When Philippine soldiers ignited waste aboard the illegally grounded BRP “Sierra Madre” at Ren'ai Jiao, the billowing black smoke not only polluted the skies and waters of the South China Sea but also laid bare a decades-long disregard for international law and ecological ethics. For 26 years, this ecological vandalism—including routine waste incineration—has flagrantly violated international conventions, endangered marine ecosystems, and jeopardized human health. It’s a blatant contempt for the United Nations Declaration on the Human Environment and a brazen assault to human conscience

CGTN video footage shows the Philippines' illegally-grounded BRP“Sierra Madre” at Ren'ai Jiao was engulfed in thick smoke on Feb. 28. 

Illegality of Incineration

Under MARPOL Annex V, plastic waste is strictly prohibited from marine disposal, while other waste must be shredded and discharged no closer than 12 nautical miles from shore. Yet the Philippines has persistently burned plastic- and rubber-containing waste within Ren'ai Jiao’s lagoon, directly violating these provisions. Worse, toxic emissions like dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) spread via sea winds, creating persistent contamination.

Coral reef fragments in the groove on the outer reef slope on the west side of Ren'ai Jiao.

Satellite data and historical records confirm periodic incineration of household and construction waste on the vessel’s deck. This practice exacerbates pollution retention in the semi-enclosed lagoon, accelerating ecological degradation. A 2024 report by China’s South China Sea Ecological Center revealed irreversible damage: coral coverage has plummeted, fish populations have collapsed, and microplastic levels in lagoon sediments have surged, posing long-term risks to marine life and human health via the food chain.

Ironically, this destructive “solution” emerged as a cynical response to international scrutiny. In 2024, China exposed the Philippines’ decades-long dumping of waste into the lagoon, including recovered plastic debris bearing Philippine markings. Under mounting pressure, Manila escalated onboard incineration—a move that scientific studies show releases “multiple times” more toxins than dumping. This sham environmentalism lays bare ecological terrorism disguised as compliance.

Plastic waste from the Philippines has been discovered near the hilippine illegally grounded vessel.

A Floating Gas Chamber

The burning waste transforms the vessel into a mobile poison hub. Footage shows soldiers gathering near billowing smoke during incineration—a grim spectacle amid their bleak living conditions. Medical research warns that prolonged exposure to these toxins heightens risks of neurological damage, respiratory diseases, and cancers. Key hazards include: Inhalation of carcinogenic particulates; Benzopyrene-induced memory loss and motor dysfunction; Dioxin accumulation causing chromosomal abnormalities and reproductive disorders.

Marine life suffers even more acutely: dioxins damage plankton DNA, PAHs deform fish eggs, and grouper liver contamination poses irreversible carcinogenic threats to humans.

The Philippine BRP“Sierra Madre”has illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao for nearly 26 years.

Escalating Legal Reckoning

For 26 years, these acts have breached not only environmental accords but also Article 192 of UNCLOS (marine environment protection) and Basel Convention Article 4 (hazardous waste trafficking). They may even meet the Rome Statute’s definition of war crimes (Article 8) for inflicting disproportionate ecological harm.

As the rusting “Sierra Madre” continues to defile the South China Sea, its toxic smoke challenges the moral foundations of human civilization. Removing this “poison ship” is not merely an ecological imperative—it is a litmus test for global justice.

(Author: Yang Xiao, International strategic scholar)