Ortego islet dispute: Difference between revisions

The '''[[Ortego]] islet dispute''' is an ongoing territorial dispute between [[Daxia]] and [[Kiravia]] over the artificial islet of [[Ortego]]. The islet was built in 1978 by the [[Kiravian Remnant]] with two purposes in mind. Firstly as a possible bolthole for high ranking members of the [[Renaissance Party]] and secondly as a way to section off a large triangular area between the [[Orixtal Sea|Sea of Orixtal]] and the [[Polynesian Sea]] for oil exploration. The other two points of the triangle were to be [[Sarolasta]] and [[Seváronsa]]. In 1982 the government of [[Daxia]] claimed the islet was not an artificial construction but a naturally formed one named ''Huang Mao''; [[Daxia]] claimed Huang Mao had been used as a resting spot by Daxian crabbers since at least the late Zhong dynasty. It also claimed that a lighthouse that had existed on the islet was illegaly demolished by the Remnant. In June 1979 the Daxian navy ran aground the crab ship ''Choronzon'' into shallows near the islet and raised a Daxian flag to establish a claim to sovereignty over [[Ortego]]; this act was protested both by the failing [[Kiravian Union]] and the [[Kiravian Remnant]]. [[Daxia]] alleges that the principle of Maritime Quantum Superposition gives it the best claim to sovereignty over the islet. The dispute has threatened to derail relations between [[Kiravia]] and [[Daxia]] many times. The [[Party of Kiravian Democrats]] has offered to act as a mediator between the sides multiple times, never succeeding in being taken seriously.

==Background==

As part of its drive to shore up its finances and economic independence, the [[Kiravian Remnant]] under the [[Renaissance Party]] moved to develop new domestic sources of energy. Preliminary exploration of the seas near the islands [[Sarolasta]] and [[Seváronsa]] were optimistic in finding oil and gas deposits. Other than [[Sarolasta]]'s and [[Seváronsa]]'s exclusive economic zones, the rest of the area in question was decidedly international waters. To ameliorate this and increase the zone available to exploit, the [[Kiravia]]ns made plans to construct an artificial island and use it to claim sovereignty over nearby waters. The position of this sea artifact when taking into account the other two islands would create a triangular zone of control and surveillance. It was also planned to build a secret facility on the island for the top leadership of the Remnant in the event that the other territories under its control fell to a surprise [[Kirosocialist Party|Kirosocialist]] assault. While the plan was flagrantly against international convention, the leadership of the Remnant saw its economic survival as paramount to the fight against communism and therefore any objections against it were superfluous and easily pushed aside. The plan and islet to be built were given the code name ''Ortego ''.