Southeast Asia

Indonesia urges parties to respect laws following South China Sea ruling

Liza Yosephine
The Jakarta Post

Jakarta / Tue, July 12, 2016 / 08:49 pm

Indonesia urges parties to respect laws following South China Sea ruling

Journalists gather outside the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, on Tuesday, ahead of a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the dispute between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea. (AP/Mike Corder)

Indonesia has called on all parties involved in the South China Sea dispute to respect applicable international laws following the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling on Tuesday in favor of the Philippines in its case against China's claim to the vast waters.

“Indonesia once again calls on all parties to exercise self-restraint and to refrain from any actions that could escalate tensions, as well as to protect Southeast Asia region particularly from any military activity that could pose a threat to peace and stability, and to respect international law including UNCLOS 1982,” the Foreign Ministry stated on its website in reference to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of which China and the Philippines are signatories.

The PCA in The Hague concluded that there was no legal basis for China's claim of historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the “nine-dash line”. The court ruled on Tuesday that the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) rightfully belonged to the Philippines and not China.

Indonesia once again urged all parties to continue to uphold the shared commitment in the region to maintain peace, as well as show friendship and cooperation. For this reason, all parties in the South China Sea must continue to act in accordance with the agreed principles, the statement further said.

Indonesia will continue to encourage the creation of a zone of peace, which is free and neutral in the region to strengthen the ASEAN political community and regional security. Further, the country, which is not a claimant in the dispute, urged all claimant states to continue peaceful negotiations on the overlapping claims in accordance with international laws.

Your premium period will expire in 0 day(s)

close x