ the strafing, .and governments do. not readily back down from such..positions. , :

In the Philippines, the attack is being' defended ;by no less a person Than the Foreign* Minister,. Mi-’Carlos. Romula, who quoted,.a inilitary commande? as saying. that the.tankef/was well inside Philippines territorial.waters*That point is disputed by the JapaneseJffinistry of Foreign;Affairs. The explanation for this .conflictt may be that while..the Philippines and Japan are referring to the same spot, the Philippines claims the . area-. .within its territorial waters and.’Japan dots not recognise this territomf ?jciaim,. Whatever the status of the area.in question, the Philippines military response was reckless.

Japan, -no- doubt,.considers • there was no need-to make an issued. the Philippines claim rtfeis. Stretch of' ■sea until- the A present /incident. Countries which have ' such differences remind one another of ■ claims, or the/non-reco'gnition of claims’’ through /diploinaitiq'. notes / and bypthejl means.</An.<■ attack. ; oh a. ship, ig ■ another’ matter. :The . Japanese Government will ~; want ah undertaking that-such an attack will not'happenagain, ‘ There appears to be no suggestion that the Philippines was acting " against the tanker for any reason other than the belief that the tanker might have been a ship delivering arms to guerrillas in the southern Philippines. However, the choice of a tanker with the words, “Dangerous cargo” on the hull must seem eccentric or else remarkably clever if the ship was a' smuggler; the Japanese have reason to be

sceptical of the initial explanation offered by the Philippines. The attack probably occurred at a tense moment when the Philippines military believed it had spotted an arms supply ship. Japan will want assurance that another of its ships will not be similarly mistaken by the Philippines military.

... /The Philippines has long been tense ..aboutThe Muslim separatist movements in Mindanao and elsewhere in the southern The aim of the separatists has been the. establishment of an autonomous Muslinf-?' area. While the Philippines Government has granted greater autonomy in some.; areas, this has not been accepted as sufficient the separatist movements. The Philippines considers itself better placed to withstand armed insurgency than some other South-East Asian countries because of the seas surrounding its islands. Nevertheless, important international straits run through waters close to the Philippines, making the smuggling of arms easier. .

The Philippines Government also faces a challenge from the Communist Party and its related guerrilla organisation, the “New People’s Army.” A Cabinet minister recently suggested in Manila that the Communist Party of the Philippines should be accorded legal recognition. This would leave'armed rebellion a crime, but include ■the communists in the political process.

Japan is increasing its spending on defence. There is a widespread feeling in .South-East Asia that such an increase is acceptable as long as Japanese forces stay very close to Japan. South-East Asia wants to see nothing of a Japanese military presence. The attack on the Japanese tanker may add fuel to arguments in Japan, and in the United States, that Japan should show a more visible defence capability in East Asia.