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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Interesting Places : The Spratly Islands


Click map to enlarge 


Spratly Islands is a group of islands near Palawan being claimed by the following countries : China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Philippines. The group of islands in the middle of the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) is  a very rich fishing ground and is believed to contain big gas and oil deposits. As a matter of fact, one of the oil wells in Palawan lies near the area, which gives credence to this  speculation. Some of the countries are claiming the whole archipelago while some are claiming only parts or some islands. I did some research which part  or islands of Spratly is being claimed by the claimant countries and here is what I found : 

Click map to enlarge

Here is one interesting story related to the Philippine claim of  the Spratly Islands:
In 1947Tomas Cloma, a Filipino adventurer and a fishing magnate, discovered a group of several uninhabited and unoccupiedislands/islets in the vastness of the Luzon Sea also called the South China Sea.On May 11, 1956, together with 40 men, Tomas Cloma and his brother Filemon took formal possession of the islands, lying some 380 miles west of the southern end of Palawan and named it “Free Territory of Freedomland." Four days later on May 15, 1956, Cloma issued and posted copies of his “Notice to the Whole World” on each of the islands as a decisive manifestation of unwavering claim over the territory.
Then on May 31, 1956, Tomas Cloma declared the establishment of the Free Territory of Freedomland, ten days after he sent his second representation to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
On July 6, 1956, Cloma declared to the whole world his claim and the establishment of a separate government for the "Free Territory of Freedomland" with its capital on Flat Island (Patag Island). His declaration was met with violent and unfriendly reactions from several neighboring countries especially the Republic of China (ROC; on Taiwan since 1949) when on September 24, 1956 it effectively garrisoned the nearby island of Itu Aba and intercepted Cloma’s men and vessels found within its immediate waters. Unable to surmount the difficulties and pressure, he ceded his claim to the Philippines for one peso.

2 comments:

  1. I really don't know why China is also claiming this, the fact that Spratly islands are too far away from them! They are so greedy to get them all.

    ReplyDelete