The Sea - West of the Philippines and South of China

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Article l paragraph l of the United Nations Charter states and I quote " To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;...(Bold letters are mine).

How would this number one provision of the UN charter be applied in the situation that besieged countries such as the Philippines, China and Vietnam, among others, with respect to the territorial claims in the sea west of the Philippines and south of China?

Decades had passed, and the persistence of this issue is slowly accelerating beyond diplomatic tolerance of the countries involved. The "gnashing of teeth" can be heard from east to west, and the only restraining factor towards an armed conflict is the weakness of the claimant countries other than China.

In this critical period, why does it seem that the UN has chosen to be a passive spectator, an uncaring observer, a silent majority.

Has UN outlived its purpose? Does it exist only to legitimize acts of the rich, influential and powerful nations? Does the UN action/s or inaction/s truly reflects the provisions of its charter, which basically is the promotion of equality and justice for all nations?

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