Arbitral ruling is binding:Obama. Judgment clarifies South China Sea claims

The United States is not likely to give up its opinions, alliances and its commitments to various issues of importance in the world especially when in issues where it is directly, or by way of its alliances, involved; there is no other issue currently that is more significant than the ruling of the International Tribunal on the Laws of the Seas (ITLOS) that functions under the aegis of the United nations Conference on the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS) that was delivered two months ago.
That is international diplomacy with an aim of maintaining some semblance of justice while ensuring peaceful means are the way to resolve all bi-lateral and multi-lateral issues that are likely to escalate anytime.
What Obama said
The President of the United States was quite straightforward in his approach to the South China Seas problem, he made it clear that the maritime disputes needed to be sorted out with understanding and peace so that the issues can be properly thrashed out and taken to their rightful conclusion with peaceful means.
He was addressing the heads of state of the ASEAN members and dialogue partners after he had completed the state visit for which he had been invited by the government of Laos.
He reiterated his earlier stand stating that the judgment given by the International Arbitral Tribunal was binding on all concerned parties and had laid down the path for a peaceful resolution of the Territorial dispute.
He admitted that such issues do raise tensions in the region as well in the parties to the dispute, but he was interested to learn as to how the matter can be pursued in a suitably peaceful and meaningful manner so that diplomacy may prevail to promote stability and usher in stability in the region.
The guidelines issued by the International Arbitral Tribunals should be used to arriving at an amicable settlement and reducing the tensions for the mutual good of all.
The remarks by the US President were all the more significant since the Philippines government has been complaining that china had not acknowledged the points dealt with and decided by the ITLOS and was going ahead with reclamation work in Panatag shoal with the support of a large armed flotilla of ships; this shoal is well within the territorial boundaries of the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines according to the judgment.
This was a deliberate act of contempt against the judgment of the United Nation’s Arbitral panel.
It is understood that President Duterte had declared that he will not be bringing up the judgment of the tribunal at this meeting of the regional block gathering; however, he had advised his fellow members of South east Asia that they should be on the side of pace in all disputes of such a nature.
President Obama however delivered to the gathering a short opening speech in which he made a claim that he was perhaps the President of the U S with the maximum number of visits with the ASEAN leaders to his credit. This three-day visit was incidentally his eighth visit ti south east Asia which was a record for a U S President.
This, he said, is the measure of importance that South East Asia holds in maintaining the balance of the world peace and peaceful co-existence in this world.
In its efforts to promote and enhance the Trans-Pacific trade, the United States would always be directing its efforts to maintain close economic ties with members of this region.
Innovation of trade and entrepreneurship between the United States and the South East Asian countries would always be given its due importance for the benefit of all as ASEAN keeps generating newer opportunities for more business.
Summit
The occasion was the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summit which was conducted at Vientiane the capital of Laos from Tuesday 6th September to 8th of September 8th; during these 3 days, the main event is the would be the meetings of the ten members of the ASEAN.
The heads of state of the following ASEAN countries have collected in Vientiane for the summit:
• Cambodia,
• Vietnam,
• Thailand,
• Singapore,
• Brunei,
• Indonesia,
• Myanmar,
• Laos,
• Malaysia, and
• The Philippines.
In addition to the above, there are a number of countries who are important to ASEAN countries and are their dialogue partners; these countries that have come to discuss the regional issues of common interest to the members.
The dialogue partners who have arrived here to interact with the ASEAN members as well as amongst themselves are:
 Australia,
 Japan,
 China,
 India,
 South Korea,
 Russia and
 The United States.
The theme of the summit this time around is Turning vision into reality with important bilateral and group meetings to sort out the various regional issues and the international matters in which the countries of South East Asia are involved. The main topics that are likely to be broached will be concerning counter-terrorism, disputes of the South China Sea, Human rights, and trade.
Many different meetings will be taking place on the sidelines; the President of the Philippines is attending his first international meeting with his ASEAN colleagues in addition to important world leaders of the dialogue partners.
There will be quite a few engagements between the various representatives of ASEAN member countries at the level of business advisory councils and youth bodies.
President Duterte
The President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte was also on his way to attend the summit, this being his first international engagement after having become the head of state.
In an address before his departure from Davao City, he said he was optimistic that the ASEAN could play an important role to solve the disputes in the region if it was united; with peace they could usher in stability, security and prosperity.
The president also has a series of meetings with the heads of state of Japan, Singapore and Vietnam; the meeting between the Presidents of United States and the Philippines could not be held since Duterte is stated to have used abusive language again Obama who had no other option but to cancel the proposed meeting.
This meeting was quite essential since it was a first chance for Duterte to have a one to one meeting with Obama and discuss the strategy that was required to deal with the disputes in the South China Seas after the ITLOS ruling against Chinese territorial claims and China’s belligerent.
Duterte was offered the chairmanship of the ASEAN for 2017 and he has accepted it with the assertion that he would like to work towards increasing cooperation to ensure a drugs-free ASEAN.
Umrao singh umraoz.wordpress.com

Thursday, 08 September 2016
Written for: Lars-Magnus Carlsson www.thephilippinepride.com

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