Here is a good explanation about the Spratleys.:
http://www.arrl.org/news/the-spratly-islands-dxpedition-gets-wings
Scroll down to the paragraph: “DXpeditions Can Be Dangerous”.
I was a teenager when I first heard of the Spratleys.
The very first expedition to put them on the air, back in the 60s, was blown out of the water by “pirates”. They were to operate with the call 1S1S.
There have, as you can see, been successful expeditions since then.
At that time, I never dreamed that I would be an international traveler living in the Philippines.