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6a. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION 6b. OFFICE SYMBOL 7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZATION
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U.S. Army War College
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91 ~ I
USAWC MILITARY STUDIES PROGRAM PAPER
by
Brigadier General Dato Mohammad All bin Alwl
Malaysian Army
Colonel (Retired) Gene Grayson
Project Advisor
91 4 2 042
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
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HAINAN DA
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aggravated by the Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC) that
Asian region.
from north to south and 520 nautical miles from east to west
islets, reefs, atolls, cays, and sand bars are also found In
3
The South China Sea Islands
Hanoi
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20 OF-
TN K
Hanan
Paracels
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the sea stretching from north to south In roughly eight
distinct archipelagoes.
These groups are from the north: The North Danger Cays
Reef that Includes Adrasier Bank and the Swallow Reef; the
miles off the coast of Vietnam and 900 miles south of the
5
The second largest archipelago In the South China Sea
of one island and two sand banks that are located about 240
6
GULFS IN DISPUTE
NN
CernhRa
UdanStuem
K KSea
Bangko
Chen Bul
Indonesia claims EEZ protrudes 100 miles Into the Vietnamese
EEZ.11
8
DISPUTED AREA BETWEEN VIETNAM AND INDoNESIA
110
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9
while the Gulf of Thailand has caused overlapping claims by
which overlaps half way into its own EEZ In the south. (See
map on page 9)
map on page 7)
10
gulf); the Chinese on the other hand, Insisted that the
Mlinh May was said to have built a pagoda on the rock Ban Na
11
latitude 16 degrees North to surrender to the Republic of
the Chinese.
12
The situation in the Paracels remained status quo for a
territories. 2 7
and thus had left the western territories open for "the
13
P KATA 6
I bLAN VS
( HAINAN
VAMACk~L IA1.ANDS5
II
too 116 9x
1 14
range of territorial disputes Including all the South China
Spratlys.
1965.31 (See map on page 14) However, China did not occupy
fought battle with the Hanoi troops. The first island the
Chinese occupied was the Fiery Cross in March 1987. (See map
15
ipyalso Island
Spratly Islands
China, Malaysia. Philippines. Taiwan, and Vietnam
Ilkcf Sot have claims to one or more of the Sprally Islands.
*fae Srtl1h IF
stand., Isad
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South Ws~~~tsC~~
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wh.to Cal~,
471.
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les
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China nobbs SSoa.
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'Ii'.. Real a . 110 Re h
S's, Sea
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by the Chinese, namely Union Bank, Cuarten Reef, Gaven Reef,
Johnson Reef, and Subi Reef. One more reef was seized in
17
Islands and asserted that they were not part of the Spratly
18
The first government to have utilizied Its troops on
meters.44
19
not possibly stop the North from overtaking the country when
the South China Sea. Since then, China has maintained Its
Island.46
South West Cay, Gaven, Caman, Guarten Reefs, Fiery Cross and
20
Meanwhile, following the publication of Its new map in
page 16)
from the Yellow Sea in the north to the South China Sea in
the south. The need became more critical after the United
21
Curing this period Chinese warships were observed to be
sailing In and around the Spratly Islands. These activities
the China News Agency which also revealed that the Chinese
Navy had successfully conducted an amphibious exercise on
22
territories in the Spratly Archglpelago, and accused China
and wounded one Chinese member of the survey team. This was
then followed by machine gun fire from the ships and that
23
garrisoned In May. In agitation, the Vietnamese purportedly
islets under its control twenty one. Both Beijing and Hanoi
meter pier that can handle 4,000 ton ships, a helipad, and
reef.56
24
The Philippines also responded to the event. On March
and air forces In the South and that its fishermen would be
25
The Thai Navy had frequently clashed with Kampuchean and
26
fact that negotiations were being held "Would presume the
claims.
27
their dispute on the basis of equitable principle.
territories over their new EEZ. The problem here arose from
issue.66
Commodore Reef. 6 7
28
1988 Incident. In early 1977, Vietnam's Prime Minister,
in Beijing. 6 9
after the skirmish of March 1988. Among the first was the
to shelve the issue for the time being. China, after that,
29
should be negotiated peacefully. Nonetheless, in all
bilateral discussions that have been held to date, nothing
actions.
SECURITY IMPLICATION
South China Sea give rise to anxiety not only among the
30
certainly threatens the security and stability of the
region.
Despite the end of the Cold War, the United States and
31
Japanese Imports of oil and raw materials, In the main,
States), Japan may use Its economic power and also its
32
boiling pot. The war in the Persian Gulf, the political
33
ENDNOTES
8. Hamzah, p. 138.
10. Ibid.
11. Van der Kroef, Justus M., "Competing Claims in the South
China Sea", Pacific Svmposlum, 1981. pp. 36-41.
13. Ibid.
14. Chang Paso Ming, "A New Scramble for the South China Sea
Islands", Indonesian Quarterly 18/2, July 1990, p. 22.
34
15. Prescott, pp. 27-30.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
22. Ibid.
24. Ibid.
28. Ibid.
32. Ibid.
38. Ibid.
39. Ibid.
35
40. Lee, pp. 154-156.
41. Hanzah, p. 142.
44. Ibid.
50. Ibid.
53. Ibid.
56. Ibid.
58. Ibid.
36
65. Prescott, pp. 27-30.
66. Ibid.
67. Chong, p. 32.
68. Lau Phuong, "Larger Interests Lie Behind the Fight Over
Spr-atlys", Strait Times, Malaysia, April 8, 1988.
69. Chong, p. 31.
37
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chang Pao Ming, "A New Scramble for the South China Sea
Islands." Contemporoary Southeast Asia, Volume 12,
Number 1, June 1, 1990.
38