Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has mentioned that the Philippines' arbitration proceedings against China on territorial issues in the South China Sea was a national decision undertaken by the Philippines without consultation with the rest of Asean ("'S'pore takes no position on S. China Sea disputes'"; July 12).
Hence, Asean should not intervene on the ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague.
Similarly, the United States, which is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, has no right to comment on the ruling.
Rather, the matter should be left to the parties involved to sort out.
Sng Ah Beng