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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines protests Chinas maritime claim in UN |
| 2011-04-14 |
| [Straits Times] THE Philippines has protested to the United Nations ...an international organization whose stated aims of facilitating interational security involve making sure that nobody with live ammo is offended unless it's a civilized country... over China's claim's to disputed areas in the South China Sea, saying Beijing's stance has no basis under international law. The Philippines claims illusory sovereignty over parts of the Spratly Islands and its adjacent waters, an area believed to be sitting on huge deposits of oil, gas and minerals. China claims the whole territory. Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim all or parts of the South China Sea. In an April 5 protest sent by the Philippine's permanent mission in the United Nations in New York, a copy of which was seen by Rooters, Manila asserted portions of the Spratly Islands, known as the Kalayaan island group, are an integral part of the country's territory. The Philippines said Beijing's claim had no legal basis under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and said parts of the Spratly Islands were part of the Philippines based on international laws. The Philippine protest was sent to the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. The Philippines questioned China's sweeping claims laid out in its 'nine-dotted line' claim over the entire South China Sea submitted to the UN in 2009. |
| Posted by:Fred |