MYSTERIOUS Marduk - who claims to be the new king of Sealand - today asked the United Nations to officially recognise his claimed takeover of the independent mini-state off the Suffolk coast.
MYSTERIOUS Marduk - who claims to be the new king of Sealand - today asked the United Nations to officially recognise his claimed takeover of the independent mini-state off the Suffolk coast.
Even though the current rulers of the tiny principality say his claims are “absolute rubbish”, he has not been dissuaded from pursuing the matter and says he now owns the former war-time fort.
He wants the UN to give his “ownership” official recognition - even though he has never set foot on Sealand.
King Marduk I has also apparently drawn up plans to demolish Sealand - which he calls Sealandcity - and replace it with a massive Dubai-style modern version complete with a windfarm on its surface and floating dock at its base.
“We have a strategy to create a new Sealandcity, wind farms, an enterprise platform which will be a centre for modern communication technologies and a paradise for enterprise strategies,” he said.
He insisted the creation of a new Sealand was completely feasible and declared its previous rulers should leave because they had no plans to develop it.
He also claims windfarm projects in the North Sea close to Sealand would now fall inside his kingdom's territory.
King Marduk said Prince Roy Bates, Sealand's ruler, had never made the country's sovereignty official and had given up their territory to him by failing to act or protest since his international declaration of takeover last month.
Prince Roy's son, Michael Bates, prince regent of Sealand, said there had been no invasion and nothing had changed.
He described King Marduk's claims as “a complete mystery”.
Very little is known about King Marduk.
According to websites, he goes around Switzerland and Austria “claiming” former German territories, mainly around Lake Constance, which are not mentioned in treaties after world war two and so do not belong to their former owners and currently belong to no-one.
Have you heard of the Kingdom of Marduk? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
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