End Spratly dispute peacefully

End Spratly dispute peacefully

If the unthinkable happens in coming months and there is war in this region, the conflagration will likely be lit in the Spratly Islands.

This isolated and inhospitable place, half-way between southern Vietnam and the Philippines, seems an unlikely prize. But six nations claim the barren atolls and South China Sea waters which make up the group.

China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all covet the Spratlys for a variety of reasons.

But they all have one desire for the future, and that is to pump and sell the oil and gas which almost certainly is in rich supply in the Spratlys.

Wrangling, disputes, fighting and near-war have marked the last 20 years of the Spratlys.

The last serious fighting was a sea battle between Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces in 1988 that came dangerously close to outright warfare.

Since then claimants to the Spratlys have been unable to resist tweaking the others.

Most recently, China has conducted a flurry of construction in the archipelago. Peking forces have done little more than reassert China's claim to the group, but other countries have taken it badly.

The Philippines navy has seized five Chinese fishing boats for allegedly operating in disputed waters and dynamited China's markers.

Taiwan has sent armed patrol boats to the area.

None of these moves are reassuring to the many Spratlys claimants, or the South and East Asian neighbors. Although there appears little danger of outright war over the Spratlys for now, the escalation of tensions is worrying.

On paper and in diplomatic meetings, all six claimants to the Spratlys are on record as favoring a peaceful, negotiated settlement to the problem of the islands.

On the ground, and in the many information and propaganda outlets, it is often a different story.

A cool-headed settlement for the Spratlys Island disputes is essential for Southeast Asia. Whatever riches may lie below the controversial group are not worth war.

Whether bilateral or multilateral talks are the chosen method is up to those involved in the disagreement. It should be clear that armed conflict is unacceptable.

We must expect all sides to press aggressively on the islands, but only in diplomatic ways. The claims to the Spratlys must be settled peacefully.

-- The Bangkok Post