Territorial Disputes: ASEAN vs China and The Code of Conduct of South China Sea

 

Image by: East Asia Forum

"A struggle among countries in the area for sovereignty"   

    In a battle for territory, no country will back down especially if the said land has a bounty of resources that would be of big benefit to one's country. But... just how do we determine and rule if an island belongs to a specific country or not?

        The dispute between the ASEAN members and China over the South China Sea has been going on for decades. The South China Sea is undeniably one of the busiest waters (if not, the busiest of all) since most of the trading of resources from countries took place on the said land. Additionally, South China Sea is a habitat for many species and is considered "wealthy and prosperous" when it comes to resources and organisms. That's why it shouldn't be a surprise that countries are fighting for the territory. But among all those claimants — who has the right to own the South China Sea?

        The ASEAN first got involved in the South China Sea issues back in 1992 when the country Vietnam — which wasn't a member of the ASEAN during those times — had a dispute with China over oil exploration activities in the area. Then after 2 years, in 1994, China yet again got themselves into a dispute, but this time with the Philippines as China occupied the Mischief Reef which was a Philippine-claimed area. And hence, that was when the ASEAN decided to draft the first Code Of Conduct in hopes to solve the South China Sea disputes; but sadly, it actually took the ASEAN members nearly five years to unanimously agree on the draft that they would make.

            By that time, China also made its own draft. Both the ASEAN and China agreed to consolidate their drafts into a final paper, but the problem is that there were four (4) major areas of agreement namely the (1) geographic scope, (2) restrictions on construction on occupied and unoccupied features, (3) military activities in waters adjacent to the Spratly islands, and (4) policies concerning detainment of fishermen found in disputed waters. What the ASEAN members thought was the only disagreement regarding the South China Sea was actually only the beginning of a long history of arguments and conflict between the countries.

Cartoon by: P4RESH"

        China insists on solving the problem and disputes bilaterally by the countries directly concerned and involved. That seems fair as the problem should really only be solved by those who are embroiled in the said issue. But the problem is that China has its own set of rules on what's "right" and "wrong". If they believe that they are right, then they will push through with that idea regardless of who will be affected. This resulted in the ASEAN to long sought obtain China's consent for a COC or "Code of Conduct" in regards to the claims in the South China Sea so that they can prevent any claimants from using force or threats to advance their claims on the highly coveted territory.

        Though slow, progress is still evident. In 2002, ASEAN members and China signed a non-binding political statement known as the "Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" that would further promote peace and stability in the region. But even amidst the creation of multiple drafts of COC and DOCP, conflicts will still inevitably arise regarding the South China Sea as the countries involved are both hungry for power and dominance; in this case, the victor has yet to be determined.

 

Reference Used:

Global Conflict Tracker. (2022). Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/territorial-disputes-south-china-sea

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Feminism in the 'Legally Blonde' Movie

"You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself."

Women — blondes in particular — have been subjected to the portrayal of being dumb and unintelligent in films and movies. Whether it's for entertainment or comedic purposes, the mere fact that women are being depicted as human beings lower than men is alarming as it can instill a false narrative in the public who watches movies with these kinds of themes. Surprisingly though, "Legally Blonde" used these misogynistic remarks about a blonde woman and created a satirical film that not only pokes fun and these nonsensical opinions about women but as well as making a statement that women are of equal status to men.

        In "Legally Blonde", the main protagonist was seen as very popular in her area, and she was even the leader of a sorority, making all the other girls idolize her. This particular aspect in the movie creates a "false hope" for many young women as it can influence them into believing that achieving such popularity that the protagonist has can lead to a better life and treatment for blonde women. Not just blondes but women as a whole are all most likely portrayed as dumb in movies which results in people perceiving them as so even though they are not all stupid. 

        The movie hinted at many signs and images that were undoubtedly very offensive to women. As the film progresses though, the lead character, Elle, showed some character development. She was once determined to get and win her man back, but now, she is determined to win and make it through Harvard for herself. This arc in the movie can serve as an eye-opener to other women who are in the same position as Elle to stand up for themselves and also change their way of thinking and how they view their self-worth. The movie that I once thought was another movie that promotes stereotyping of women, became an empowering feminist movie that highlights and shows that women should take no trash from men — to be independent and show the world that they too can keep up with men, no matter how difficult the challenge maybe. 

        Judith Butler, a theorist, argues that women have been "lumped" together in a group with shared characteristics and interests, and this actually limits their capacity to choose their own abilities. Now, when we say feminism, this pertains to fighting for women's rights and standing up for them. But even so, regulating the true meaning of feminism would be hard to dissect as it can be derived and interpreted by many according to how they want to perceive it. That's why even though this movie and many more female empowerment movies are fighting for feminism, it still mustn't limit the qualities a woman should have because that would only be another way of oppression that the men have been doing to women for years.

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The Normal Heart: Movie Analysis

       

"To win a war, you have to start one."

Today's opinions about the LGBTQ community still need improvement and openness, but compared to the 1980s, it is a far cry from how the members of this community are shunned and discriminated against, especially with the rise of AIDS which was a newfound disease during those times. The movie, "The Normal Heart", depicts just how people of those times fought with all their might for respect and survival, which then lead to the movement that would forever change the scene for the LGBTQ community.

Official Movie Poster: The Normal Heart

        On the surface, one will see the movie as about aids and how the gay community was being oppressed and intentionally ignored in our society. A community suffering from a disease asking for help from everyone, most especially from the government but is being intentionally ignored because of their sexual orientation. But... if you look deep enough — you'll realize that it is more than just a typical LGBTQ+-themed film.

        Ned Weeks, the main protagonist of the film and the one who actively fought for the rights of the gay community, has gone through a lot of trial and error when it comes to relationships; he tried being in a relationship with both men and women. He dreamed of love, yet he was lost until he found someone — Felix Turner, a much younger man who, just like Ned, has been through a lot of "trial and error"; married once and even has a son whom he was denied ever seeing. Felix obtained the disease but Ned didn't leave him. He stayed no matter how hard and hopeless the situation seemed. It's a story of love that formed amidst a global health concern, of finding one's voice and courage to fight what one believes is their right/s as a member of society. 

    Afterward, as the movie progresses and when the majority of the gay community found out about the disease which was most prevalent among them, they then established an organization dedicated to helping out others who are in a similar and severe situation brought about by AIDS and HIV. They fought for awareness; to attract the attention of the government and to get aid and assistance to help alleviate the AIDS situation that has gone rampant during those times. They asked for help from people who are of importance to society which includes the mayor, doctors, and even lawyers. Though unfortunately, the government actively refused them and neglected its promise to protect its people, leading Ned to believe that the government hates the queers and that the viral outbreak is working for their benefit.

        Tommy Boatwright, another character in the movie who is a friend of Ned, has this collection of contact cards; contact cards of all his friends. Whenever a friend of his dies, instead of throwing away that friend's contact card, he will put it in a separate bundle of contact cards to safe keep along with the other contact cards of his friends whom he lost due to AIDS and HIV. He doesn't want to throw them away because to him, that would mean forgetting about them. This moment in the film struck me the most as it somehow alludes to how strong the LGBTQ members' bond is with one another. It reminded me of the saying "when you have no one to accompany you, then accompany yourself". Despite receiving no support from the public and the government, it did not hinder Ned and the others from being the help that they badly need during that time. In their own little ways, they fought persistently for one another. They were their own support and their own shoulder to lean on during that terrible crisis. 

        Another thing worth mentioning was a scene in the movie where it was stated that a virus was invented by the government to test on gays as subjects. This was one of the many parts in the movie that was an obvious attempt in bringing awareness to the atrocity that the government has done towards the LGBTQ members because, in real life, this was actually a thing that most people were talking about back in 1980 when HIV first appeared, it was called "Operation Infektion". In the same year in 1980, "The New York Times" refused to use and print the word "gay" and preferred the term "homosexual". Furthermore, it limited its coverage of the LGBTQ community which further proved how the media discriminated against and censored any news regarding AIDS, HIV, and the LGBTQ community as a whole.

        In conclusion, the movie transcends a normal entertainment type of film as it aims to address and shed light on the issues that were long overdue and hidden in the back of the minds of the majority of the public. "The Normal Heart" is more than just a film, it's a testament about truth and conspiracy; a part of history that will forever be stamped in the minds and hearts of LGBTQ members and the public. As the movie title implies, whether man, woman, gay or lesbian, we all still have one human heart; a normal heart. 

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Shattering The Lenses: A Commentary about Alternative Media & Video Art defined by Kate Horsfield

The circumstances that befell the need to hear voices from alternative media and people

Decades before, and even up to this day, there has been tension between the traditionalist mainstream and youthful counterculture that desired a more open and egalitarian society that reflected their social values. 

    A plethora of issues such as issues of political differences in class, race, gender, and sexual orientation that are often being reported are deemed by some as “biased”. Moreover, to challenge the so-called “blandness” of the past decades' way of delivering news and information, a change in one’s “personal consciousness” was seen as the starting point on the path to creating a new and better society as it helps minimize the ignorance of people towards certain issues or topics of national concern. With this, it lead many young activists to envision a “new society” based on alternative institutions and modes of thought that did not replicate the social or economic oppression of minorities or other disenfranchised groups. This is where alternative media comes in.

    But first and foremost, the primary reason why there was a rise in need for the alternative media and people was the idea of achieving “an expanded democracy that allowed greater equality and participation for all subjects, no matter what their color, gender, or class”. In the past decades when the dissemination of information was strictly controlled, many issues were seen “differently” by the majority of the public due to how the traditionalist mainstream portrayed these issues at hand. Various circumstances befell and have occurred that gave rise to the need to hear the voices of alternative media and people, but we would only focus on four (4) groundbreaking ones that became the catalysts for the importance of alternative media. These are:

(1) The Oppression of Women in Society / Feminism

Image by: Fairy God Boss

    

    Women, in spite of controlling large amounts of money designated for household spending, were seen as manipulated and controlled by images from television. Additionally, they are often depicted as an object for the sexual gratification of men and are constricted to an inferior role constructed by both the society and majority of the media during those times. This was one of the first circumstances that gave rise to hearing the voices of alternative media; to voice out women’s rights, as well as to create a mass movement for social change by helping women understand how they could alter their positions as objects (of male desire) to subjects that could determine their own future.

(2) Vietnam War Controversy

Image by: The New York Times

    Another circumstance that pushed for the voice of alternative media was when protesters criticized news coverage of the Vietnam war, arguing that the media could not be trusted because it was biased as part of the “consciousness industry”. News related to the ongoing Vietnam War during those times was packaged for commercial television programming and controlled by the government and corporate monopolies, which means, the media often presented soldiers in a bad light, or it "sanitized" or left out much of what was happening in Vietnam. 

(3) Commodification of Culture

Image by: Marketing91

    An era where the commodification of culture was prevalent can probably be considered as one of the major factors and reasons why there is a need to hear the voices of alternative media and people because it is affecting the art world. Artists rightfully felt that the gallery system of that time had begun to limit exhibition to only those artists and works that were “highly marketable”, thereby limiting art to the level of commodity. Driven by a desire to create new types of art that defied both the modernist doctrine, as well as the commercialism of the gallery system, artists began working with materials and processes that challenged these boundaries. 

    This shift in artistic practice began to destroy the modernist imperative of the gallery-based object and replace it with a more ephemeral version of art that emphasized process, critique, or experience over pure form. This of course contributed to how we view art nowadays as a way of “freedom of expression” as opposed to the traditionalist meaning which values more the “pure and aesthetic form” of art.

(4) The Rise of AIDS

Image by: Humanosphere

    When we say “Alternative Media”, this pertains to a form of mass media that contrasts the mainstream media. In short, alternative media are those mass media outlets that disseminate information that is in contrast to the thoughts, interests, and opinions of the current general society. You might be wondering why I defined alternative media in this latter part of the paper, but it is because alternative media was a very prominent and important existence during the rise of aids. 

     The deconstruction of media took on a darker and more urgent agenda as AIDS began to sweep through the country in the mid-‘80s, infecting and killing huge numbers of people. Many protesters and artists joined up with AIDS activists to fight against rising hysteria caused by ignorance, omission, and misinformation presented in mainstream media during those times. Given that there was an unequal power balance in terms of gender roles, it is needless to say that aside from women, members of the LGBTQ community were largely discriminated against, most especially when the outbreak of AIDS was mostly spread among the latter’s members.  

     Alternative media people and activists were not just fighting unfair representations in media but also strove to obtain government funds for research, access to medication and home care, and to spread prevention information through creative productions. Examples of these are tapes such as ‘They are lost to vision altogether’ (1989) and ‘DiAna’s Hair Ego: AIDS Info Upfront’ (1989) and many others which gives compassionate and human response to aids, and demonstrate how artists and activists used video in grassroots campaigns long before mainstream media even acknowledged that AIDS was a crisis.

     But of course, due to this event, it gave rise to a new “queer cinema” which showcases all types of work by and about gay men, lesbians, and trans-gendered people that are often not depicted in the mainstream media before.

    Overall, these circumstances that occurred in the past which further highlighted the importance to hear the voices of alternative media and its people actually helped a variety of people such as the youth, people of color, artists, women, LGBTQ members, and activists by encouraging them to utilize media to their advantage by telling their own stories; thus de-centralizing the existing communication system by establishing an alternative that focused on broadening representation in the media.  

    

Another prime example and parallel of the usage of alternative media to express one's voice and opinions was during the Martial Law in the Philippines wherein former president Ferdinand Marcos reigned havoc and strict control over the nation and the media, which gave rise to the underground and counter-culture movement of artists. Read More

   

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