Thread by @indiohistorian

#TodayinHistory in 2016, the #Philippines WON its case in the Permanent Court of Arbitration versus #China, forever invalidating China's #9dashline claim on the entire South China Sea in the eyes of the world. (THREAD)
👉tmblr.co/ZtGCUx297n2QJ

Context: On 22 January 2013, the Republic of the Philippines filed its case against the People’s Republic of China under Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. #PH said #China, as UNCLOS signatory, violated its terms w/ the 9-dash line claim.

#PH had exhausted 17 years of bilateral negotiations w/ #China to no avail. Hence, it was the first time a state took China to court on the 9-dash line claim. China did not accept the legitimacy of the court proceedings, hence it never sent any representatives.

The 9-dash line is a controversial demarcation line used by #China to mark its claim to waters in the South China Sea, encompassing 3.5 million sq. kms of sea. The maritime claim include Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal), the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands...

...and island groups & rock formations contested by other countries such as #PH. The Panatag Shoal is merely 355 kms from Manila, far beyond China’s 200 nautical miles of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) & well within the Philippines’, as prescribed by UNCLOS.

The #PH case was applauded by the international community as a “stroke of genius” since it repackaged its case such that its center of argument is maritime delimitation & entitlement. This is bec @PCA_CPA has no mandate to tackle issues on sovereignty.

To bolster its claim, on 5 Sept 2012, #PH renamed its EEZ waters west of the Philippines as #WestPHSea, which is only a part of the South China Sea and not its entirety. officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/09/05/adm…

As former SAJ Antonio Carpio has repeatedly said, the PCA ruling can be enforced in a myriad of ways. The key is multilateral negotiations, involving our neighbors. rappler.com/nation/235397-… #WestPHSea #AtinAngPinas

Due to the Duterte administration's subservient policy, and refusal to use the #PH victory as leverage, emboldened China continues to militarize South China Sea. Despite this, some of our neighbors—Vietnam & Indonesia—have invoked #PH victory to push back.

https://twitter.com/AsiaMTI/status/1281045409318780929?s=20

Here's a graphic map on the Arbitral Tribunal ruling:

https://twitter.com/AsiaMTI/status/1040525560349450240?s=20

Photos:

- @Abi_Valte & Official Gazette
- @rapplerdotcom

@tonitiemsin @subselfie