This email is accessible via: July 2008 at:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=int-boundaries&T=0 :

Regarding Hamzah Ishak's question of 19 June 2008 whether Pedra Branca/Pulau
Batu Puteh is a Rock under UNCLOS 121(3) or an Island under UNCLOS
121(1)-(2), please see the current as hottest as fascinating debates:

With respect to
http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=3&code=masi&case=130&k=2b
Malaysia/Singapore Judgment of 23 May 2008 and UN:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26780&Cr=icj&Cr1 via:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/subject.asp?SubjectID=8 via:
http://www.un.org/news/ and ASIL ILIB of 3 June 2008 at:
http://www.asil.org/ilib/2008/06/ilib080603.htm via:
http://www.asil.org/ilib/ilibarch.htm and Singapore MFA at:
http://www.mfa.gov.sg/pedraBranca/ via: http://www.mfa.gov.sg [old at:
http://internet-stg1.mfa.gov.sg/internet/press/malaysia.htm] and Press
Comments at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7416473.stm &
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedra_Branca_dispute &
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedra_Branca%2C_Singapore
please see the latest news [via:
http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news?p=ICJ &
http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news?p=Malaysia &
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/asiapacific/index.htm &
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/index.htm]:
Singapore TS/EEZ Claim Is An Act of Provocation of 24 July 2008 at:
http://malaysianinsider.com/index.php/headlines/42/2076 &
http://www.nst.com.my/Thursday/Frontpage/2301672/Article/index_html &
http://www.nst.com.my/Thursday/Frontpage/2301670/Article/index_html &
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/Columns/2300890/Article/inde
x_html and Malaysia Furious at Singapore's TS/EEZ Unilateral Claim of 22/23
July 2008 at:
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Frontpage/2300818/Article/i
ndex_html &
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest+News/S-E+Asia/STIStory_260511.html &
http://politickler.com/posts/pedras-getting-bigger/ &
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=348007
Malaysia Does Not Give In to Singapore of 15 July 2008 at:
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=346056 &
http://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/bnm/20080714/tts-parliament-singapore-3-kuala
-lumpur-993ba14.html

There are the best leading international Counsel involved on Malaysia and
Singapore sides, so they will certainly find the way to balance between
contradicting, delicate and masterly vague arguments [requiring careful
studying of excellent! Oral Proceedings at:
http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=3&code=masi&case=130&k=2b]
on what are the legal criteria for identifying UNCLOS 121(3) Rock? It could
be noted that similar controversies are currently surrounding
Dokdo/Takeshima/Liancourt Rocks [at:
http://www.mofat.go.kr/english/main/index.jsp?lang=eng# &
http://www.mofa.go.jp/index.html & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dokdo &
http://www.america.gov/world/easia.html], where South Korea [at:
http://www.un.org/sg/] decided to enhance habitability (restricted now to 2
civilians and 50 policemen) by setting up a maritime science research
center, digging wells to self-produce potable water, giving wider access to
the public, developing tourism (through building a marine hotel and other
means), holding military exercises near to the disputed islets and applying
for their UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
See via: http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news?p=Dokdo &
http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news?p=Takeshima : Condoleezza's Trip
to Middle East, Asia & Pacific on 20-28 July 2008 at:
http://www.state.gov/secretary/trvl/2008/107159.htm [via:
http://www.state.gov/] and South Korea Cautious of 22 July 2008 at:
http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?id=384&sec=1 and Japan Calls for Calm of
22 July 2008 at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/wl_nm/japan_korea_islands_dc_1 and
Koreans Outraged by Japan's Claim of 21 July at:
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=45e052606a
c8e7b512451d8eedd6fed2&from=rss
South Korea Presses Claims of 20/21 July 2008 at:
http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?id=363&sec=1 &
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/07/20/South_Korea_presses_claims_to_Dokdo_i
slets/UPI-28001216595624/ and South Korea Accuses Japan of 20 July 2008 at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080720/wl_asia_afp/skoreajapandiplomacydispute
_080720061324 and Seoul Rejects Tokyo's Proposal for Talks of 18 July at:
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/international/2008/07/794310/ and Islands Row
Deflates Condom Sales Drive in South Korea of 17/18 July 2008 at:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=125644 &
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7511065.stm &
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080717/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_korea_japan_condoms_1
and South Korea Steps Up Pressure of 16 July 2008 at:
http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?id=290&sec=1 &
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=346531 &
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2008/07/20087183593714312.htm
l and Seoul to Ask Russia to Relabel Sea of Japan into East Sea on Maps of
16 July 2008 at:
http://en.rian.ru/world/20080716/114112519.html and South Korea to Recall
Its Ambassador to Japan over Dokdo/Takeshima of 14 July 2008 at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7504933.stm

My best regards,

Barbara

The enclosed IBRU e-mails are at:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A1=ind0806&L=int-boundaries via:
June 2008 at:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=int-boundaries&T=0 [See also
IBRU emails reprinted in my 15 July 2008 email at:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A2=ind0807&L=int-boundaries&T=0&F
=&S=&P=181 via: July 2008 at:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=int-boundaries&T=0]

-----Original Message-----
From: International boundaries discussion list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of hamzah ishak
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 17:28
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [IBRU] Pedra Branca is a rock and not as Island?

I'm wondering if we can agree that Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh) are
rocks and not islands. Simply because there is no vegetation at least small
crops on those two features. Can this 'island' sustain human habitation?

Please give comments.

Thank you,

Hamzah
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]

-----Original Message-----
From: International boundaries discussion list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Anderson
[[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 14:19
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [INT-BOUNDARIES] Reef vs Island

Dear Paul Ure and Colleagues,

There is a difference between Rockall and some of the other features
mentioned in that the claim to measure an EEZ from Rockall [at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockall] was abandoned in 1997 upon accession
to the LOS Convention in view of the terms of article 121(3).
I am not at all expert in appraising the two attached oceandots images (for
which many thanks), but it is not easy to see anything standing above water.

Regards,
David Anderson
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]

-----Original Message-----
From: International boundaries discussion list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul Ure
[[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 10:27
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [INT-BOUNDARIES] Reef vs Island

Dear Colleagues

Further to previous discussion both on and off list on these mid ocean
features, Middleton and Elizabeth reefs [see Victor Prescott, The
Uncertainties of Middleton and Elizabeth
Reefs at:
http://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/ibru/publications/full/bsb6-1_prescott.pdf]
must surely rank alongside Rockall, the Spratleys, Okinotorishima and others
when studies are conducted on the impact and influence of low lying
elevations in generating full and extended EEZ's.

After viewing each of them at the referenced URL's consider the
question:
'What does make an island?' or more particularily 'What makes these
islands?'
http://www.oceandots.com/pacific/elizmid/elizabeth.htm
http://www.oceandots.com/pacific/elizmid/middleton2.htm

Regards

Paul Ure
Paul Ure [mailto:[log in to unmask]]

Prof. Dr. Barbara Kwiatkowska
Professor of International Law of the Sea
Deputy Director NILOS
Faculty of Law - Utrecht University
Achter Sint Pieter 200
3512 HT Utrecht - The Netherlands
Phone: 31 30 253 7037/7038
Fax: 31 30 253 7073
http://www.law.uu.nl/nilos
E-mail: [log in to unmask]