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sian Island of Suma era, is che shorccst and safesr rouce be–
cwcen che lndian Ocean and che Pacific. Through rhis
srraccgic incernarional waccrway pass sorne 40,000 ships
each year. Some
90
pcrcenr of Japan's oil imporcs pass
rhrough rhis srrai
t
on their way from rhe
~fiddle
Easr. So–
viet ships - both commercial and milirary - ply rhis
roure on rheir journcys bccween Vladivosrok and che In–
dian Ocean. American and Brirish shipping also has a big
srake in free passage rhrough chis srrair. Bur rhar free pas–
sagc may be in danger - for all conccrned.
Indonesia and Malaysia are claiming joinr jurisdic–
rion over rhis viral warerway. Thc Srrair of Malacca is less
rhan 24 miles wide ar somc poincs and borh narions are
claiming a L2-mile territorial water belt. Conseguenrly,
.Malaysian and Indonesian rcprescnrarives ara meeting 1asr
November in Singapore srared rhar ir could no longer be
considered an internacional warerway and rhar rhe rwo
counrries havc rhe righr ro regulare shipping rhrough ir.
The rwo counrrics did nor srarc jusr
when
and how
rhey intend ro begin enforcing control over che Strair of
Malacca, however. Such conrrols could include a roca] ban
on cerrain rypes of ships ancl che imposicion of rolls and
freighr charges. Presently, Indonesia is insisring thar rhe
Soviet and American navics regiscer wirh Djakarca before
rheir warships enter
che
warerwa)'·
In March, che Soviet Union and Japan demanded
char rhe wacers be considered internacional rerrirory. Dja–
karta and Kuala Lumpur rejecred rhe demand, backed by
rhe srrong supporr of che People's Republic of China,
which is always eager ro cake a srance opposing Moscow.
Pare of che joinr Indonesian-MaJaysian desire for con–
trol of chis srrair srems from pollurion dangers from rhe
gianr supenankers rraveling che narrow and shallow roure
where collision risk is high. Bur long-rerm political con-
PLAIN TRUTH July 1972
South
Chína
Sea
sideracions are
ckarl~
ac che core of rhe siruarion. Control
of che shipping borrleneck is relaced ro a Malaysian-au–
rhored plan ro evenrually make all of Sourheasr Asia neu–
tral and free of pressures and inRuences from rhe big mili–
rary powers. Bur che schcme. if implemenred. could
backfire - and onl)' bring on big-power inrervenrion.
•
Swiss Neutrality - Out of
Date?
There are indications char Swirzerland may be con–
remplaring che abandonmenr of her cenruries-old policy of
srricr polirical neurraliry.
Switzerland's formal independence was recognized in
1648
by the Treary of Wesrphalia, which ended rhe Thirty
Years War. The great powers larer guaranreed rhe ercrnal
neurraliry of Swirzerland ar rhe Congress of Vienna in
1815.
The Swiss mainrained chis neurraliry rhroughour
borh world wars.
A neurraliry clause is wrircen in che federal Swiss
Consrirurion of
1848
and in che charrers of all Swiss can–
rons, and can only be alrered b; nacional referendum.
Swirzerland has refused membership in rhe United
Narions because of unu::rraint)' on whecher membership
would allow full play of her neucraliry policy. Among
orher objecrions. she has argued rhar she could nor un–
reservedly agrce ro all U. N. sancrions. and rhat under che
presenr Swiss consrirurion. Swiss soldiers could nor serve
in U.
1 .
police forces. Similar rhoughts on neurrality were
in pare responsible for her nor following Brirain inro fu11
Common Marker membership.
Bur roday rhe gucsrion is being raised in Swirzerland
whcrher her neucraliry may nor be a meaningless anach–
ronism. Swiss newspapers have suggesred thar Swirzer–
Jand's neutraliry was conceived in an earlier European con–
rexr and was designed ro safeguard her during wars
between her surrounding ncighbors - especia11y Germany
and France. In view of che posr-war developmenc of a
European Economic Communiry (EEC), sorne observers
feel rhar Swiss neurraliry may have ourlived its necessicy.
The quesrions of U. N. and EEC enrry are now
prime copies in Switzerland. The Swiss consider rheir rela–
rionship wirh rhe EEC che mosr important quesrion fac–
ing rhem since che war. Many Swiss feel ir is
time
ro face
che realities of posr-war European evenrs sguarely. They
realize char rhey can no longer
be
concenc ro stand on che
sidelines of Europe. Ideologically and economically, Swit·
zerland belongs ro rhe Wesr. Even if her foreign policies
are neutral, Swiss symparhies are far from
ir.
Swirzerland is now negoriaring wirh che EEC for free
trade preferences ro link her ro rhe Community. And ear–
lier chis year, in che wake of China's enrry inro rhe U. N.,
che Swiss Foreign Minisrer suggesred that Swirzerland
mighr ar !ase join rhe world organizarion.
As Europe coalesces politically and economically in
che monrhs and years ahead, ir may become impossible for
Swirzerland ro maincain her "splendid isolation."
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