Preview

Spratly Island History

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2207 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Spratly Island History
The Philippines & the Spratlys Islands History

The Sultanate State of Sulu is the legal owner of the Spratlys Archipelago but since the Sultan Kiram turnover his territorial and proprietary rights of the State to the Republic of the Philippines including the Palawan and the Spratlys in 1960's, then legally it belongs to the Philippines.

Archipelagic Bases

Under the UN International Laws of Sea, despite the opposition of maritime powers, the Philippines and four other states (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Bahamas) got the approval in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea held in Jamaica last December 10, 1982. They were qualified as archipelagic states.

The Spratlys is within Philippines proximity and connected in the Philippines' archipelago with just few kilometres from the province of Palawan of the Philippines, this boost the claim of the Philippines. Other claimants are not archipelagic states and they are far from beyond the limit of the UNCLOS of 200 nautical Miles Exclusive Economic Zone. The Philippines as an archipelagic country & within proximity, it counts merit in administering the Spratlys.

UN Convention - International Law of Sea (UNCLOS) bases

China argued that there is no word proximity mentioned in the UNCLOS so they insisted that they could claim the Spratlys. Though there is no "proximity" mentioned, the UNCLOS clearly explain the 200 Nautical Miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which is more clear explanation than proximity. Proximity is just to say near but the measurement of 200 Nautical Miles from the base line of the Philippines is not just synonym to proximity but a clear measurement of distance.

Under the UNCLOS, it guarantees 200 Nautical Miles Exclusive economic Zone which most part of the Spratlys is just within 200 Nautical Miles Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines. This is the strongest bases of the Philippines to say "We owned the West Philippines Sea". Even China is a signatory in
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Annexation of the Philippines.
    • 196 Words
    • 1 Page

    Annexation of the Philippines.

    The United States fought harsh battles against Spain and the Philippines. They lost thousands of men and need compensation. The United States should not give up the islands of the Philippines. It is their reward for winning the war and they have the right to annex it. "We must on no account let the islands go. The American flag is up and it must stay up." With the Philippines, the U.S. would have great benefits. Not only will there be many natural resources, but also the Philippines geographic location will benefit the U.S. in future warfare and trading. The Philippines would provide new markets and cheap labor, which would help the U.S.'s overall economy. But annexing won't just help the U.S. The people of the Philippines would also benefit. The U.S. would establish a democratic society. People would work for wages and the economy would rise. U.S. inventions would be introduced to improve living conditions, such as, plumbing, electricity, and better structured homes. Some of the people of the Philippines may think that this process would be taking advantage of them, but they don't realize that both countries would benefit with the annexation of the…

    • 196 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Intercultural Conflict Analysis
    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Intercultural Conflict Analysis

    In the Southeast Asian region lays a body of water and islands which have been disputed about for the possession of them. This area by international term is known as the “South China Sea.” (Keep in mind that they do not have any correlations with China but it is rather just an international name.) This body of water runs along territories belonging to China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines, and many other countries. Within this body of water, there are well over 200 islands which are un-inhabited by people and contain useful resources. Considering that the sea does not surround just one country which can claim authority over it, it is difficult to determine who has the right to these islands. There are no laws on who these islands belong to. This dispute brings into many questions about sovereignty, law of the sea, and resource ownership rights on an international level if more than one country surrounds the sea.…

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Deep Oil Drilling Research Paper
    • 5192 Words
    • 21 Pages

    Deep Oil Drilling Research Paper

    The UN website describes this convention by stating “In short, the Convention is an unprecedented attempt by the international community to regulate all aspects of the resources of the sea and uses of the ocean, and thus bring a stable order to mankind 's very source of life.” (UN p2) Despite this lofty goal, when the control of a resource and economic benefit to a country is at stake, the nicely worded idealism gives way to the interpretation of law and ways to bend it to one’s favor. To recognize the desire by coastal countries to have some control over the waters touching their coast, the Law of the Sea defined the various degrees of control a country would have extending from its coast. The first band is the territorial limit, extended to 12 miles from the coast. For the island nations, that boundary extends from the outer islands and makes the open water between the islands part of the territorial waters. The concept of the “right of innocent passage” recognizes that there are geographic areas where a ship may pass through the territorial waters of another country because it is the shortest route between two destinations. Laws governing these passageways recognized the need for reasonableness in travel and making over 100 straits…

    • 5192 Words
    • 21 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Should The United States Provolve In The South China Sea?
    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Should The United States Provolve In The South China Sea?

    The United States Navy has operated both aircraft and naval vessels proclaiming the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. It is clearly seen by the US combat ship and flight over the Chinese construction at Fiery Reef. Along with the freedom of navigation, the United States emphasizes on strengthening it allies. The United States has a treaty obligation to the Philippines. Being the world’s largest economy, the United States has real interests in maintaining open sea lanes, and being the world’s biggest naval power makes it assumes the role of policing them. Moreover, being the hegemon, it frequently acts as a…

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    The Extent of the Legislative Powers and Enforcement Jurisdiction of Coastal States over Foreign Vessels in Its Contiguous Zon
    • 5993 Words
    • 24 Pages

    The Extent of the Legislative Powers and Enforcement Jurisdiction of Coastal States over Foreign Vessels in Its Contiguous Zon

    This essay covers different sections pertaining to the concept of the contiguous zone and its practice. This include early development of the contiguous zone, the geographical scope of the contiguous zone, juridical nature of the contiguous zone,, preventive and punitive controls of the coastal state, the contiguous zone and historical objects at sea, the contiguous zone and security interests, the contiguous zone and hot pursuit, the contiguous zone and the EEZ and a section on state practice on the contiguous zone. The section on state practice will cover several African states from Asia and the south Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean and a brief description of the Australian practice. The last portion of the paper is the conclusion.…

    • 5993 Words
    • 24 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Spratly Islands Dispute: Why is this important?
    • 317 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Spratly Islands Dispute: Why is this important?

    In terms of national pride, these islands are of particular importance to countries currently claiming all or part of the islands (Vietnam, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei) due to the historical claim these countries have over the territory. These countries have a long sea-faring history, however, it has been tremendously difficult to say which country first inhabited or used these…

    • 317 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Spratly Islands Dispute in the South China Sea
    • 23271 Words
    • 94 Pages

    Spratly Islands Dispute in the South China Sea

    he end of the Cold War created a strategic vacuum in the South China Sea. The collapse of the Soviet Union and its departure from Cam Ranh Bay; the closure of United States’ naval bases in the Philippines; and Vietnam’s withdrawal from Cambodia diminished superpower influence in the region. These events also prompted several East Asian littoral governments to re-calculate the strategic and national security implications of sovereignty claims made to islands in the South China Sea. In this regard, the financial turmoil that has whipsawed national economies throughout East Asia since 1998 has undercut the political stability of these same states and, in so doing, contributed to exacerbating tensions over conflicting maritime claims in the area. In 1999 the Spratly Islands dispute reemerged as a security flashpoint in the South China Sea. This most recent flare-up over the Spratlys occurred between China and the Philippines over structures built on the aptly-named Mischief Reef, a tiny land feature known locally as Panganiban and situated within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone as defined by contemporary ocean law.1 Sino–Filipino conflict over Mischief Reef dates back to February 1995, when China built and manned three octagonal structures perched on stilts atop the atoll. Following a three-year hiatus, China resumed construction at Mischief Reef in late October 1998. At least four military supply ships and some 100 workers were involved in the construction operation to lay concrete foundations there.2 These events reignited tensions between China and the Philippines over their…

    • 23271 Words
    • 94 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Geography of Food Paper
    • 4612 Words
    • 19 Pages

    Geography of Food Paper

    Below (Figure 1) is a basic map of the Philippines. This map just gives us an idea of the size and location of the Philippines. The country is located in Southeast Asia, north of Malaysia and south of Taiwan. As we can see, the country is made up of many big and small islands. It is considered an archipelago and therefore it is surrounded by various water forms.…

    • 4612 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Spratly Islands Dispute
    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Spratly Islands Dispute

    Due to Spratlys’ potential in terms of prosperity in resources, many countries are interested in claiming its ownership, namely Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, China, and Philippines. The Spratlys are located in the South China Sea between these countires. There are a number of reasons why the neighboring countries want to own the islands. Firstly, it is a great source of oil. It is estimated that the Spratly holds even greater natural gas reserves compared to Kuwait and is the fourth largest reserve bed in the world. From this, China’s motive could be seen since they have inadequate oil refinery and extraction capabilities. On the other hand, Brunei, being already a main producer of oil, has a different focus which will be discussed next. Second are the resources available for commercial fishing since coral reefs are the predominant structures of these islands. It is considered as one of the world’s most productive areas for commercial fishing. Owning these rich resources of marine life would lead to sustained economic growth. Lastly, the waters surrounding the Spratlys are one of the busiest shipping lanes of the world. Since Vietnam is dependent on sea route on South China Sea, owning the islands would give them a secure sea route. Now, the real question is “Who is the RIGHTFUL owner of the Spratly Islands?” Well, as a Filipino, I believe that the Philippines rightfully owns the Spratlys and today, I would prove our country’s ownership over the islands.…

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Reasons for the Spratly Island Disputes
    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Reasons for the Spratly Island Disputes

    Asia’s had been experiencing a rapid economic boom with giants such as China emerging as the next economic superpower. However, its economic advancement requires a large amount of energy and to claim the Spratly Islands would be useful for the countries’ future economic advancement. The 6 countries involve in the conflict is mainly Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Each of these countries requires the oil and natural resources within the sea bed of the Spratly islands to serve for these economic needs.…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Report about Panatag Shoal
    • 2122 Words
    • 7 Pages

    A Report about Panatag Shoal

    It is a disputed territory claimed by the People's Republic of China, Republic of China (Taiwan), and the Philippines. The shoal's status is often discussed in conjunction with other territorial disputes in the South China Sea such as those involving the Spratly Islands and the Paracel Islands. Since the 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff, access to the territory has been restricted by the People's Republic of China.…

    • 2122 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Scarborough
    • 3029 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Scarborough

    The tension over the waters of Scarborough Shoal arises from the basic question of ownership, whether by discovery or occupation, between the conflicting territorial and maritime claims of China and the Philippines. The former argues that it first discovered and mapped the entire South China Sea as early as 1271-1368 AD during the Yuan Dynasty whereas the latter bases its claim on historical dominion of the territory, the earliest being the Carta Hydrographical y Chorographics De Las Yslas Filipinas (or "Hydrographic and Chorographic Map of the Philippine Islands") published in 1734 by Fr. Velarde, identifying the Shoal as part of Zambales.…

    • 3029 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Past Year Paper Qmt
    • 523 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Past Year Paper Qmt

    That because the Philippines has stopped recognized the Suktan of Sulu since the death of Sultan Mohd. Mahakuttah A. kiram in 1986…

    • 523 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Philippine Constitution
    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Philippine Constitution

    I see that Article 1 talks about the Philippines right over their sovereignty. This includes the law enforcements that the country shall use as a medium of defense against other countries who are claiming that they own some of the Philippine territorial lands. Some issues or topics I seem to connect with this article is the Chinese officials claiming the Spratleys island which is popularly very rich in mineral resources such as oil. Not only China but also Malaysia, Taiwan and Japan. But controversies gets more hotter between the Philippines and China.…

    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Equidistance Method Essay
    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Equidistance Method Essay

    Rejecting the contentions of Denmark and the Netherlands, the Court examine that the principle of equidistance, as systematize in Article 6 of the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf, had not been intend by the International Law Commission as an emerging rule of customary international law. This article could not be aforesaid to have introverted or crystallized such a rule. This was substantiate by the fact that any State might constitute reservations in respect of Article 6, unlike Articles 1, 2 and 3, on signing, ratifying or acceding to the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Continental…

    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics