The USA can play a constructive role to defuse the tension in the South China Sea

Tension has been mounting in the South China Sea due mainly to an intransigent stand taken by the USA and its hidden agenda in the pivot to Asia policy. The tension and dispute in the South China Sea and the East China Sea could be history if the Americans were honest and honourable to face the historical facts and legalities concerning the status and sovereignty of the so called disputed islands. These islands are not disputed islands and the Americans knew the full facts and the legal agreements that they have helped to sign immediately after World War 2.

On 8 June 16, the Assistant Director of the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore, Ms Tsai Chi Yuan wrote to the Straits Times and clearly stated the how Taiwan has been administering the South China Sea islands since the 1930s with full acknowledgement by countries in the region and the world.  Here are some of the key points raised by Ms Tsai:

‘Whether from the perspective of history, geography or international law, the Nansha (Spratly) Islands, Shisha (Paracel) Islands, Chungsha Islands (Macclesfield Bank) and Tungsha (Pratas) Islands, as well as their surrounding waters, are an inherent part of Taiwan's territory and waters.

When France attempted to occupy nine of the Shisha and Nansha islands in 1931 and 1933 during its colonisation of Annam (known today as Vietnam), Taiwan responded to this challenge by ordering its embassy in France to issue statements of sovereignty.

On April 29, 1930, at the Far Eastern Meteorological Conference in Hong Kong, the Taiwan-operated observatory in Tungsha Islands was acknowledged as the most important in the South China Sea. The Philippine representative for the Manila Observatory's suggestion that Taiwan set up meteorological observatories on the Shisha and Chungsha islands to enhance navigation safety was also passed unanimously….the International Civil Aviation Organisation's conference in Manila on Oct 27, 1955, a resolution was passed for Taiwan to provide weather reports on the Tungsha, Shisha and Nansha islands….

After World War II, with assistance from the Allies, Taiwan took formal possession in 1946 of South China Sea islands formerly seized by Japan.

The San Francisco Peace Treaty, which entered into force on April 28, 1952, and the Treaty of Peace between Taiwan and Japan signed on the same day, reaffirmed that the South China Sea territories occupied by Japan should be returned to Taiwan.’

And Taiwan is part of China under Chiang Kai Shek that claimed to rule the whole of China as the Republic of China until the PRC replaced the ROC in the UN in 1971.

The historical facts quoted by Ms Tsai were known to the Americans. The Americans cannot plead ignorance to the Treaty of San Francisco and the Treaty of Potsdam. And the Americans have also signed the following treaties with Spain and Britain that were very clear on the sovereignty of the South China Sea islands and the delineation of the Philippines territories. The Chinese islands did not belong to the Philippines as recorded in the 1898 Treaty of Paris between the US and Spain, the 1900 Treaty of Washington between US and Spain and the 1930 Treaty between Britain and the US, all excluded the ‘disputed’ islands as Philippines territory.

How then can the Americans be constructive and defuse the problems and tension in the South China Sea? It simply calls upon the Americans to be honest, honourable, to acknowledge and recognize the terms of these treaties that all clearly said the islands belong to China. It calls upon the American to honour all legally binding international treaties and obligations, to obey the rule of law that they are violating but accusing China of committing when China was playing by the rules of law.

By not wanting to talk about these treaties that were crafted by the Americans and pretending that they did not exist, the Americans are not only dishonest, dishonourable but also very mischievous. The irony is that the Americans are accusing the Chinese of using coercive tactics and might is right to intimidate and bully its neighbours. When the Americans are honest and honourable, and to wave these treaties to the claimant countries and telling them to recognize the terms in these treaties, all the claims by Japan and the Asean claimant countries would become irrelevant, illegal and unfounded. It would then be a case of unreasonable claims by Japan and the Asean countries on Chinese territories. And the issue of coercion, might is right or freedom of navigation will come to a natural end.

Would the Americans do the honourable thing by being honest and tell the historical truths that are written in these treaties that the Americans wrote and signed? There is no dispute in the South China Sea and the claims were based on fallacies and spurious logic and the Americans knew. It is time that the Americans stop their mischievous agenda and defuse the tension in the South China Sea by telling the truths in these treaties.

The criminal and fraudulent stock market makes its first killing

I have written many times about the fraudulent and flawed stock market trading system coming out from the West when computers and computer traders were legally allowed to cheat the innocent traders, including the big funds that do not operate high speed computers and the retail traders. And the whole exchange system was redesigned to facilitate the computers and computer traders to make their cheating of other traders easier, more convenient and faster. I am not going repeat what I have said before but just to point out this piece of news coming out from London.

‘Dark Days at the Folly as Nomura Traders Join Europe’s Jobless
2016-06-08 04:00:00.3 GMT

By Liam Vaughan
(Bloomberg) -- They made their way in dribs and drabs. Hundreds of displaced bankers, shuffling up Suffolk Lane to All. Bar One and along Upper Thames Street toward the Folly, the only pubs in the City of London open that early on an overcast
Tuesday morning.
   

It was April 12, and Tokyo-based Nomura Holdings Inc. had just informed about 600 traders, analysts and advisers that they were no longer needed. The bank was pulling out of equities in Europe, affecting roughly one in five employees in the region.’

Even a big operator like Nomura with 600 employees in equity trading could not survive this fraudulent trading system. More will follow suit before the equity market freezes up with no more traders in the market except the computers and computer traders. And no one is looking at the elephant in the trading floor. And all those responsible for the fiasco are pretending that everything is fine.

It would not be long, the damage is so severe to all the stock markets around the world that were forced to adopt this criminal system that not only traders are fleeing, even the companies are starting to delist when it becomes foolish to pay listing fees only to see the value of their stocks turning into smokes and risked being taken over. No clear thinking companies would want to list their companies in the stock exchanges any more. Only those that are thinking of making a quick buck will do so and with the opportunity to buy back all the stocks on delisting at a fraction of the listing price. It is going to be the trend.

Watch for the curtains to fall and everyone will plead ignorant and innocent and would blame everything under the sky except the elephant they brought into the trading system.

More concrete evidence, hard facts that China owns the islands in the South China Sea

In a letter to the ST forum on 8 June, Ms Tsai Chi Yuan of the Taiwan’s Representative Office in Singapore spelt out clearly some of the facts as hard proof that the South China Sea islands that the Americans and the West were claiming in support of some upstart countries as ‘disputed territories’ were clearly under the control of Taiwan since the 1930s.  And these facts are well know to the world, especially the Americans and the western powers but conveniently and mischievously refused to remember and talk about.

The years, 1930s are important as before these dates, countries like the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia were all non countries. They were colonies of the Americans, French/Japanese and the British and were busy fighting for their independence as resistance and nationalist forces.

Below are some of the facts stated by Ms Tsai:

‘Whether from the perspective of history, geography or international law, the Nansha (Spratly) Islands, Shisha (Paracel) Islands, Chungsha Islands (Macclesfield Bank) and Tungsha (Pratas) Islands, as well as their surrounding waters, are an inherent part of Taiwan's territory and waters.

When France attempted to occupy nine of the Shisha and Nansha islands in 1931 and 1933 during its colonisation of Annam (known today as Vietnam), Taiwan responded to this challenge by ordering its embassy in France to issue statements of sovereignty.

On April 29, 1930, at the Far Eastern Meteorological Conference in Hong Kong, the Taiwan-operated observatory in Tungsha Islands was acknowledged as the most important in the South China Sea. The Philippine representative for the Manila Observatory's suggestion that Taiwan set up meteorological observatories on the Shisha and Chungsha islands to enhance navigation safety was also passed unanimously….the International Civil Aviation Organisation's conference in Manila on Oct 27, 1955, a resolution was passed for Taiwan to provide weather reports on the Tungsha, Shisha and Nansha islands….

After World War II, with assistance from the Allies, Taiwan took formal possession in 1946 of South China Sea islands formerly seized by Japan.

The San Francisco Peace Treaty, which entered into force on April 28, 1952, and the Treaty of Peace between Taiwan and Japan signed on the same day, reaffirmed that the South China Sea territories occupied by Japan should be returned to Taiwan.’

The above are hard facts and proof that Taiwan was administering these islands then. And Taiwan is part of China under Chiang Kai Shek that claimed to rule the whole of China as the Republic of China until the PRC replaced the ROC in the UN in 1971.

And there are many more historical records of the Ming and Qing Dynasty’s rule and administration of these islands. Nothing further need to be said about the hypocrisies of the counter claims by non nations that only became nations after the end of World War 2. They were non countries, irrelevant legal entities. No rights to claim island in the South China Sea. 

Why did the Americans refused to acknowledge these historical facts? Why are they so dishonest and dishonourable and mischievous?

Civil Servants no access to internet

‘The Govt’s move to delink computers used by civil servants from direct access to the Internet is “absolutely necessary” to keep govt data and public services secure.’ Hsien Loong.

When this policy takes effect in May next year, civil servants can only access the Internet through dedicated computers or through their personal computers. Hsien Loong has disclosed that there have been very determined attacks on the Govt’s IT systems and the threats are getting more severe and sophisticated. Just relying on the system’s defensive measures is looking like a losing proposition and it is best to cut the connection to the minimum. Hsien Loong quoted the possibility of personal data like NRIC numbers, addresses and income tax returns being hacked and put up for sale in the Internet. It is all about being safe and secure and the safety of citizens.

Given the same kind of logic and thinking, would the govt clamp down on immigration if more Singaporeans are being beaten by foreigners here or if the threats of terrorism increase, or if actual terrorist acts occurred? Or would it be too late by then? Data security cannot be more serious that personal security and safety and the threats of terrorism on our soil or in the heartland? How badly exposed are Singaporeans to terrorism with so many foreigners here?

The preventive and proactive policies and measures taken to safeguard the data and information safety and security of our citizens should be extended to make sure citizens’ personal safety is protected and not compromised by the hoards of foreigners with unknown backgrounds. Tiok boh? Important or not? No attack does mean we are safe. Terrorists planning to hit their home country from here does not mean we will be safe.

What are the govt going to do about these threats? Should we cut down the human connections as well or at least reduce the numbers here? Terrorists can also wear suit and ties among the professional ranks.

Power and the exercise of Power

Power is sexy, intoxicating and tempting. People who grew up in the HDB heartland and found themselves in position of authority and power would suffer an initial cultural shock. Wah, I have so much Power, I am so powerful. Suddenly, from a neighbourhood Ah Kow, the heartland kid becomes a somebody. Walk also different, talk also different, dress differently and eat differently, even smell differently. Suddenly from a nondescript nothing to look at kid, the kid becomes so attractive, so sexy.

Power can be very wonderful and can change a person, his character. From a meek little kid, he may now talk very big, even turning himself into a monster or a bully.

Power can come from many sources, money, position of authority and in politics, political power, the most fearsome when abused. People in position of authority and power should, ok this is spoken from the point of a person without Power and could fall victim to Power, exercise Power with a little humility and sensitivity. The very reason for saying this is that this is a democracy, I think it is though some may disagree, and your position in Power can be taken away by the very people that gives you the power and the very people you are throwing your power at.

You just do not know when you will lose your power, and become Ah Kow again, though you may not live in the HDB heartland anymore. But Singapore is such a small place and you are going to bump into people that were at the receiving end of your Power when you exercise them abusively. I bet you it would not be a pleasant encounter and experience should that day come.

When one is stripped of Power, the playing field will be level again and an Ah Kow will be treated as an Ah Kow.  Be more foresighted and circumspect and prepared for that day when you are Ah Kow again.  Exercise your Power, the temporary Power bestowed upon you by virtue of your current position and authority with a little care.  It is not going to be with you forever. Hope the day would not come when abusive Power is thrown at you, when you are on the wrong side of Power.

Life is temporary, everything is temporary and changing. Don’t be cocky.