北京頭痛時間：國際法庭將仲裁黃岩島

北京頭痛時間：國際法庭將仲裁黃岩島

【Comment】
The president of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) under the United Nations Convention of Law of Sea (UNCLOS) appointed Polish judge after German judge as the second member of the five-members arbitration tribunal.  The Polish judge, as an amicus curiae, plays as a the part of China, for the latter kept rejecting the arbitration.
China signed and approved UNCLOS, meaning she has to honor treaty obligation while enjoying the rights.  Beijing’s continuous rejection suggests that China is reluctant to be as a decent player of the international community.
On the other hand, Xi Jin-ping was asserting his newly invented “fit my feet” to defend Chinese stance of the sovereignty utmost.
No one knows what path Xi will take: Beijing either walks out on the UNCLOS, just as Japan Empire did in March 27th, 193,3 and further agitates Chinese Nationalism domestically, or shifts her nationalist the Nine-dash-lines improper policy of territorial waters and sabotage her legitimacy to rule.
As the third party to the case and the dispute, Japanese ambassador expressed to the Philippines that it was “understandable” and added “we are not taking sides,” just like what the US pointed out referring to the Senkakus dispute.    revised on 20130327

有趣在這裡：因中國抵制，庭長任命第三國籍（波蘭）法官代表中國出庭，這是使用仲裁庭的「法庭之友」（amicus curiae）。德國法官為五人仲裁團成員之一，還剩三位近日補足。一國接受國際法（或特定條約）意味著該國在享受權利的同時，也必須承擔義務。就UNCLOS而言，就是包括在滿足程序條件下接受仲裁的義務，而非權利。相對的，習近平正在推銷「合腳論」，強調主權不容侵犯、不同的發展道路、多樣化而否定國際統一標準。就習近平剛上台而言，此時的抉擇非常重要──中國會重蹈日本退出國際聯盟的歷史自行其是從而鼓動國族主義風潮，或是承認國族主義的不當從而影響北京政權之合法性基礎。日本，對此表示 understandable ，但表示 we are not taking sides. 這和美國對尖閣的主權議題一樣，並非投機，而是自己身為法理上無關的第三方，雙方的爭議只能由雙方解決。  

國際法庭欲強行仲裁南海爭端 日籍庭長任命仲裁團◎環球時報（2013.03.26）http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2013-03/3765916.html

【環球時報綜合報導】菲律賓單方面將南海爭端提交國際海洋法法庭（ITLOS）的舉動出現新的進展。菲律賓外交部3月25日宣稱，由於中國拒絕回應菲律賓提交的仲裁，ITLOS現任庭長柳井俊二上周已經任命波蘭籍法官斯坦尼洛夫帕夫拉克代表中國出席法庭關於該爭議的仲裁。同時，德國籍法官、前ITLOS庭長呂迪格沃爾夫魯姆被任命為仲裁法庭成員。接下來30天內，柳井俊二將提名仲裁團剩餘的3個席位。根據《聯合國海洋法公約》，一旦國際仲裁法庭組成五方仲裁團，法庭將開始聽取雙方的論據，並根據國際法判斷哪一方的主張更合理。“中國接下來如何應對比較為難”，中國學者邢廣梅25日告訴《環球時報》記者。

　　“菲律賓在國際海洋法法庭狀告中國案取得巨大進展”，菲律賓GMA新聞網報導稱，菲外交部發言人赫爾南德斯25日在記者會上說，應菲律賓的要求，柳井俊二已任命帕夫拉克為中國方面仲裁代表。下一步，在收到菲律賓方面提出的書面申請後，ITLOS將提名仲裁團剩餘的3個席位。報導稱，如無異議，仲裁團最後3個席位應從當事國菲律賓和中國以外的國家公民中選出。

　　菲律賓Rappler新聞網稱，帕夫拉克和沃爾夫魯姆都是國際海洋法法庭高級法官，其中沃爾夫魯姆1996年10月起擔任國際海洋法法庭法官，2005年至2008年曾任庭長，也是菲律賓1月22日提交的仲裁聲明中主動指定的仲裁員。菲律賓《太陽星報》25日介紹稱，帕夫拉克2005年開始擔任國際海洋法法庭法官。他擁有華沙大學的法律博士學位，曾任波蘭駐聯合國代表、波蘭總統顧問、華沙大學國際關係和國際法教授。

　　國際海洋法法庭總部設在德國漢堡，1996年10月成立。2011年10月，柳井俊二出任國際海洋法法庭庭長，任期3年，也是首個出任這一職位的日本人。他的出任曾引起中韓等同日本有海洋領土爭端國家的集體擔憂。今年1月，菲律賓開始叫囂在國際海洋法法庭上反對中國在南海的“九段線”主張，並於21日提出仲裁申請，還要求中國配合。2月19日，中國駐菲律賓大使馬克卿約見菲律賓外交部官員，將菲律賓方面就中菲南海爭議提請國際仲裁的通知予以退回。而菲律賓外交部則強調，無論中國是否參與，菲律賓依然會敦促國際海洋法法庭組建五方仲裁團。

　　海軍軍事學術研究所法律研究室主任邢廣梅26日對《環球時報》表示，5人仲裁小組是根據《國際海洋法公約》第286條規定成立的。該條賦予爭端任何一方將有關爭議事項提交“具有管轄權”的法院或法庭的權利，接下來的強制程式意味著，不管爭端另一方是否同意，針對該事項的仲裁法庭都會成立。法庭成立後，不管另一方是否參與，法庭都會做出對雙方有約束力的仲裁結果。

　　據邢廣梅介紹，5人仲裁小組是仲裁法庭的主要構成部分，菲方已指定1名頗有經驗的德國籍仲裁員，中方此前表明立場，認定菲此次行為在事實和程式上不具備法理依據，所以放棄指定，於是出現由國際海洋法庭指定中方仲裁員的局面。仲裁小組的另外3人應由爭端雙方協議名單，如果中方繼續放棄，這3人也將由聯合國指派。

　　邢廣梅認為，靠外界指點，菲律賓在此次法律行動上展現了利用國際遊戲規則的一定水準，中國應對起來比較為難。接下來，國際海洋法法庭在初步仲裁階段將首先確認法庭是否對此案具有管轄權，邢廣梅說，如果該法庭能不受其他因素幹擾，從法理上理應做出對此案不具備管轄權的結論，並不受理菲律賓提交的仲裁。《聯合國海洋法公約》第15部分第3節第298條規定，如果當事方之間的爭端涉及到大陸或島嶼主權，則不應該接受強制仲裁。【環球時報駐德國特約記者 青木 環球時報記者 劉暢】   

Sea tribunal names judge to PH arbitration case vs China over Spratlys area◎Inquirer Global Nation（2013.03.25）http://globalnation.inquirer.net/70257/itlos-names-judge-to-ph-arbitration-case-vs-china-over-spratlys-area#ixzz2ObdFMw7x

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ arbitration case against China has moved a step forward after the president of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Itlos) appointed the second member of the ad hoc tribunal that would deliberate on the country’s bid to stop Chinese incursions into the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Monday that the Itlos president, Judge Shunji Yanai, appointed Polish Itlos Judge Stanislaw Pawlak to the panel last week, leaving only three more slots to be filled in the tribunal.

Pawlak will join the panel with German Judge Rudiger Wolfrum, the arbiter appointed by the Philippines when it announced its arbitration bid in January.

The Polish judge’s appointment is the first for Yanai, who took on the task of composing the arbitral panel after China announced its rejection of the proceedings.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), the international law the Philippines invoked in seeking arbitration, the Itlos president has the power to appoint members of the panel in case one party refuses to take part in the proceedings.

China waived its right to name its representatives to the ad hoc panel upon formally announcing its rejection of the proceedings.

“The next step will be for the Itlos president to appoint the other three members of the arbitral tribunal upon the written request of the Philippines,” DFA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez told a briefing on Monday.

He reiterated that the arbitration would be a peaceful process to settle disputes in the contested waters.

“We stress that arbitration is a peaceful and durable form of dispute settlement pursuant to international law,” said Hernandez.

The Philippines went to the UN in January in hopes of halting Chinese incursions into the West Philippine Sea and nullifying China’s nine-dash line, which encroaches into established Philippine maritime boundaries.

The DFA had contended that the nine-dash line was an “excessive claim in violation of international law, the Unclos.” Both countries ratified the international law but disagreed on interpreting its letter, particularly on the matter of maritime boundaries.

The move specifically seeks to stop the Chinese occupation and construction on smaller islands in the West Philippine Sea that are claimed by the Philippines and hopes to compel the Chinese to respect the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

The DFA had said it took the legal action after exhausting all other means to peacefully settle the dispute.

But China rejected the Philippines’ move citing “indisputable sovereignty” over resource-rich territories in the West Philippine Sea and asserted that the issue should be resolved through direct negotiations between the two countries.

While impartial on the merits of the case, several countries have expressed support for the Philippines’ decision to take a peaceful step toward resolving the dispute, among them, the United States and Germany.  The United Nations also took the same position.

Japan, which has its own territorial dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea, said the Philippines’ move was “understandable.”

“I think it’s understandable, the solution that [the Philippines is] seeking… they are not using force and they are trying to find the peaceful solution under the rule of law.  So in that sense we totally understand the Philippine action,” said Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao Urabe in a recent interview.

“We’re just waiting for what’s going to happen.  So we totally understand the action, but we’re not taking sides,” he said.

The envoy happens to know the Itlos president, a compatriot, and remarked that the judge would be fair in handling the arbitration case against China despite its dispute with Japan.

“It doesn’t matter [that the Itlos president is Japanese].  It’s under the rule of law.  And I know him.  He’s a very impartial person, a very understanding person and I don’t think he will use his position to advance the national interest,” Urabe said.