Chinese websites hacked over poaching, Spratlys reclamation

The hacktivist group Blood Security International has defaced several Chinese websites over their reclamation and poaching activities in the West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines – Several Chinese websites were hacked by hacktivist group Blood Security International on Monday to protest China’s poaching and reclamation activities in the West Philippine Sea.

The website of the Chinese Forestry Bureau and two university websites were defaced. As of Monday afternoon, the homepage of a university website bore the message “Greetings China! We are here to deliver you the people’s message from the Philippines.”

“Stop claiming what doesn’t belong to you! Stop the hunting of our marine endangered species! Go build your own island! Leave Philippines!” the message on the defaced site said.

On the Forestry Bureau site, the Blood Hackers Security inserted the message: “Leave Philippines Alone. The Spratly Islands belongs to the people of the Philippines.”

The university websites were https://morus.swu.edu.cn and https://vpa.tju.edu.cn. Another unidentified site https://leeking.cn was also defaced.

Last May 2014, 11 Chinese fishermen were apprehended off the coast of Palawan with at least 500 sea turtles onboard their fishing vessel.

After being charged in court for violating Philppine fishing laws, nine of the 11 fishermen were fined $102,000 each by a Philippine court in November. China has demanded that the fishermen be released unconditionally insisting they were within China’s territory.

China has been widely criticized for its territorial claim on the South China Sea and its reclamation activities in the Spratly Islands.

China’s reclamation on Johnson Reef in the Spratly Group of Islands.

Tensions rose in the Southeast Asian region due to the maritime dispute between the Philippines and China and several other countries claiming Spratly Islands.

The Philippines has already filed a case before the international tribunal on the law of the sea to protest China’s nine-dash line claim. China has refused to participate in the proceedings.

The hacktivist group Blood Security Hackers previously defaced the website of Globe Telecommunications, protesting their poor internet connection service.