Some Things Are Worth Fighting For (Quasi States)

Territorial disputes, self-determination, recognition, genocide, civil war and many more are just few of the many issues which are still incessantly cycling up around the international community for many years. These words have been constantly present in media, internet and even in the streets which also signified the tears fell from the cries, blood dropped from the killings, wounds that can’t be healed and memories that were being tried to bury despite of the long years of struggle. And with that struggle, many people sacrificed their selves even it was a matter of life and death.

As time went by, quasi-states have been continuously escalating. These states that still tried to fight for their respective sovereignties have different motives. It could be to protect their ethnicity, culture, language and to be free from the exploitation and maltreatment from the first and second-class states. And so no one could blame them for having such kind of reveries. But this matter about the limbo world can still be resolve in different ways depending upon the situations that are encountered. 

First thing is a referendum must be applied so that the voices of the people in a certain territory would reign. It should be their decision if they want to become an independent state or to remain as an autonomous region within a certain country since the state should be for the people and by the people although this is exceptional for the territories who do not uphold democracy. Just like how the new established state of Southern Sudan underwent a referendum. According to the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission, there were 98.83% or 3,792,518 voters who agreed for secession. This was a big step for the Sudanese people to achieve their goal for independence. However, referendum like this has its own limitations too. Not all voters have the capacity or knowledge to make decisions about the issue at stake and not all of the votes that are being casted would directly mean that these represent the whole people. 

Secondly is to follow the Montevideo Convention or the declarative theory of statehood including the recognition from other states. Although it is being adopted nowadays, yet there is no any strict implementation of it. The qualifications for an entity to become a state must be observed strictly and there must be certain standards that should be met. This is for the reason of preventing the incessant occurrence of the so-called failed states. Like for instance, the Sovereign Order of Malta. Yet even though it has its own people, government, territory, sovereignty and recognition, the international community had not provided any clear basis for such qualifications which eventually making such state as one of the failed states. That’s why, Malta is still currently dependent with the different aids given by Western countries like Monaco such as medical and humanitarian programs since they still have the hard time to improve on their own. 

Furthermore, the UN Security Council should firmly observe its functions as what the chapter five of the UN Charter stated. Such body has an important and critical role in resolving different issues specifically in maintaining international peace and security. The UN Secretary General must strengthen their role as mediator in international issues. One of their achievements was the Resolution 1244 that they made for Kosovo and Serbia in order to prevent further casualties on both sides although Kosovo’s desire to be independent didn't happen.

Not all territories can be real states. Some would take different processes first before it happen whereas some would dare to struggle even risking their lives just for the sake of protecting their will, believing that they could achieve it someday. However, eradicating these problems is too far from the reality but it could be lessen if the parties involved would cooperate in maintaining peace and to highly discourage immense hostilities with each other. As what Ronald Reagan highlighted, peace is not the absence of conflict but the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.

Reference:

EISA. (2011). Sudan: 2011 Southern Sudan Referendum Commission. Retrieved from:

http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/sud2011ssrc.htm.

Sovereign Order of Malta. (2011). Latest Interventions. Retrieved from:

http://www.orderofmalta.org/?lang=en.

Sovereign Order of Malta. (2011). First Concert Hosted By the Prince and Princess of Monaco is Held in Support of Humanitarian Works of the Order of Malta. Retrieved from:

http://www.orderofmalta.org/news/50918/first-concert-hosted-by-the-prince-and-princess-of-monaco-held-in-support-of-humanitarian-works-of-the-order-of-malta/?lang=en.