ippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands;
the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China
Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code
of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; Paracel Islands
are occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; in 2003,
China and Taiwan became more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims
to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and
Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East
China Sea where all parties engage in hydrocarbon prospecting
Tajikistan
in 2006, China and Tajikistan pledged to commence
demarcation of the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of
2002; talks continue with Uzbekistan to delimit border and remove
minefields; disputes in Isfara Valley delay delimitation with
Kyrgyzstan
Tanzania
Tanzania still hosts more than a half-million refugees,
more than any other African country, mainly from Burundi and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite the international
community's efforts at repatriation; disputes with Malawi over the
boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River
remain dormant
Thailand
separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim
southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia
to stem terrorist activities; southeast Asian states have enhanced
border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue
on completion of demarcation with Laos but disputes remain over
several islands in the Mekong River; despite continuing border
committee talks, Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic
rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities, and as of
2006, 130,000 Karen, Hmong and other refugees and 15,000 asylum
seekers from Burma; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of
historic boundary with missing boundary markers; Cambodia claims
Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory and obstructing access
to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in
1962; Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing
the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween river near the border with Burma; in
2004, international environmentalist pressure prompted China to halt
construction of 13 dams on the Salween River which flows through
China, Burma and Thailand
Togo
in 2001 Benin claimed
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