1. The Observer
Delegates from 15 United Nations member states are currently gathered in
Frederiksberg Palace to discuss territorial disputes in the South and East China states. The UN Security
Council is in session to discuss the crash of the MH18, where almost 200 innocent civilians representing a
variety of countries lost their lives as a result of what seems to be an accident caused by tensions between
Chinese or Vietnamese armed forces.
The situation is currently locked, as the Chinese navy is currently blocking its American counterpart from
rea-ching the crash site. Whether or not the blockade is taking place in Chinese territory or in ”international
wa-ters” remains a debatable issue, since three different countries claim sovereignty over the area.
Now, it is up to the Security Council to take responsibility and answer a range of important questions:
 Who should lead the investigation of the crash? 

 Which consequences should the accident have for the accountable parts? 

 How to end the lock between the American and the Chinese navy? 

 How to end the territorial dispute over the Paracel islands? 

2. US delegation stresses the need for
American officials to conduct investigation
By Jonas Bang
Chinese investigation of the circumstances around the crash of MH18 can not be accepted as valid,
the American delegation in the UN Security Council says.
Chinese officials have conducted the preliminary investigation of the MH18 crash and have found that
the stray missile was launched by Vietnamese fighters.
While Chinese vessels are still blocking the territory around the Paracel Islands, the American delegation in
the United Nations Security Council now stresses the lack of credibility of Chinese investigation work and the
need for American officials to conduct the investigation before the site has been compromised.
- “It is a matter of great importance to the United States of America that the investigations be conducted
im-mediately before the site has been compromised”, the US delegation told The Observer.
- “We have publicly made it known that we intend to lead the investigation in order to find the
responsible party and also in order to establish the identities of the victims in collaboration with the other
countries whose nationals were among the passengers on the flight”, the American delegation added.
The French delegation proposed an independent investigation team to replace the Chinese and mentioned
The Republic of Korea as a suitable independent party. The American delegation underlined that US officials
are the most capable and the ideal investigator, as the vast majority of the passengers on board were
American citizens. However, the delegation did not rule out the idea of appointing a third, independent
party to take over the investigation.
Jordan, who lost three passengers in the crash, supports the proposal of an independent investigation team with
sufficient resources and will immediately send Jordanian officials to the area to supervise investigation.
In the opening speech in the UN Security Council the Chinese delegation defended its presence at the
crash site and dismissed the need for international assistance.
“The Peoples Republic of China encourages the United States to stay out of Chinese territory. We are
strongly committed to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, security and defending our territorial integrity”,
the Chinese delegation proclaimed.
“We strongly believe that it should be resolved by countries directly concerned through negotiations and
con-sultations. Any third party should not be involved in this”, China added.

3. So, what did they really say?
As part of our public service-commitments, we hereby provide you with a useful breakdown of the opening
speeches in the Security Council. In the following article, we will cut out all diplomatic chit-chat and focus on
the substance of the delegates’ speeches with regards to the escalating security issue in the South China Sea.
Argentina:
“The delayed rescue mission is troubling. Every possible effort should be made to resolve this situation.”
Australia:
Australia suggested that peaceful mediation should be undertaken to dampen the tensions. Legitimacy
rather than legality should form the basis of the discussions - claims must be solved on a political basis rather
than legal basis.
Chad:
Arms race between east Asian neighbors places a huge stress on their economies. Chad expressed
empathy for the small nations and gratitude towards China.
Chile:
Chile would like to express concerns. Dispute of such magnitude are a dangerous source of conflicts.
China:
The territory is clearly belonging to China. China is still waiting for the final result of the investigation, and
would like to avoid claims of accountability. Only countries directly concerned should be involved. Any
third parties should not be involved in this. China encouraged the US to stay outside Chinese territory.
China is defending territorial sovereignty.
France:
France offered itself as a mediator in the disputes. The matter should be solved according to international law.

4. Jordan:
Strongly believe in a cooperative rescue mission and investigation.
Lithuania:
Lithuania believe in a wide agreement amongst the Security Council. The country supports international rule of
law to be followed.
Luxembourg:
Luxembourg endorses peaceful negotiations and diplomatic solutions. The matter should be solved
according to the international law of the sea.
Nigeria:
Nigeria acknowledges the equal sovereignty of all member states. Reminded the states of article 43 of the
UN charter regarding the settlement of disputes in a peaceful way.
Republic of Korea:
The Republic of Korea looks to this council for action to prevent escalation. Korea has for a long time been
pur-suing these goals through regional cooperation. Republic of the Korea and the USA has established a
security partnership to containment 2 security threats in the region - Japan and North Korea. The Republic of
Korea offered to lead an international investigation.
Russia
Russia is keen to obtain clarity over the incidence and has offered China to lead the investigation in a
neutral manner. Express gratitude for willingness to negotiate.
Rwanda
Recognize sovereignty claims of all parties. Underline the importance of open dialogue and the assumption of
accountability, so that each party involved is not trying to avoid responsibility.
United Kingdom:
The UK suggested a dual approach. High level diplomacy is not sufficient, a focus on science and education
is also necessary.
US:
The international community has seen the dispute in SCS intensify. Allies affected by this dispute includes
Ja-pan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

5. The longtime political tension in South- East Asia
leads to a deadly accident with hundreds killed.
By Trayan Damyanov
Malaysian international passenger jet Boeing 787 flight MA18 with 186 people on board was shot down
early this morning 21 miles west of the Paracel Islands. The attack is presumed to be the result of a
misunderstanding on between Chinese and Vietnamese military aircrafts in the area. The rescuing
operation continues, even though, there are no signs of survivors.
A passenger jet carrying 186 people was shot down this morning by a heat- seeking missile after a dogfight
between Chinese and Vietnamese air forces. The airliner flying from Los Angeles to Bangkok found itself in
the middle of a dogfight not far from the East Coast of Vietnam. It was last plotted on military radar at
8:12AM just around an hour before the accident is alleged to have happened.
The Paracel islands are part of an area with disputable national status. Together with some other island
groups in the area they are under the sovereign control of China, which has long been contested on behalf of
Vietnam and Taiwan. This multilateral dispute has not been resolved for several decades. The experts are
currently working on an unconfirmed account of the incident believing that an unidentified fighter aircraft
accidentally shot down the Malaysia airlines plane targeting an military aircraft flying under enemy flag.
The Vietnamese fighters were flying over the Islands, which according to the government in Beijing is
Chinese sovereign territory, when they were approached by Chinese rivals. The situation turned ugly, with
missiles fired in both directions. The passenger jet is believed to have been hit by a stray missile.
A spokesperson from the Chinese government earlier this week said: “ It is very important for China
to underline that if any foreign state violates Chinese sovereignty, it will have severe consequences.”
The rescuing team is still looking for survivors in the sea. On board the airplane there were 15-members crew
and 171 passengers, among which: 106 Americans, 30 Thais, 22 Malaysians, 8 Russians (among which the
Russian ambassador in Thailand), 5 Lithuanians, 4 Taiwanese, 3 Jordanians, 3 Brazilians, 2 Danes, 2 Dutch and
one Argentinian citizen.
With the investigation of the accident is engaged a team of more than 50 experts. Mr Steven Taylor, a
spokesman of the experts, announced that the committee will come out with an official statement as soon as
they uncover all details: “The investigators are working really hard, but final conclusion could be expected not
earlier than tomorrow night”, he specified. Whether the concluding investigation will be undertaken by
Vietnamese, Chinese or even a UN team of experts is still undecided.

6. Japan: Auxiliary representation not needed
By Jonas Bang
According to an official statement from the Japanese government, Japan should not act as an
auxiliary representative in the UN Security Council regarding the conflict in the South China Sea.
Japan is not directly involved in the conflict arisen in the wake of recent passenger plane crash near the Para-
cel Islands in the South China Sea. And, as Japan is not a member of the US Security Council, the government
does not see any reason to act as an auxiliary representative.
“We trust that the members of the United Nations Security Council will solve this adverse conflict without the
involvement of Japan. We wish to stay neutral, while encouraging the member states to act in accordance to
international law and reach a peaceful, diplomatic solution”, the official press release states.
About The Observer
The Observer is an English daily morning newspaper published in Thailand. The newspaper is privately held
and was founded in 1955, and is considered free and independent. The newspaper is owned by the descend-
ants of an American soldier and his Thai wife.
There has been several attempted takeovers of the Observer, including one by Rupert Murdoch and
News Corporation, and one by Silvio Berlusconi and Mediaset.
The Observer focuses on international politics and diplomacy and is especially famous for its coverage of
dip-lomatic relations in South-East Asia. It has access to a wide range of internationally acknowledged corre-
spondents, enabling it to cover sensitive topics from many different angles.
Jonas Bang, Trayan Damyanov & Niels Fibæk—Jensen