China is staging a large number of China Coast Guard (CCG) and China Maritime Militia (CMM) ships near Scarborough Shoal one day before the Atin Ito! convoy sets sail to the feature.
As of today, there are 26 CMM vessels and four CCG vessels in the vicinity of the shoal to block the convoy from entering the shoal.
Atin Ito! announced the convoy mission in late April that will sail to Scarborough Shoal and install buoys with ‘Atin Ito! (Tagalog for It’s Ours!) in the lagoon. The organization will also hand out food packs and fuel to fishermen operating near the shoal.
The convoy will also have “international observers” onboard the vessels participating in the mission.
