The Kingdom of Colonia St. John

Background to The Kingdom of Colonia St. John:
Historical Notes of Discovery - Colonia is the successor state to abandoned British, French, and Japanese claims in the South China Sea.
Henry Spratly
1791:
Henry Spratly is notable for surveying and naming Mischief Reef in 1791, when sailing through what is now known as the Spratly Islands. The reef was named by a German crew member, Heribert Mischief. The name of the islands in relation to Henry Spratly is entirely coincidental as they were actually named after Richard Spratly in 1843. For this reason he is sometimes mistaken for the namesake of Spratly Island and the greater Spratly Islands region.
James Horsburgh:
James Horsburgh (September 28, 1762 - May 14, 1836) was a Scottish hydrographer. He worked for East India Company, who mapped many seaways around Singapore in the late 18th century and early 19th century.
Born at Elie, Fife, he went to sea at the age of 16 and was captured and imprisoned by the French at Dunkirk. After his release, he made voyages to the West Indies and Calcutta. In May 1786, on a voyage on the ship Atlas from Batavia to Ceylon as first mate, he was shipwrecked on the island of Diego Garcia. This disaster influenced him in his decision to produce accurate maps after he found his way back to India and on board another ship employed in the trade to China.
James Horsburgh was the author of the long-titled Directions for Sailing to and from the East Indies, China, New Holland, Cape of Good Hope, and the interjacent Ports, compiled chiefly from original Journals and Observations made during 21 years' experience in navigating those Seas.
Horsburgh's Directory was the standard work for oriental navigation in the first half of the 19th century, until Robert Moresby's survey of the treacherous coral groups of the central Indian Ocean, when for the first time in history accurate maps of the areas that were in the way of the main trade routes, the Maldives, Chagos and Laccadives, were published. In March, 1806 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Robert Moresby, during his survey of the Maldives in 1834, named a small atoll south of Southern Maalhosmadulhu Atoll after James Horsburgh as a homage to his valuable previous hydrographic work.
Another place named after Horsburg is Horsburgh Island in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Horsburgh Lighthouse, currently disputed territory between Singapore and Malaysia, is also named after him.
Horsburgh was the first to document what is now Spratly Island, naming it Storm Island. However, Richard Spratly's sighting eventually become the vernacular and led to the naming of the entire region as the Spratly Islands.
Richard Spratly 1843:
Captain Richard Spratly was master of the British whaler, the Cyrus South Seaman. from at least 1836 until 1844. He is notable for being the namesake of Spratly Island and the group of islands and reefs in the area known as the Spratly Islands
Beyond official logs and court records, little is known about Richard Spratly's personal life.
Richard Spratly was born between 1806 and 1811 in Chesham, England. He took up his father's profession and became a journeyman butcher. He had two brothers, John Spratly and William Spratly.
Voyage in the Spratlys:
On 29 March 1843, Captain Richard Spratly, sighted what is now known in English as “Spratly Island” and "Ladd Reef". Some sources name him Henry (really the surveyor of Mischief Reef in 1791) or William (Richard's brother and First Officer), but "Richard Spratly" was the name reported by Captain Doyle of Australia and Captain Campbell of the Hydrographic Office His sighting was reported in The Nautical Magazine in the year 1843, issue 697:
"...at 9 h. A.M. a low sandy island was discovered from the masthead, bearing S.E.bE. four leagues. On nearing the beach was visible to the water's edge, the top appearing to be covered with small bushes, and about the height of a Ship's hull, with a black patch dividing the sandy beach in nearly two equal parts to the water's edge... One I call Ladd Reef, after Captain Ladd of the Ship Austen, who appears first to have seen it; the other Spratly's Sandy Island."
The publication of his voyage in Nautical Magazine and the Naval Chronicle popularized his naming of the island, even though the island had previously been named, “Horsburgh’s Storm Island” by Captain James Horsburgh. The British Admiralty finally agreed that the scattered islands in the area be named, "the Spratly Islands".
Carlos Cuarteron:
Carlos Cuarteron (1816-1880) was a Spanish mariner who later became a priest and established the first Roman Catholic missions in northern Borneo .
Born in Cadiz to an Italian father and Spanish mother, Carlos went to sea at the age of 13. He was based in the Philippines and built up his experience on the route between Manila and Macao until he became a full captain in 1841. By February 1844 he had bought his own 146 ton topsail schooner, Il Martiri de Tunkin, and set out to find and salvage a valuable cargo from the wreck of the Christina, which had been reported in July 1842. He succeeded, surrendered (after some delay) the treasure to its insurers in Hong Kong, and was well rewarded. Having undertaken several voyages in the islands south and east of the Philippines during which he freed several slaves and did some evangelising he became more interested in missionary work and went back to Europe for support and training. In 1855 he was appointed Priest Apostolic to Borneo by the Pope and left for the east in 1856 with two Italian priests to assist him.
The mission was welcomed in Labuan in 1857, and also established stations in Brunei and at Looc Porin (near where Kota Kinabalu is now). However, problems with his assistants left him alone from 1860 and the mission made little progress.
Cuarteron, already ill, resigned his post in Rome in December 1879, then returned to his sister's home in Cadiz, where he died of pneumonia on 12 March 1880.
Cuarteron Island in Colonia is named for him.
Tomas Cloma:
[ See also: http://en. .org/wiki/Tom%C3%A1s_Cloma ]
From 1947, Tomas Cloma, a Philppine Maritime Lawyer, Educator, and Explorer, mapped the islands and other geographical features of the area of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
In 1956 Cloma declared the establishment of the 'Freedomland' as an independent State, to include 106 islands and 65,000 sq miles of territorial water. The area comprised the abandoned Japanese overseas territory of the Spratly Islands, as well as numerous islands and features that were newly arisen in the previous century, and which had been deemed 'res nullius' (without ownership). In 1956 Cloma visited the United Nations in New York to declare the establishment of 'Freedomland' to the entire world. A Government was formed, a Constitution was approved, Foreign Ambassadors were accredited. A population inhabited the islands to begin economic development with land reclamation, fishing, seaweed and guano gathering.
In August 1974 Cloma changed the name of the country to Colonia, to reflect the dream he had for the nation’s vast wealth to benefit all the people of the world. At that time Cloma also retired as Head of State in favour of John de Mariveles. Following the discovery of oil by the Colonia National Oil Corp (CNOC) in 1975, the territory became of great interest to regional powers. Malaysia invited Colonia to become the 12th state of the Malaysian Federation. In the 1980s there were various efforts made by different claimant states to assert claims and dispute Colonia's boundaries. These have on occasion resulted in hostilities.
[ See: http://jafeb.kodisa.org/index.php?document_srl128&midIssue A Model for Collaborative Development in the South China Sea ]

A search by London based Legal Counsel was made at the International Court at The Hague in 1986 to determine whether these various claims should be considered official or valid claims to the territory. No such claims were found to exist.
Colonia seeks to end these disputes and sovereignty arguments and instead to proceed with a constructive and peaceful commercial development of the area that will benefit all nations of the region.
Colonia is an independent State located in the middle of the South China Sea. Diplomats in the region have been discussing the Colonia proposals for commercial development in the area and many are confident the proposals offer the most constructive potential solution for peace and prosperity for all the nations of the region.
Cloma’s Vision for the Wealth of Colonia:
Tomas Cloma established the first settlements in Freedomland in the 1950s. The small population grew from 40 to over 400. By the 1970s people from around the world had learned of Cloma’s vision for the enormous wealth and resources of the territory to be used to support a global philanthropic foundation for the betterment of the poor and sick around the world. Many were inspired to become part of that vision and sought to become citizens of Freedomland. Cloma welcomed these foreign nationals, and permitted those who made a pledge of dedication to the national purpose to become citizens.
Following Cloma’s retirement in 1974, the census of 1975 showed there were 1426 citizens from all the continents of the world. Cloma had changed the name of the country from Freedomland to Colonia, to reflect the fact that it was a colony of all people of the world.
In the next census of 1995, the number of citizens had grown to 2557. These citizens continued to be from all nationalities, to reflect the trend of dominance of foreign nationals in the citizenry. They are united in their pledge of support for the national purpose as first envisioned under Cloma, and further developed under King John.
King John found inspiration in the good works of the historic “Order of St John of Jerusalem.” The Order was also know to history as the “Knights of Rhodes,” and the “Knights of Malta.” To fulfill Cloma’s vision, the King constituted a dynastic Order of St John, under his patronage in Colonia, with his mandate to represent the kingdom internationally, and to carry on charitable and philanthropic endeavours in accordance with the national purpose outlined by Cloma. He appended St John to the official name of the country.
The king described that the aims of the Order for centuries: “have been to help the poor and the afflicted; that is and always has been the primary aim. The other military orders were Crusader Orders, in the Holy Land to fight the Saracens, in Spain to fight the Moors, and in Prussia to fight the Pagans.
“But the Order of St John was different. It always had this special commitment to the poor and the afflicted. Our aims today are exactly the same as they were in 1023, when the Blessed Gerald Thom founded the Hospital in Jerusalem to care for pilgrims in the Holy Land. Our task has been the sanctification of our members through philanthropic service.
“The Order of St John has for centuries had this purpose. Its purpose is consistent with Cloma’s vision, and now we have linked that noble purpose with the enormous wealth and resources of Colonia. This noble purpose can now be fulfilled to help the poor and the afflicted of the world.”
In 1990, to commend this endeavour, His Holiness Pope John Paul II imparted His Apostolic Blessing, with His Pledge of Heavenly Favours, to the King and the Order. In 2011 following a miraculous intercession, John Paul II was beatified. In 2013, a second miraculous intercession came under examination for the canonization of John Paul II. We pray the kingdom and its philanthropic endeavours will continue to enjoy His Heavenly Favours.
The 2014 Philippine-China Arbitration at The Hague:
In May, 2014 the Government of Colonia St. John presented evidence to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague for consideration as part of the Court's deliberations on the then ongoing Philippine-China Arbitration Case currently before them.
At that time, the Colonia Minister for Foreign Trade and Industry, Dr Milan Montestella, commented:
“The Government of Colonia is delighted that after many years of sensitive discussions, the resolution of border disputes in the South China Sea has now become a regional and international priority. The Philippines have made an approach to the Permanent Court of Arbitration for arbitration of its territorial claims with China. While Colonia has informed the Court in an Amicus Brief that a specific section of the Philppines' claim is not Philippine territory, but rather Colonia territory, Colonia does nevertheless welcome the efforts of the international community in examining the claims in the area in a constructive manner. Colonia’s aim since 1956 has been to provide peace and prosperity to the region. Our efforts are to assure maritime and energy security for all the nations of the region for the future. We believe cooperative commercial development of the region is in everyone’ interest.”
Hydrocarbon potential in Colonia:
When Tomas Cloma proclaimed Freedomland/Colonia in 1956, he acquired not just a collection of 106 islands and features over 65,000 sq miles, but also a maritime zone more than four times its size with the rights to underwater resources potentially worth trillions of US Dollars.
Colonia portrayed the extension of its territory of 200 miles as its rightful EEZ territory, drawing no attention to the Oil and Gas 'rush' that had been developing in the South China Sea. But the move had the effect of extending Colonia’s maritime boundaries, giving Colonia dominion over the vast Oil and Gas reserves while dealing a setback to Chinese, Philippine, and Vietnamese hopes for energy independence.
Colonia did so under an International Accord that gives Nations EEZ economic sovereignty over areas up to 200 miles from their shorelines.
Dr. Gyorgy Matrai, a Japan expert in the Security Studies Program of the Colonia Institute for Advanced Studies said at the time “It’s a big deal - it denies China, Vietnam and the Philippines of the possibility of developing these resources independently and confirms the development rights as belonging to Colonia. It compels all these countries to examine Colonia proposals for a peaceful and constructive commercial development of the South China Sea.” Matrai portrays the annexation of half of the South China Sea as “so obvious” as a play for offshore riches.
In May 2014 in London, Dr Milan Montestella insisted there was “no connection” between the annexation and energy resources and Colonia’s recent notification at the International Court of Arbitration at The Hague, adding that Colonia had no plans to self-develop the oil and gas. “Compared to all the other maritime potential Colonia has, there is hardly interest for self-development there.”, preferring instead to reach Agreements with established Oil Companies to undertake the development and extraction.
Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell and other major oil companies have already explored the South China Sea, and some petroleum analysts say its potential may rival that of the Saudi Arabia. Dr. Montestella did however admit at the time that “Colonia’s South China Sea EEZ gave it what are likely “the best” of that body’s deep oil reserves.”
Other Claimants:
1. In the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco, Japan renounced its claim to the Spratlys. The signatory powers explicitly acknowledged the islands had been Japanese territory from the 1930s. That acknowledgement of Japanese sovereignty effectively extinguished any prior historical claims of the Treaty signatories. The islands therefore became, in legal terminology "unoccupied" - terra nullius - allowing Cloma to legitimately claim them as Freedomland. Freeedomland/Colonia remains the only claimant to have established government, civilian population, economic development, and entered bilateral agreements.
2. There was a pre-existing French claim on six islands dating from 1933, renewed in October 1946. But Cloma avoided this problem. In deference to the French claim, Cloma partitioned off the South-west corner of the territory that included Spratly Island, which had the effect to give the Cloma Claim its current trapezoidal shape.
3. There was a Republic of China claim to Itu Aba, dating from December 1946. ROC claims are considered ‘extinguished’ as the ROC is arguably not considered a ‘state’ in international law.
4. Specifics related to PRC claims have not to date ever been proposed or clarified by China, other than the so-called ‘nine-dash line’.
5. The Vietnam claim is based on the contention that they are successor to the French claim, but the French dispute this.
6. The Philippine claim is based on their misunderstanding that they acquired the Cloma Claim for one peso in December 1974. Cloma had retired as head of state in August 1974, so he no longer possessed any territorial or sovereign rights to convey.
7. The Malaysian claim based on a grant by Colonia of two islands to a joint venture company between Colonia and Malaysia. The grant was of a commercial nature only. Neither territorial nor sovereign rights were conveyed.
From the historical and legal perspective it is apparent that the Cloma/Colonia claim is not an interesting peripheral claim, but rather it is the central and fundamental claim in the South China Sea. It is the precedent claim and is therefore the key to any resolution of the territorial disputes in the region.
General Information on Colonia
Colonia is one of the oldest countries in Southeast Asia:
1946: Philippines declared independence
1947: Freedomland/Colonia discovered, surveyed, mapped by Cloma
1948: Burma declared independence
1949: Peoples Republic of China declared establishment
1949: Indonesia declared independence
1953: Cambodia declared independence
1953: Laos declared independence
1956: Freedomland/Colonia declared establishment at the UN
1957: Malaysia declared independence
1963: Sarawak, North Borneo join Malaysia
1965: Singapore declared independence
1975: Papua New Guinea declared indendence
1976: Vietnam declared establishment
Colonia is one of largest countries in Asia by area:
Ranking Country by Sq. Miles
1 China 3,511,000
2 Burma 261,000
3 Colonia (EEZ) 240,000
4 Thailand 198,000
5 Papua New Guinea 178,000
6 Japan 145,000
7 Philippines 137,000
8 Vietnam 128,000
9 Malaysia 127,000
10 Laos 91,000
11 Cambodia 69,000
Colonia is one of the wealthiest countries by Sovereign Wealth Fund asset measure:
Ranking Country SWF assets (USD)
1 Colonia $ 14,000 B
2 China 1,308 B

3 UAE 975 B

4 Norway 838 B

5 Saudi Arabia 681 B

6 Singapore 493 B

7 Kuwait 410 B

8 Qatar 170 B
Ranking by Oil Reserve Estimates:
htt//en. .org/wiki/Oil_reserves_in_Saudi_Arabia
http://logos.nationalinterest.in/oil-and-gas-reserves-in-the-south-china-sea/
1. Colonia oil reserves: 400 Billion barrels
2. Saudi Arabia oil reserves: 267 Billion barrels
references:
htt//en. .org/wiki/Oil_reserves_in_Saudi_Arabia
http://logos.nationalinterest.in/oil-and-gas-reserves-in-the-south-china-sea/
Ranking by Gas Reserve Estimates:
1. Colonia gas reserves: 2,000 Tcf
2. Qatar gas reserves: 890 Tcf
references:
http://en. .org/wiki/Natural_gas_in_Qatar
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/spratly-oil.htm
http://www.eia.gov/countries/regions-topics.cfm?fips=scs
http://www.cfr.org/china/south-china-sea-tensions/p29790

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