Viet Nam Human Rights
ASEAN’s important role towards the South China Sea
17/6/14
Shutting ears to the international community, China
continues misconduct in the South China Sea and makes distorted statements
about Vietnam.
To resolve this tensions, the international community re-emphasize that it
needs a legal solution and calling international community including ASEAN to approve
a more general, strong approach with China…
If there is no response,
then China
will turn intentions into reality
Dr. William Choong, senior researcher of the Institute of International
Strategic Studies (IISS) - Asia said on May 15 that Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) needs to have a general approach which is more robust
with China
to promote completion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). According
to Dr Choong, China’s
illegal oil rig HD-981 deployment in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone
and continental shelf was as a “self-interested move” and “planned carefully”.
The scholar also said that China's actions concerning Scarborough Shoal
where Philippines also claims and James beach rocks located in the exclusive
economic zone of Malaysia along with lower oil rig placed illegally in
Vietnam's waters “is a carefully calculated strategy by China” to gradually
occupy the whole nine dash line area. Mr. Choong reaffirmed that, before the
actions conducted by China
in the South China Sea, if there is no response whether military or non-military
one from countries claim sovereignty in the region, China
will turn their intentions into practice and extend basically sovereignty in
the South China Sea. This will be detrimental
to regional security, which have been established on the basis of negotiations
and cooperation between China
and countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Mentioning Vietnam’s
reaction, Mr. Choong said: “Vietnam
has been welcome when controlled escalating tensions and not use force against
the Chinese vessels in the area around the drilling platform” and “Vietnam had a moderate and rationale approach
for the challenges from China
in its waters”.
For the needed reactions of ASEAN before China’s plots and actions of in
the South China Sea, Dr Choong said ASEAN needs to have a more general and powerful approach with China
to promote completion of the COC at the same time pursuading China for that COC
binding not only for China but also for ASEAN countries which claim sovereignty
in these waters. Dr Choong affirmed: “The adoption of the COC at this time is
very important because it regulates conduct in settling territorial disputes”
and so “would be helpful for regional security”.
In addition to the countries in Southeast
Asia, Vietnam
continues to receive more support from outside the region. According to Dr.
Choong, although India is far away from Vietnam but it also expresses support to
Vietnam and so looking at core interests in the relationship between Vietnam
and other countries, he said that Vietnam has received the support from many
countries, especially Philippines, Japan, U.S. and India.
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All comments [ 10 ]
First, by resolving their territorial disputes, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia would be better positioned to present a united front toward China.
The Southeast Asian claimants to the South China Sea should stand idle as China becomes more forceful in asserting its claims to the disputed waters. Indeed, one of the strongest moves they can make doesn’t require the participation of the rest of ASEAN.
Resolving these disputes will help advance their agendas towards China by setting a number of important precedents, which would put pressure on Beijing to resolve its own disputes on terms favorable to the Southeast Asian nations.
since they would have resolved all other disputes, the disputes in the South China Sea would only exist at all because of China’s intransigence.
The easiest solution for reaching a long-term compromise over the South China Sea issue would be for China to simply accept the borders agreed to by the rest of the claimants.
By resolving the territorial disputes in a multilateral forum, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia would be setting a precedent that Beijing would be forced to oblige once it agreed to enter into serious discussions aimed at finding a comprehensive solution for the South China Sea.
Resolving the intra-ASEAN maritime disputes would allow the member states to “internationalize” the issue.
Since China would not be participating in this round of talks, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia could take the initiative by inviting the United States, Japan, Australia, India, and/or ASEAN to participate in the multilateral talks.
In short, by resolving the existing intra-ASEAN maritime disputes in the South China Sea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia could set the terms of future negotiations with China over the territorial disputes.
They would simultaneously isolate China as the only state preventing a comprehensive solution from being reached.
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