Pala-isip

I saw this on Facebook . Not sure if this is true, but it is compelling evidence. Here's the story. A Han-Chinese map of China published in 1904 reveals that China stretched as far south as Hainan Island, and that Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands did not belong to China. Shanghai Publishing House printed the map whose Vietnamese name is “Hoàng triều trực tỉnh địa dư toàn đồ” (Map of all Chinese provinces). After holding it for 30 years, Dr. Mai Hong, former head of the Library of the Institute for the Study of Chinese and Demotic Scripts and Cultures, has decided to release the historical evidence. Hong recently sat down with Tuoi Tre for an interview about the map: How did you get this map? I got this map when I administered a library of Chinese and Demotic Script books (now Institute for the Study of Chinese and Demotic Scripts and Cultures) in 1977. At that time, collecting maps was not our administrative function. However, to my surprise, an elder...

Reposting this from an article in the Inquirer . I respectfully write to you, Mr. President, as a Filipino frustrated that a certain neighbor has been acting like a bully, with us on the receiving end. Aside from its incursions into our territory, the people of that country have been capturing our endangered wildlife, in violation of national and international law. If only for that, we need to take action. When we try to confront this bully, it displays its overwhelming military might. It cannot even keep its word on easing tensions. While we may not have the military hardware to overcome our shame and punish that country for its impunity and duplicity, let us not forget that we have the moral might to make things right. We must initiate legal action which, after all, is nothing more than a continuation of diplomacy. Actions may be available in the International Court of Justice, the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly, the International Tribunal for the Law of t...

There's a big dispute going on between China and the Philippines in the Spratly Islands. There's even a Facebook page dedicated to people voicing their opinions and urging people to help protect Philippine sovereignty. Here's an image showing what China is claiming to be their territory.

Lourd de Veyra gives his suggestions on what to do about the Spratlys.