Ruben Terlou begins his tour in the Philippines. He discovers what the growing Chinese influence in the region means for the people who depend on the sea. With Filipino fishermen Dodong .. show full overview
Ruben Terlou begins his tour in the Philippines. He discovers what the growing Chinese influence in the region means for the people who depend on the sea. With Filipino fishermen Dodong and Floro, Ruben sails towards Scarborough Shoal, an uninhabited reef. Officially Philippine territory, but now occupied by China with its coast guard and fishing militias. It's a tense moment to see if Ruben and the Filipino fishermen will be chased away. Back on shore, Ruben meets American veterans who are still hanging around here decades after the Vietnam War.
Ruben Terlou takes a boat trip to Pagasa, a strategic island in the Spratly Archipelago. Pagasa plays a role in the power struggles along the world's busiest shipping lane. While the .. show full overview
Ruben Terlou takes a boat trip to Pagasa, a strategic island in the Spratly Archipelago. Pagasa plays a role in the power struggles along the world's busiest shipping lane. While the Chinese Coast Guard is constantly nearby, the Philippine government tries to convince the boatload of journalists that Pagasa is Filipino. In Manila, Ruben investigates Pagasa's role in Philippine maritime history. He meets students Anthony and Christian at a nautical academy. While Anthony has dreamed of a life as a captain from a young age, the choice of Christian seems to have been primarily out of necessity.
In the southern Philippines, Ruben Terlou meets the Sultan of Sulu, heir to a once-powerful kingdom that stretched to Malaysia and the Spratly Islands. His power has vanished, but his .. show full overview
In the southern Philippines, Ruben Terlou meets the Sultan of Sulu, heir to a once-powerful kingdom that stretched to Malaysia and the Spratly Islands. His power has vanished, but his historic claims to maritime areas rich in oil and gas keep tensions alive in the region. In the predominantly Muslim Sulu archipelago, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fought for decades for an independent state. The arrival of ISIS fighters brought the resistance to a standstill years ago, but the call for autonomy seems never to have faded. On Tawi-Tawi, Ruben discovers how Sulu history influences daily life.
The armed attack by followers of the Sultan of Sulu on the Malaysian state of Sabah in 2013 led to a violent confrontation with the Malaysian army. Many of those involved were .. show full overview
The armed attack by followers of the Sultan of Sulu on the Malaysian state of Sabah in 2013 led to a violent confrontation with the Malaysian army. Many of those involved were subsequently labeled terrorists in Malaysia. Ruben Terlou speaks with perpetrators, ex-detainees, refugees, and families who are still suffering the consequences. On Tawi-Tawi, Ruben sees how this border conflict has disrupted the lives of the Bajau, a traditional people of sea nomads. The pacifist Bajau were expelled from Malaysia and are at the bottom of the social ladder on the Philippine island of Tawi-Tawi.
Ruben travels through Vietnam. The fishermen he speaks with are afraid to admit out loud that they are being chased away from their traditional fishing grounds near the Paracel Islands by the Chinese.
Ruben travels through Vietnam. The fishermen he speaks with are afraid to admit out loud that they are being chased away from their traditional fishing grounds near the Paracel Islands by the Chinese.
In China, Ruben tries to understand why the Chinese consider the entire South China Sea their backyard and are surprised that we don't understand that.
In China, Ruben tries to understand why the Chinese consider the entire South China Sea their backyard and are surprised that we don't understand that.
In Taiwan, Ruben sees the growing threat of Chinese invasion. Most Taiwanese are worried, but he also meets Taiwanese who are open to reunification with China.
In Taiwan, Ruben sees the growing threat of Chinese invasion. Most Taiwanese are worried, but he also meets Taiwanese who are open to reunification with China.
