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'Territorial Integrity'

Venu's Thoughts Series: TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY (Kudos to U.K.)
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The concept of territorial integrity is much brandied about (when it is convenient for the speaker). I propose that this concept is utter hogwash!

The concept basically says that previously established borders of a country must remain so.  Note that in most cases, these are borders established by some foreign power for their own convenience - in many cases, borders established by some colonial power without regard to the diverse cultures within these borders.

Recently citizens of Scotland went to the polls to hold a referendum on whether to break away from U.K.  This, to me, is a model that the whole earth should follow.  No world leaders cried foul saying it is a violation of the 'territorial integrity' of U.K.  Kudos to citizens of U.K. for allowing this referendum to proceed peacefully and accepting its results.   Again, a wonderful model for the world to follow.

It is my humble opinion that 'forced union's will always be unstable and ultimately break - it is simply a matter of time.   'Voluntary unions' will survive and adjust because they accommodate internal diversity.

That is why the European Union will survive as a union:
  • it is a voluntary union -  even though many of its members used to fight each other tooth and nail historically
  • but it will change borders with time (note the talks about countries leaving and joining all the time)
That is why we are seeing the current instability in Ukraine:
  • it started with an existing disregard for the culture and language of the Russian-speaking section within the borders
  • then a pro-Russian president tried to swing things totally the other way
  • then a movement by the pro-western part of the population tried to swing things totally the other way
  • essentially a civil war erupted (in this case there was Russia to support the Russian-speaking populace - but even if this was not the case, there would still be a civil war
  • the government is now trying to accommodate by allowing more 'autonomy' to the Russian-speaking people
  • but they are still being hampered by the concept of 'territorial integrity' of Ukraine. Why not hold a referendum, and give 'full autonomy' if the people of the region chose to do so?  Ukraine, today, is a forced union.
- we are seeing the current instability in Iraq
  • Iraq's borders were drawn by someone in Britain! What did that person really know about the diversity within Iraq's borders?
  • Iraq is dominated by two factions within Islam - the Shiites and the Sunnis.
  • They seem to dislike each other so much their hatred towards each other may be even stronger than their hatred for the western world (The 'Times' magazine - vol. 183, No. 25, 2014 - has a wonderful article that you must read titled 'The End of Iraq' by Michael Crowley)
  • We still keep trying to force this 'forced union' and now the entire population is in civil war
  • What would be far more stable would be if the territory were to be divided into three sections:
                - a Shiite region
                - a moderate Sunni region (presumably supported by western countries
                      as well as countries like Saudi Arabia)
                - a Sharia-law based Sunni region (we may not like it, but people have a
                      right to live by whatever law they chose for themselves)
  •  How will this be more stable, you ask. They will still fight each other, you tell. Of course they will. But the fighting now will remain contained to fights at the borders, and contained to between their respective armies. For the most part, the common man in the interior of these regions will at least have a chance to have some semblance of normal life. A chance to rebuild economies, a chance to educate their children. Children who will, one day, see the utter nonsense in all the fighting, and choose to end it.
It is time for the world to start thinking outside this box of 'territorial integrity'. Wonderful progress can be made towards peace.  It will take time, but it will be lasting peace.

There are plenty of other examples where this adherence to the concept of 'territorial integrity' has resulted in much bloodshed, but I need to stop writing for now.

Venu P Gopal


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