A group of Filipino computer hackers said Tuesday they had defaced nearly 200 Chinese websites to protest Beijing’s alleged bullying in the disputed South China Sea.
The cyber attack affected 195 government and commercial websites since May 18, according to the group Anonymous Philippines.
The group left a message on each site with a red background and yellow stars saying, “China’s alleged claim on maritime territories and oppressive poaching can no longer be tolerated.” “Stand against Oppression! It’s time to fight back! Say NO to China’s Bullying!” Philippine presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma urged the hackers not to violate any laws.
“We have laws on maintenance of integrity of sites in cyberspace and we need to remind all concerned that such laws are being enforced in our country irrespective of views that may be held by people that are resorting to those actions,” he said.
The cyber attack came in the wake of reports that China has been reclaiming land in the Johnson South Reef to allegedly build an airstrip in the area claimed by the Philippines.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims with Beijing in the South China Sea, which contains key shipping lanes and is believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves.
The Philippines has filed an arbitration case against China at a United Nations tribunal in The Hague, questioning its sweeping claims to nearly the entire South China Sea.