Sealand’s spirit trumps Kosovo’s convention

As we are seeing with the territory of Kosovo’s recent declaration of independence from… As we are seeing with the territory of Kosovo’s recent declaration of independence from Serbia, the battle over a state’s sovereign recognition is often a messy situation. The United States, European Union and Russia have all been barking their two cents on the issue. The United States has welcomed the timing of Kosovo’s act, while Russia, fearing ethnic independence movements in their own nation, has condemned it. If there is a winner in this torrid political affair, and I believe there is, it’s quite clear who that winner is: Sealand.

In its 40 years of existence, Sealand has been faced with many challenges. What separates Sealand from other wannabe independent states like Kosovo is moxie. While Kosovo has appealed to the West and Europe for recognition in hopes of gaining legitimacy, Sealand has recognized that the only recognition it needs comes from within. I think we had the same public school guidance counselor.

If you are unfamiliar with Sealand’s rich history, let me catch you up. The country itself sits roughly six miles off the Suffolk County coast of England on a pontoon. Its two hollow towers rise up out of the ocean on either side and provide support for the base structure, where the main residence sits. A red, white and black Sealand flag juts out over the Atlantic Ocean. All in all, the country has a spacious 6,000-square-foot living space to enjoy.

Sealand’s odd story dates back to 1942, when the United Kingdom built a platform – then known as Roughs Tower – as a defense against the German air force in World War II. Years after it had been abandoned, a British pirate radio broadcaster, Paddy Roy Bates, decided to occupy the structure – located in international waters – to circumvent British broadcasting laws.

By most accounts, Bates had set up little more than an autonomously functioning island in international waters. That changed to some degree when in 1978 a group of German and Dutch men led by Alexander G. Achenbach stormed the tower while Bates was away, taking his son Michael hostage. After Michael was safely released in the Netherlands a few days later, Bates did what any sensible man in his position would do: He hired armed mercenary assistance and staged a helicopter assault to reclaim his pontoon nation.

After the successful reclamation of Sealand, Bates released all of the men except Achenbach, who was held as a prisoner of war. The German and Dutch governments subsequently asked for Britain’s assistance in getting Achenbach released, but the British government refused on the grounds that it had no responsibility for Sealand’s actions.

Germany then sent an official diplomat to Roughs Tower to negotiate Achenbach’s release. Bates initially demanded thousands of dollars for his release, but after weeks of negotiation he had achieved something far more valuable than a ransom – Sealand had been recognized by a foreign diplomat for negotiations following the conflict.

Most definitions of statehood rely on defining the term within itself – a state exists if other states recognize it as such. However, 1933’s Montevideo Convention produced what is now generally accepted as an agreeable definition for statehood, regardless of foreign recognition, stipulating that a state must have a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.

Well, I’m no scholar, but I do think changing times call for changing standards. I am putting forth the new, 21st century definition of what defines statehood based on Pfeffersonian principles. To be recognized as a sovereign entity, a state must now possess territory, floating or not, attitude and intangibles.

OK, let’s run down the list for Sealand. Territory? Admittedly not much, but enough by my count. Attitude? Check. Double-check for the reverse-mutiny-helicopter-assault thing. Intangibles? I’ll say yes, based on the claim that if I had to take a history test on Sealand, it would be considerably easier than a history test about Britain because of its relatively abbreviated curriculum vitae. Never mind that fancy claim about needing recognition from other states. Sealand still isn’t recognized by a single nation, but that hasn’t stopped Bates – or me – from petitioning to get Sealand in at the 2008 Beijing games.

If we can accept this more advanced and modern definition of statehood, then Sealand seems to possess all the necessary qualities. Kosovo? Well, I’m not sure they have the spirit Sealand does, as evidenced by its feeble-middle, child-esque ploy for validation to the bigger kids on the block. But I’ll hold off judgment until the escapade in Kosovo plays out further. In the meantime, Kosovars, please take notes from Paddy Roy Bates. We’ll see you in Beijing.

E-mail Brandon at bkp3@pitt.edu.