RP proposes Antarctic Treaty model for Spratlys

RP proposes Antarctic Treaty model for Spratlys

MANILA (AFP): Claimants to the Spratlys islands in the South
China Sea should look to the Antarctic Treaty as a model for
settling disputes, Philippine Defense Secretary Mercado said on
Monday.

Mercado said "national security" could only be achieved if
there was regional stability, stressing that claimants Brunei,
China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam should look
at the concept as "intertwined with regional security."

"I would like to propose a model for study first in relation
to resolve the conflict in the South China Sea dispute and which,
I believe, can be an option for the future direction of our
foreign and defense policy -- the Antarctic Treaty Model,"
Mercado said in a paper to defense experts.

He noted that "unilateral assertions by claimants" have
escalated, resulting in a deadlock which could only be broken by
"alternative approaches" such as the Antarctic Treaty model.

The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 was created by 12 countries for
joint scientific endeavors in Antarctica, Mercado said.

The treaty provided for the eventual "demilitarization" of the
area and prohibited any military actions such as the
establishment of bases and maneuvers.

The parties involved agreed to resolve disputes through
peaceful negotiations or arbitration and to govern the Antarctic
collectively.

The treaty, signed in 1961, assures "complete freedom of
access at any given time to any or all areas" Mercado said,
adding that it has "functioned well in preserving the status quo"
in the area.

He said such a code could be applicable in the potentially
oil-rich Spratlys.

"Working within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty Model,
the islands within the South China Sea and their surrounding
ecosystems can be declared an international marine reserve,"
Mercado said.

Claimants should be prepared to "enter into multilateral
exploratory" talks, which could evolve into formal negotiations
so that "joint management" of the area can be carried out, he
said.

"All claimant states must agree to demilitarize the South
China Sea," Mercado said.

While Mercado acknowledged that persuading claimant countries
to prioritize "regional collective interest" over national
interest could be a hard task, it was also "not impossible."

The Philippines has also pushed for a "code of conduct" in the
Spratlys aimed at calming tensions.

The code is to be discussed in the upcoming informal summit of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) here, which
will also be attended by the leaders of China, Japan and South
Korea.