Saturday, July 14, 2012

Sea Dispute Rocks ASEAN

China's territorial claim to the South China Sea includes two disputed island chains.

The Southeast Asian group enters unchartered waters as it grapples with a dispute with Beijing over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

2012-07-13
An analysis by Parameswaran Ponnudurai
RFA

In one of the most embarrassing moments in its four-decade history, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ended its annual talks in Cambodia this week without issuing its traditional joint statement due to deep divisions over a South China Sea territorial dispute with China.

The unprecedented action underscores the extent to which the long running maritime dispute has dampened solidarity within the 10-member ASEAN grouping and China's expanding influence in the region as it flexes its economic and military muscle.

It also throws into doubt a decade-long effort to devise a code of conduct to contain any military conflict over fishing, shipping rights or oil and gas exploration in the resource-rich South China Sea, which is also home to vital shipping lanes.

ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan called the meeting outcome "very disappointing" while Marty Natalegawa, the foreign minister of Indonesia, the largest Southeast Asian state, and who tried but failed to forge common positions, said it was "irresponsible" for the group to skip a joint statement for the first time in its 45-year history.


"To show solidarity, it is important to remind China that this is a vital issue for ASEAN and that ASEAN members who are not parties to the dispute share the concerns of their neighbours who are," said Richard Cronin, the director of the Southeast Asia program at the Washington-based Stimson Center.

"But if you overshoot the mark and look divided that is not a good outcome," he told RFA.

Tensions

ASEAN unity is seen as critical in the face of rising tensions in the South China Sea, Asia's biggest potential military flashpoint.

China said last month it had begun "combat-ready" patrols in waters it said were under its control while the United States announced that it will shift the bulk of its naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020 as part of a new strategic focus on Asia.

Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea but ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims in the area, which is believed to contain vast oil and gas reserves.

The ASEAN meeting in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh has been intense and stormy at times as the political, economic and security agenda was hogged by the South China Sea dispute, diplomats said.

China's key Southeast Asian ally Cambodia, the 2012 ASEAN chair, decided against issuing a joint statement after the Philippines and Vietnam, which have territorial disputes with Beijing, insisted that the communique include a specific reference to Beijing's alleged encroachment in their respective exclusive economic zones and continental shelves, the diplomats said.

Some ASEAN diplomats said China used its mighty influence over Cambodia to prevent any statement that may be damaging to Beijing but Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong rejected the suggestion, saying his government does not support any side in the dispute.

"I requested that we issue the joint communique without mention of the South China Sea dispute ... but some member countries repeatedly insisted to put the issue of the Scarborough Shoal," Hor Namhong told reporters in Phnom Penh.

A standoff at the Scarborough Shoal, a horseshoe-shaped reef in waters that both China and the Philippines claim, began earlier this year when Manila accused Chinese fishermen of poaching in its exclusive economic zone, including the shoal. Both sides sent government ships to the area.

The Philippines has withdrawn its vessels from the area, but Chinese government ships have remained at the shoal, which Beijing claims to have owned since ancient times.

Vietnam has faced its own problems with China over the South China Sea issue, mostly resulting from Beijing's detention of Vietnamese fishermen in disputed waters. Hanoi has also protested a recent announcement by the state Chinese oil company opening nine oil and gas lots for international bidders in areas overlapping with existing Vietnamese exploration blocks.

U.S.engagement

Both Vietnam and the Philippines have sought greater U.S. engagement in the region to help develop and enforce their maritime rights, prompting Beijing to take a more assertive position over the South China Sea dispute, analysts said.

As the dispute accelerates, some wonder whether ASEAN has become a victim of increasing rivalry between the United States and China in the region.

"It was indeed unprecedented for an ASEAN Ministerial Meeting to end without a joint communique. However, this was an internal ASEAN problem and, officially, no outside power was responsible for it," former ASEAN Secretary-General Rodolfo Severino told RFA.

Severino sees challenges facing ASEAN as a grouping but said that while it may lack consensus on some issues, by and large the member states agree on the "diversification of relations."

ASEAN remain "neutral and equidistant in terms of China and the U.S., avoiding having to choose between the great powers," said Severino, now head of the ASEAN Studies Centre at the Singapore-based Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

Still, ASEAN must get its act together to devise a mechanism to prevent the South China Sea dispute from blowing up.

Member states said earlier this week that they had drafted a set of rules governing maritime rights and navigation in the sea, and procedures for when governments disagree.

They have since presented their proposal to China in a bid to formulate a legally binding code of conduct to prevent any armed conflicts.

Beijing will consider the proposal but negotiations for a code of conduct will only be launched when "conditions are ripe," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Yang said.

Washington is pushing ASEAN and China to make "meaningful" progress toward finalizing the code based on international law and agreements.

"This will take leadership, and ASEAN is at its best when it meets its own goals and standards and is able to speak with one voice on issues facing the region," said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In remarks clearly aimed at China, she said that it was important that the dispute be resolved “without coercion, without intimidation, without threats and without use of force."

Silver lining

There may still be a silver lining in the ominous cloud over ASEAN's failure to hammer out its basic document.

It “could enhance the prospects for reaching agreement on a COC (code of conduct) because China is less likely to feel that all the ASEAN member states are ganging up against it,” Robert Beckman, director of the Center for International Law at the National University of Singapore, told Bloomberg news agency.

"There is still a common view that we must, if anything, reinforce our efforts to work on the COC, to begin our talks with the Chinese on the COC," Indonesian foreign minister Natalegawa said.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

How does it feel to YUON when time comes for some other strong and mighty encroaching to their territories?? How do you think Cambodia feels way back in 1982-1985 when YUON forced Hun Sen to cede lands and maritime to them?

Now it has came to you!!

Anonymous said...

USA should stay out of this South China Sea affairs and let China take over Vietnam. Vietnam(Annam) was just a province of China, and should be returned to China now.

Anonymous said...

Hypocrite Vietnam,

Give back all Khmer lands and islands that you took to Cambodia.

Your game has hurt Khmer miserably, but that game might return to you ( from China ).

Anonymous said...

Start from the basic:

Koh Trol is so close to Cambodia and Vietnam just took it from Cambodia.

To be fair to every members, can ASEAN brings up this Koh Trol issue and produce a good example for the international law.

Then, ASEAN might have some clout on the south China sea issue by solving a similar problem successfully.

Anonymous said...

Grow up guys, both fight during the day and sleep together during the night.

Takeo said...

a Yuon shift ASEAN focus to the sea instead of Cambodia. Brainwashed King where the hell are you??

Anonymous said...

No vietnamese read your comment in KI-MEDAI,DUDE! If you want to express your concerns to some one, you must do it at vietnamese' website. in KI-MEDIA only khmers, these khmers are junk. Most of them in USA are on USA GOVT. SSI ASSISTANCE.

Anonymous said...

5:32 AM

When you said these Khmers are junk, that included you too.

So, if you are a junk, why should I listen to you.

This KI media is a great info resource for Khmer people. Its staffs did a great job to serve Khmer people.

I've considered them as "Quiet Khmer heroes".

Vietnamses read this KI too, such as Ah Nguyen Yang Bok, Mi Nguyen Yang Banh, etc...

Anonymous said...

before: KHMER EMPIRE
after: KHMER EXPIRED

Dollar Change

Anonymous said...

“Association of Southeast Asian Nations ended its annual talks in Cambodia this week without issuing its traditional joint statement due to deep divisions over a South China Sea territorial dispute with China….ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan called the meeting outcome "very disappointing"… while Marty Natalegawa said it was "irresponsible" for the group to skip a joint statement for the first time in its 45-year history.”

=Well here go the blame game again the ASEAN has nobody to blame except themselves! The South China Sea territorial dispute has been an going issue for a very longtime! Tell me what did the previous so called “ASEAN leaders” had done in helping to solve the South China Sea territorial dispute with China? None! So now Cambodia became the chairman and Cambodia is expect to do miracle for the ASEAN-China problems? You got to be kidding me! May I remind all you so called ASEAN members when Cambodia got invaded by Thailand and did any of you ASEAN members talk about the Code Of Conduct applied to the Cambodia-Thailand conflict? When Cambodia invaded by Vietnam and did you ASEAN members talk about Code Of Conduct applied to the Cambodia-Vietnam conflict? As you can see here the ASEAN doesn’t even has its own Code Of Conduct in dealing with its own thuggish members and now they expect Cambodia that was victimized by some of the ASEAN members to solve the fucken problem of ASEAN-China disputes. As long as the ASEAN continue to prey on its own weak members and the ASEAN can forget about solving outside problems because the ASEAN cannot even solve its own internal problems that facing ASEAN as a group.

Cambodia is not a fool to taken lightly! You ASEAN diplomat can say anything you want such as “China used its mighty influence over Cambodia to prevent any statement “ but Cambodia have the right to pursue its own national interest too! By the way Cambodia want to join ASEAN for economic, security , and political understanding benefit but to join ASEAN to be invaded by other ASEAN members and Cambodia must look the other ways!


“Both Vietnam and the Philippines have sought greater U.S. engagement in the region to help develop and enforce their maritime rights”

=Well … Vietnam and Philippines are looking after their own national interest by using the U.S. military power to enforce their right to the sea. And as for Cambodia is also looking after its own national interest too. So far Thailande and Vietname made agreements to carve up all Cambodian sea and at the present Cambodia doesn’t have a sea! And for Thailand and Vietnam to deny Cambodia access to the sea for international trade and this is a death sentence for Cambodian long term economic future. Tell me who will help enforce Cambodia right to the sea?

Anonymous said...

6:53 AM

Thank You for your good analysis.

Bun Thoeun

Blog By Khmer said...

Som arkun lok pu 6:53am,
Great analysis !!!

Vannak
Phnom Penh.

Anonymous said...

there's no such thing as "ceded" or "granted" or "gave" any of khmer lands and waters and territories, etc to viet/youn now, in the past, nor in the future, etc, ok. maybe some kind of agreement was signed, but that's not the same as given away. that's not true to misquote or misunderstand cambodia by the accusing opposition political parties, really. cambodia never gave away any of our khmer lands, seas and waters territories to any country whatsoever, really. please get it correct, ok. so, stop accusing cambodia of giving away cambodia to any country, ok. it is never lawful to give away our country, territories, seas, waters, etc to any country, you know. in fact cambodia reserves the rights to always keep keep our territorial claims the same forever, you know. so, stop politicizing and wrongfully accuse cambodia of doing that, ok! under the rule of law, no one khmer person nor citizens are above the rule of law, really. cambodia reserves the rights to enforce our rule of law in our country forever, you know.

Anonymous said...

7:48 AM
Just one simple question:

How about ratified Koh Trol as Vietnam's island?

Can you answer this question?

Anonymous said...

for everybody's information, koh tral is always a cambodian island, not vietnam, you know. the fact was, cambodia under any regime never stupid to give away free island, etc to vietnam, etc, ok. you stop miquoting and misunderstand our khmer leaders, ok. read khmer leaders' lips, we never gave away any part of khmer lands, waters, territories, island like koh tral, etc, you know. it was an agreement as in a code of conduct, not "ceded" nor "gave away" nor "granted" nor anything like that for free without some kind of territorial compromises, etc, ok. get educated already. koh tral island is always a khmer island, ok, because khmer people never gave away our island, etc to vietnam, never, ok! if any, cambodia is demanding the return of our island, etc, ok! if the french colonial rule did that, then it was the french colonial administration's fault, but never cambodian leaders' fault with any regime, ok. i don't care what regime, cambodia never ever gave away our island, etc, really! cambodia will demand it back forever until we get it back one day sooner or later, really! that's always the royal gov't of cambodia's policy to keep our koh tral island forever. and of course, cambodia's opinion is the islands in the south china sea all belongs to china, period, no ifs or buts about it, really! what gave vietnam the right to steal cambodia's koh tral island? and china have all the rights in the world to stake claims to these south china sea islands, ok. i'm sure china is bigger than both vietnam and the philipines combined in both population and land masses, etc, really. so why not china? and what made vietnam so special to steal koh tral island form cambodia? can anyone answer this question without using population size, or land sizes, etc, ok. what made vietnam so special to steal koh tral island from cambodia? no illegal excuse and lame excuse is allowed, ok! of course, cambodia never forget our koh tral island, you know, never in a billion years, ok!

Anonymous said...

@5:32 AM, do you know what a mold? We know that you an infection mold. Hope you enjoy your infection work!

Anonymous said...

Miss LOLLIPOP 7:48 AM, If you said there is no such THING as a CEDE OR GRANTED OR RELINQUISH OR RENOUNCE, ABANDON OR TURN DOWN OR GIVE IT A WAY OR SO ON AND ON! Can you explain the VA KIM HOANG'S GENIUS IDEA to exchange the Ah HENG SOMSRE'S VILLAGE and some more territories with Ah khee banh YOUN? And WHY? And what part of Ah YOUN'S TERRITORIES that should be exchanged with Ah VA KIM HOANG?

Anonymous said...

we don't care whether viet/youn read here or not, that doesn't matter to khmer people, really. what matters is that we educate the world about cambodia and what we think about issues and topics related to cambodia and khmer interest, ok! of course, cambodia is not abour vietnam/youn, you know. cambodia is really about cambodia, really! so stay with the topic, ok, because we will ignore unrelated topic to cambodia totally, really! get educated already, ok!

Anonymous said...

You're one of stupid pitch say without brain. koh tral youn named it phu quoc and youn are living on this mother fuka island. How do you explain it? You're one of son of bitch of Ah YOUN.

Anonymous said...

oh shutttttttttttttt appppppp Miss sopotheavy sisowat, don't try to defend Ah YOUN BECAUSE of your royal family related to YOUN. Are you dumb head... most people up there are whining about YOUN?

Anonymous said...

shut up, i don't care about youn name on koh tral island, ok. i only care about khmer name is koh tral, ok! get educated already, ok! and the south china sea island all belongs to china, ok!

Anonymous said...

Look like one of the poster here is on Hun Sen's payroll. He/she is paid to defend Hun Sen/CPP at all cost. We cannot use reason with that person since his or her determination is to protect Hun Sen cause.

Anonymous said...

Deja vu scenario - the US is holding the little Philipinos balls, and China is yanking the Khmers balls. All for their own individual benefit.