It’s about time!

BLURB: Even as we speak, Beijing has already warned that bringing the issue to international court complicates the whole issue.

Finally, the Philippine government has brought the whole issue of disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations. About time! After almost a year of bilateral negotiations and diplomatic posturing, coupled with tacit military threat from China, the government has seen fit to bring China to international court, so to speak. Even as Beijing has made a belated appeal to us to settle our differences bilaterally, or in other words, not involve a third party that will serve as an arbiter, we have stood our ground. For how can we even negotiate with a country that says one thing and does another? How can we have bilateral negotiations when the islands in dispute are not even on China’s table to begin with? China has used its military might to practically claim disputed islands, and send merchant vessels and fishing boats in violation of plain common sense! But it will be a protracted and difficult road ahead.

For one thing, even if China is a signatory to UNCLOS or the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, they refuse to even recognize any country’s claim on said islands, even coming up with a map that delineates their supposed territory, practically touching on the coastlines of other countries like ours! Here actually lies the problem. If they will not recognize the claims of other countries, how can the UN mediate properly? And does the UN have the power to enforce territorial decisions, especially against a country like China?

Even as we speak, Beijing has already warned that bringing the issue to international court complicates the whole issue. That’s just like saying they don’t care where we bring our claims! It also comes with a veiled threat, in the event that an unfavorable decision on the part of China should come of it, they will still not respect it! We may be using the law, but China will definitely use its might!

It will be interesting to see how all this transpires once proceedings commence. Will China even send representatives, if they do not recognize the dispute in the first place? Another issue is the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, which again China does not respect! Will the UN enforce this? Can they enforce this? It is still right to bring the whole matter before an international tribunal. The least we can achieve is to make the world aware of the storm brewing in our seas. It would be even better if other countries with similar territorial disputes with China, like Vietnam and Japan, file similar complaints with the same international body. The world will become aware of the scope of China’s unbelievable greed over territory far beyond its land. Something I’m sure Beijing does not want , even if China’s belligerence is second only to North Korea!

The road, or in this case the voyage may be long and arduous, considering who we are up against. But we must stay the course, for it is right.