South China Sea workshop in Jakarta

South China Sea workshop in Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will host once again the annual
workshop on managing potential conflicts in the South China Sea.

The Dec. 1 to Dec. 3 workshop will be held in Jakarta for the
first time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The eight previous meetings were held in resort areas away
from the capital to maintain an atmosphere of informality given
the sensitivity of the issue. A conducive atmosphere was
essential in bringing together the parties who have overlapping
territorial claims to the strategic Spratly Islands in the South
China Sea.

Six participants -- China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the
Philippines and Brunei -- lay claim, in part or in whole, to the
Spratly Islands which many believe to be rich in hydrocarbon
resources. The other participants -- Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos,
Singapore and Thailand -- have an interest in promoting regional
stability.

The workshop does not profess to trying to settle the
overlapping claims, but is more a forum to encourage cooperation
among the participants pending a resolution of their conflicts,
the ministry said.

In terms of programs, previous meetings produced modest
results, such as joint project on biodiversity research, a joint
study on changes in the ocean's surface and on the setting up of
a database and information network of scientists.

Indonesia said the programs were a means to help contain the
potential conflicts, and attention and resources could be
channeled to mutually beneficial projects for the region.

The workshop is organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs' Research and Development Agency, the Canadian
International Development Agency and Vancouver's University of
British Columbia.

As in the past, participants, comprising government officials
and scholars from the 11 countries, will be taking part in their
personal capacity. (emb)