Thailand thrust into island dispute

SOUTH CHINA SEA

Published: 17 Jul 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Challenges lie ahead for Thailand to show the Association of Southeast Asian Nations it can help resolve the South China Sea dispute and ensure it does not disrupt regional stability.

Southeast Asian nations have witnessed a disconcerting rise in tensions over the Spratly and Paracel Islands with China. Thailand will take over as Asean’s coordinator with China and the dispute will be its biggest challenge.

Thailand will be given the task of being Asean's coordinator with China for three years when it takes over the position from Vietnam on July 25.

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sdokokthom
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Discussion 14 : 24 Jul 2012 at 01.0914
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Historically speaking this island owned by Vietnam from colonial era, but inhabited by chinese fishermen for a long time so China has legitimate claim. Politically Hanoi does not want to challenge China over this deadly dispute because China is too big to beat. Vietnam turned to US for help by giving naval base to American .Million of Vietnamese expatriate are condemning Hanoi regime for ceding land and Island to China for regime survival in exchange .Vietnam does not care if Asean crumble, beacause their long dream of Indo Chinese Federation is impending.Thailand cannot be a referee over this dispute, because Thai need China more than anybody else, again Thailand is no longer as US strategic partner anymore.
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bennu
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Discussion 13 : 18 Jul 2012 at 02.1713
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The archipelagos may contain oil and gas, yet they are more valuable as nature reserves, if anyone is interested. They should be protected against exploiting which too often follows the competetion.
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peterl
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Discussion 12 : 17 Jul 2012 at 20.0712
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In agree with Mrs Clinton. As ASEAN's China negotiator, it would appear Thailand will from July 25 assume a role of potentially huge global geo political importance. China is the emerging global economic superpower and will need to be persuaded where its enlightened self-interest lies. The South China Sea is rapidly becoming one of the principal arenas in which these issues will play out over the next few years.
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wvavin
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Discussion 11 : 17 Jul 2012 at 16.1911
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If those little Spratly Islands could belong to China then I think Kho Samui or even Singapore also belongs to them if they are so hawkish!
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bonzo
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Discussion 10 : 17 Jul 2012 at 16.0610
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I may not be a cunning linguist, but “Spratly” doesn’t sound like a very Chinese name to me.
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jacksprat
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Discussion 9 : 17 Jul 2012 at 15.599
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China argues that the entire South China Sea belongs to them because a Chinese admiral led an exploration fleet through it many centuries ago. So the people who lived there are the same time had no rights to their off shore waters? The UN recognises 12 nautical miles from shore as territorial waters, with an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles. China's claim intrudes into the economic zone of Vietnam, the Phillipines, Malaysia and Brunei. It also comes very close to overlapping some of their territorial waters. The PRC government's claim is patently ridiculous. But they have shown their williness to fight for it. Is this the behaviour one expects from what many claims will be the next leading world power?
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aussiedoug
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Discussion 8 : 17 Jul 2012 at 13.198
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There is an internationally accepted law to resolve this dispute, and it should be used, otherwise China will simply resort to it's usual bully boy tactics after discussing it for centuries.
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kwicktrot
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Discussion 7 : 17 Jul 2012 at 09.437
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“Having experience in using the Asean mechanism to solve the Thai-Cambodian border conflict over the Preah Vihear temple, Bangkok wants to do the same with the South China Sea.” Great, and what is the outcome of that conflict?
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bern1005
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Discussion 6 : 17 Jul 2012 at 09.206
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"I think it is a sign of Asean's maturity that they are wrestling with some very hard issues here. They're not ducking them; they are walking right into them."
Was Clinton being sarcastic?

The "Asean Way" of non-interference and consensus make it effectively impossible for ASEAN to have any role in border disputes between countries (as witnessed by their failure to be able to make any difference at all in the conflict over Preah Vihear Temple).
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Ian
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Discussion 5 : 17 Jul 2012 at 09.085
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China's normal battle tactic in the past was to use its unlimited supply of people as "cannon fodder" until the enemy ran out of ammunition. This no longer works, wars are now waged at economic and trade levels. It used to be said the pen was mightier than the sword, the modern version is the wallet is mightier than the sword. China by being so blatantly greedy in her maritime claims risks alienating all her major trading partners.
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Thailand thrust into island dispute | Bangkok Post: opinion