Philippines submits evidence to International Court over Second Thomas Shoal

The Philippines has submitted to an international court evidence against China's claim to sovereignty over the Second Thomas Shoal..

The AP, Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario said in a press conference on March 30 that the documents sent via email to the Court in The Hague, Netherlands included nearly 4,000 pages of analysis along with many documents as evidence for the above case.

Philippine officials took their territorial dispute with China to the International Court of Justice in January 2013, after Chinese vessels seized control of a disputed shoal off the northwestern Philippines.

A damaged ship is used as a Philippine Navy base in a disputed maritime area with China (AP Photo)

Philippine officials have asked the court to rule that China's claim to about 80 percent of the waters and its seizure of a shoal and an eighth reef in the South China Sea are illegal.

Earlier last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei declared that China would never accept or participate in an international dispute initiated by the Philippines.

Mr. Hong Lei also called on the Philippines to “stop wrongdoings to avoid losses in bilateral relations.”

In her statement, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf expressed support for the Philippines' action and said: "All countries must respect the rights of other countries, including the Philippines, and must comply with dispute resolution mechanisms in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."

“We hope that this case will provide further legal certainty in accordance with international maritime law,” Ms. Harf emphasized.

Ms. Harf also reiterated the US's position calling on all parties to exercise restraint and not take unilateral actions that could "escalate and destabilize" and to clearly state their territorial and maritime claims based on international law and commit to resolving disputes by peaceful means.

The Philippines has also urged other countries to join in the case, but no country has officially joined the Philippines yet.

China has called on countries to resolve the disputes through separate talks and warned Washington not to interfere.

“With concrete evidence, our ultimate goal in submitting this document is to protect our national interests,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said. “This dispute has sometimes turned into dangerous confrontations that have increased tensions between the two countries.”

According to VOV