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Updated Monday, June 22, 2009 11:11 am TWN, By Joe Hung, Special to The China Post Sovereignty over the Spratly IslandsIn August 1955 a French warship landed officers and men on Woody Island to claim sovereignty for France and expelled Chinese fishermen back to Hainan Island. The Chinese national monument was destroyed. South Vietnam, which declared independence and claimed sovereignty transferred from France, invaded and occupied two other islands of the Paracels in March and August 1956. On March 1, 1956, Thomas Cloma, a Filipino mercantile marine school superintendent, landed with his cadets on Taiping and claimed they discovered altogether nine islands for the Philippines. He proclaimed the occupation of his newly found islets on May 15. Two weeks later, on May 29, the People's Republic reiterated its sovereignty over all four island groups in the South China Sea. As a countermeasure, Taiwan sent three flotillas to the Spratlys. The first flotilla patrolled between June 2 and 14, 1956. Marines were landed on Taiping and two other islets. The second flotilla completed the cruise from June 29 to July 22. The last flotilla, which made the patrol between September 24 and October 5, stopped a Filipino ship commanded by Filemon Cloma, aboard which were found weapons. The Filipino skipper, a younger brother of Thomas Cloma, was brought to the flagship of the flotilla for questioning. He said he was on a “private visit” to Taiping his brother claimed for the Philippines. Subsequently, in December, Manila announced Cloma's voyage had nothing to do with the government of the Philippines. In view of the possibilities that the Filipinos might return after Taiwan's naval force left, Taipei decided to station a marine platoon on Taiping at the end of 1956. The stationing of a defense force has since continued. (To be continued.) Comments June 23, 2009 THvothuongsu@ Reply China's hegemonistic ambition is a threat to world peace in the 21st century. July 3, 2009 lht1965@ All information is a lie. Paracels and Spratly belong to Vietnam. In 1974, China had a quick war over Vietnam and took over Paracels; in 1988, they repeated the same action to the Vietnam and occupied few more of Spratly. From 1949, China has many conflicts with most of its neighbors and always lose!!! Japan should be your historical lesson. A step too far, you will lose. Winner will take it all. US will not let you do whatever you want. July 6, 2009 getreal@ The Islands of Paracels and Spratly does belong to Vietnam so please get out of their country and leave the Vietnamese people alone. October 16, 2009 yiyefan1000@ Those countries who do not have any strong evidence always try to play a card: China's hegemonistic ambition. Everything should be based on evidence. China's claims have been supported by numerous maps and historic records. Smaller countries want to challenge China by gaining sympathy from other bigger powers, e.g. US. How shameless and brazen! October 17, 2009 ludahai_twn@ @yiyefan -- Historic maps and fishing rights do not confer sovereignty in international law. Vietnamese and Cham fishermen have been using those islets for fishing FAR LONGER than the Chinese had. Furthermore, the ROC stated in 1928 that the Paracel Islands were the southernmost territory in its country, NOT the Spratly. More -- those islands were administered as a part of Cochin China by the French from Saigon until 1954 when the Vietnamese won the battle of Dien Bien Phu.Historically, at least the western half of the Spratly's belongs to Viet Nam, NOT to China (or Taiwan). Taiwan should focus on the Tiaoyutai Island issue where its claim is FAR STRONGER. October 19, 2009 glory@ lht1965-Sure and yes. We Chinese are so weak and can’t match with the world’s one and only super power Vietnam that conquered Paris, Tokyo and Washington D.C. And now we Chinese are still so weak to defend our island Paracel and Splatly islands. But we can defend our island with our WILL POWER and MORAL POWER to survive when the Big Boy Vietnam will send all their mighty military machine against us. October 20, 2009 centxiao@ History can not be denied by Vietnamese propaganda. International law also respect history. Little Comrade: you should shut up. October 20, 2009 superkinez@ Hey Vietnamese friends! Are you serious about these insults you are throwing around? I can see that you are angry, but get real, China will always be a regional power and will own all of these islands. Now accept it and live with it. October 22, 2009 daotk75@ If TW wants to be independent, TW should support VN to gain back Paracel Island. October 29, 2009 elumpen@ Grow up guys. Who cares about a few lumps of rock in the middle of nowhere? They don't "belong" to anyone, and there's certainly no obvious reason why they should belong to Taiwan. They belong to the people who live there. Would you like China to apply your logic to the question of who Taiwan "belongs" to?If the politicians had any smarts they would arrange for the Spratly islands to be used as centers of co-operation (military, commercial, tourist, whatever) between claimant countries; everybody wins. Unfortunately, they don't, so they won't, and everyone loses and gets to fling mud around. |
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