ABSTRACT
South East Asia is a unique maritime space which combines States and archipelagic States that cluster around the South China Sea and its related waters. The region has seen a variety of maritime claims asserted that are based upon the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC), but which interpret the LOSC differently. This chapter seeks to set the scene for an understanding of the law of the sea in South East Asia. It does so by first defining the maritime domain of the region and considers the States that make up South East Asia. Consideration is also given to the international organisations and institutions which have been active in, and influential throughout, the region. An introductory assessment is then undertaken of some of the critical law of the sea issues confronting the region, ranging from disputes over the South China Sea to navigational rights and freedoms, maritime security, resource management and dispute resolution.
