The Madrid Protocol of 1885 was an agreement between the
United Kingdom,
German Empire
The German Empire (), Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditar ...
and
Spain to recognize the sovereignty of Spain over the
Sulu Archipelago as well as the limit of Spanish influence in the region.
Under the agreement, Spain relinquishes all claim to
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...
.
Another important point regarding the agreement relates to Article IV which guaranteed no restriction on trade to the parties of the protocol within the Archipelago and North Borneo.
North Borneo dispute
The
North Borneo dispute is the
territorial dispute
A territorial dispute or boundary dispute is a disagreement over the possession or control of land between two or more political entities.
Context and definitions
Territorial disputes are often related to the possession of natural resources ...
between
Malaysia and the
Philippines over much of the eastern part of the state of
Sabah, a territory known as
North Borneo prior to the
formation of the Malaysian federation. The Philippines, presenting itself as the
successor state of the
Sultanate of Sulu, retains a "dormant claim" on Sabah on the basis that the territory was only
leased to the
British North Borneo Company
The North Borneo Chartered Company (NBCC), also known as the British North Borneo Company (BNBC) was a British chartered company formed on 1 November 1881 to administer and exploit the resources of North Borneo (present-day Sabah in Malaysia). ...
in 1878, with the sovereignty of the Sultanate (and subsequently the Republic) over the territory having never been relinquished. However, Malaysia considers this dispute as a "non-issue" as it interprets the 1878 agreement as that of
cession
The act of cession is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty. Ballentine's Law Dictionary defines cession as "a surrender; a giving up; a relinquishment of jurisdictio ...
and that it deems that the residents of Sabah had exercised their right to
self-determination when they joined to form the Malaysian federation in 1963.
See also
*
Territories claimed by the Philippines
The Philippines has claimed many territories throughout its history. These territories include the Spratly Islands, portions of North Borneo, and the Scarborough Shoal.
Main territories claimed South China Sea islands
The Philippine governme ...
*
Greater Philippines
The Philippines has claimed many territories throughout its history. These territories include the Spratly Islands, portions of North Borneo, and the Scarborough Shoal.
Main territories claimed South China Sea islands
The Philippine governme ...
References
Further reading
* Leigh R. Wright. Historical Notes on the North Borneo Dispute. The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 25, No. 3 (May 1966), pp. 471–484.
* Leigh R. Wright. The Origins of British Borneo. Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (1976), pp. 149–154
* Leigh R. Wright. The Anglo-Spanish-German Treaty of 1885: A Step in the Development of British Hegemony in North Borneo. Australian Journal of Politics & History 18 (1), 62–75
External links
British North Borneo, 1885 Sabah Law
History of Sabah
1885 in the United Kingdom
Treaties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922)
Treaties involving territorial changes
Boundary treaties
Borders of Malaysia
1885 treaties
Treaties of the German Empire
Treaties of Spain under the Restoration
{{Philippines-stub