The Philippines’ ‘Angels of the Sea’: Calculated Strategy or Gendered Ploy?

As this year’s ASEAN chair, Brunei Darussalam finds itself operating in an increasingly precarious and unpredictable region.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated maritime security threats in the trilateral border area in a manner not seen before.

Under the fury of COVID-19, the world slowly moved to a standstill as people retreated into the safety of their homes. Roads lay deserted, transportation links ceased, and borders were shut.

COVID-19 is showing the world how a health crisis can exert disproportionate pressure on existing social and political fissures. The Asia Pacific maritime environment is no exception, with hybrid challenges persisting and non-conventional incidents on the rise. As state budgets adjust to accommodate the health crisis, non-state actors are escalating violence on land that is spilling over into the maritime domain.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has placed massive strains on the efficiency of public health systems around the globe. As deficiencies within these systems become exposed, other viral enemies have simultaneously come to the fore such as racism, bigotry, and xenophobia - all of which are rooted in the problem of “othering”.

Developments in the South China Sea are often characterized by territorial disputes and growing state competition. As the United States continues to challenge maritime claims with freedom of navigation operations, China sustains its artificial island developments in disputed waters. At the same time, claimant states like Vietnam become enmeshed in major power tensions brought about by foreign fishermen and law enforcement agencies and their forays along maritime borders. These clashes severely impact fishery resources in the region and, if left unaddressed, will only bear unwelcome repercussions on the stability of the Indo-Pacific.