Article Sidebar

Submitted
March 30, 2020
Accepted
June 2, 2020
Published
June 29, 2020
Download
PDF
Statistic
Read Counter : 1304 Download : 1359

Main Article Content

Abstract

In order to assert its geopolitical claims in the South China Sea region, China has used an unusual method, namely the use of its fishing industry as a reserve power called maritime militias. This research aims to analyze the status of civilian fishing vessels that play a dual role as Chinese troops, as China often sends maritime militias to carry out diplomacy with low-scale violence against other countries in the South China Sea. This research also analyzes the urgency of the legal framework that inevitably regulates the use of maritime militias. This study uses a normative juridical approach by analyzing relevant international instruments, in general the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, ILC Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, and ongoing negotiations between ASEAN and China in the formation of the South China Sea Code of Ethics . The analysis in this study concludes that: first, Chinese maritime militias only have the status and rights of private vessels; Second, the actions of the Chinese maritime militias can be imposed as actions of the state (China); and Third, there is an urgent need for specific regulations regarding maritime militias.

Keywords

Maritime militia sovereign immunity state responsibility

Article Details

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Author Biographies

Novena Clementine Manullang, Universitas Padjadjaran

Student at Faculty of Law Universitas Padjadjaran

Achmad Gusman Siswandi, Universitas Padjadjaran

Assistant Professor in Faculty of Law

Chloryne Trie Isana Dewi, Universitas Padjadjaran

Assistant Professor in Faculty of Law
How to Cite
Manullang, N. C., Siswandi, A. G., & Dewi, C. T. I. (2020). The Status Of Maritime Militia In The South China Sea Under International Law Perspective. Jurnal Hukum IUS QUIA IUSTUM, 27(1), 23–44. https://doi.org/10.20885/iustum.vol27.iss1.art2
Download Citation
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)
BibTeX
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

References

  1. Books
  2. Brownlie, Ian, Principles of Public International Law, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2008.
  3. Crawford, James R., “Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts”, United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law, 2012.
  4. Crawford, James, The International Law Commission’s Articles on State Responsibility: Introduction, Text and Commentaries, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2002.
  5. Green, Michael, et al, Countering Coercion in Maritime Asia: The Theory and Practice of Gray Zone Deterrence (CSIS Reports), Center for Strategic and International Studies, Japan, 2017.
  6. Proelß, Alexander (Ed.), The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: A Commentary, Verlag C.H. Beck Literatur, Munchen, 2017.
  7. Book Chapters
  8. McDorman, Ted L., “Sovereign Immune Vessels: Immunities, Responsibilities and Exemptions”, in Jurisdiction over Ships: Post-UNCLOS Development in the Law of the Sea, edited and compiled by Henrik Ringbom, Publications on Ocean Development, Vol. 80
  9. Mclaughlin, Rob, “The Law of the Sea, Status and Message Ambiguity”, in Law of the Sea in South East Asia: Environmental, Navigational and Security Challenges, edited by David Letts and Donald Rothwell, Routledge,United Kingdom, 2019.
  10. Journals
  11. Amer, Ramses, “China, Vietnam, and the South China Sea: Disputes and Dispute Management”, Ocean Development & International Law, Vol. 45, No. 1.
  12. Bautista, Lowell, “Philippine Arbitration against China over the South China Sea”, Asia-Pacific Journal of Ocean Law and Policy, 2016.
  13. Beckman, Robert, “The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Maritime Disputes in the South China Sea”, The American Journal of International Law, Vol. 107, 2013.
  14. Chock, Justin, “China’s non-Military Maritime Assets as a Force Multiplier for Security”, East-West Centre Asia Pacific Bulletin, No. 322, 2015.
  15. Connely, Aaron L., “Indonesia in the South China Sea: Going it alone”, Lowy Institute for International Policy, December 2016.
  16. Erickson, Andrew and Conor M. Kennedy, “Meet the Chinese Maritime Militia Waging a ‘People’s War at Sea’”, The Wall Street Journal, https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/03/31/meet-the-chinese-maritime-militia-waging-a-peoples-war-at-sea/
  17. ______, “China’s Daring Vanguard: Introducing Sanya City’s Maritime Militia”, Center for International Maritime Security, http://cimsec.org/chinas-daring-vanguard-introducing-sanya-citys-maritime-militia/19753.
  18. Fravel, M. Taylor, “China’s Strategy in the South China Sea”, Contemporary Southeast Asia, Vol. 33, No. 3, 2011.
  19. Kennedy, Connor dan Andrew S. Erickson, “China Maritime Report No. 1: China’s Third Sea Force, The People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia: Tethered to the PLA”, China Maritime Studies Institute – Center for Naval Warfare Studies – US Naval War College.
  20. Kennedy, Connor, “The Struggle for Blue Territory: Chinese Maritime Militia Grey Zone Operations”, RUSI Journal, Vol. 163, No. 5, 2018.
  21. Kraska, James dan Michael Monti, “The Law of Naval Warfare and China’s Maritime Militia”, International Law Studies, Vol. 91, 2015.
  22. Mishra, Rahul, “Code of Conduct in the South China Sea: More Discord than Accord”, Maritime Affairs: Journal of the national Maritime Foundation of India, 2018.
  23. Pedrozo, Raul, “Close Encounters at Sea”, Naval War College Review, Vol. 62, No. 3, 2009.
  24. Storey, Ian, “Assessing the ASEAN-China Framework for the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea”, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute: PERSPECTIVE, No. 62, 2017.
  25. Thayer, Carlyle, “ASEAN, China and the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea”, SAIS Review of International Affairs, Vol. 33, No. 2.
  26. Tobin, Liza, “Underway—Beijing’s Strategy to Build China into a Maritime Great Power”, Naval War College Review, Vol. 71, No. 2.
  27. Yatsuzuka, Masaaki, “China’s Advance into the Sea and the Maritime Militia, NIDS Commentary, No. 53, 2016, http://www.nids.mod.go.jp/english/ publication/commentary/pdf/commentary053e.pdf
  28. Others
  29. DeaAeth, Duncan, “Vietnam protests Chinese vessels abuse, robbery of Vietnamese fishermen”, Taiwan News, https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3729061
  30. Erickson, Andrew, “Model Maritime Militia: Tanmen’s Leading Role in the April 2012 Scarborough Shoal Incident”, Center for International Maritime Security, 2016, http://cimsec.org/model-maritime-militia-tanmens-leading-role-april-2012-scarborough-shoal-incident/24573
  31. Erickson, Andrew, “Countering China’s Third Sea Force: Unmask Maritime Militia Before They’re Used Again”, The National Interest, 2016, https://nationalinterest.org/feature/countering-chinas-third-sea-force-unmask-maritime-militia-16860
  32. Green, Michael, et al, “Countering Coercion in Maritime Asia: The Theory and Practice of Gray Zone Deterrence – Case Study of Harassment of the USNS Impeccable”, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, 9 Mei 2017, https://amti.csis.org/countering-coercion-hub/
  33. IMO, “Status of Convention: Ratification by State”, http://www.imo.org/en/ About/Conventions/StatusOfConventions/Documents/status-x.xlsx
  34. McLaughlin, Rob, “The Legal Status and Characterization of Maritime Militia Vessels”, EJIL: Talk!, 2019, https://www.ejiltalk.org/the-legal-status-and-characterisation-of-maritime-militia-vessels/
  35. RAW DATA: Pentagon Statement on Chinese Incident with U.S. Navy”, Fox News, 9 March 2019, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/raw-data-pentagon-statement-on-chinese-incident-with-u-s-navy
  36. Yu, Miles, “Inside China: Armed Fishermen”, Washington Times, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jul/18/inside-china-armed-fishermen/
  37. Zhen, Liu, “What’s China’s ‘nine-dash line’ and why has it created so much tension in the South China Sea?”, South China Morning Post, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/ 1988596/whats-chinas-nine-dash-line-and-why-has-it-created-so
  38. Treaties
  39. International Maritime Organization (IMO), Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 20 October 1972.
  40. International Peace Conference 1907, Regulations Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land, Annex to the 1899 Hague Convention with Respect to the Laws and Customs of War on Land, 18 October 1907.
  41. International Peace Conference 1907, The Hague Convention (VII) relating to the Conversion of Merchant Ships into War-Ships, 18 October 1907.
  42. United Nations, United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property, 2 December 2004.
  43. United Nations, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 10 Desember 1982.
  44. Legislations
  45. Indonesia, Ministry of Maritime and Fisheries Affairs, Minister Regulation No. 23 of 2013 on the Registration and Marking of Fisheries Vessels, 2013.
  46. People’s Democratic Republic of China, Measures of the People’s Democratic Republic of China for registration of fishing vessels, 2012.
  47. People’s Democratic Republic of China, Law of the People’s Republic of China on National Defense, 1997.
  48. United States, The Commander’s Handbook on The Law of Naval Operations, 2017.
  49. Other Legal Documents
  50. International Law Commission, Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, UN Doc. A/56/83.
  51. International Law Commission, Draft articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts with Commentaries, UN Doc. A/56/10.
  52. Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States of America), Judgments, ICJ Reports 1986.
  53. Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations, Letter dated 7 Mei 2009, Letter from Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations to the Secretary General, U.N.Doc.CML/17/2009.
  54. Phosphates in Morocco (Italy v. France), PCIJ, Preliminary Objection [Judgment], 1938.
  55. Republic of the Philippines v. People’s Democratic Republic of China, PCA Case No. 2013-19, Memorial Filipina, Vol. III, Annex 1, 22 Januari 2013.
  56. Republic of the Philippinesv. People’s Democratic Republic of China, PCA Case No. 2013-19, Award on, 12 Juli 2016.
  57. United States Defense Department, Annual Report to Congress, Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China, 2018.