Islands rift may be raised during Mahathir's visit<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The lingering dispute over the ownership of the
\nSipadan and Ligitan islands is likely to find its way into talks
\nbetween President Soeharto and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
\nMohamad when the latter makes an unofficial visit later this
\nweek.<\/p>\n
\"The issue will very possibly be on their agenda, but it would
\nentirely depend on the two heads of state,\" said Minister of
\nForeign Affairs Ali Alatas after meeting with Gambia's Foreign
\nMinister Bolong Landing Sonko yesterday.<\/p>\n
Mahathir is scheduled to visit Jakarta on Sept. 16-17 to
\naddress an international conference on human resource
\ndevelopment, but officials said he would also hold talks with
\nSoeharto during his stay.<\/p>\n
The latest round of talks on the dispute ended in a deadlock
\nlast week when Malaysia unexpectedly called for arbitration by
\nthe United Nations' International Court of Justice (ICJ).<\/p>\n
Head of the Indonesian delegation, Izhar Ibrahim, rejected
\nthis suggestion saying Indonesia believed a third party was not
\nyet necessary in resolving what he considered to be strictly a
\nbilateral matter.<\/p>\n
Alatas in a similar gesture acknowledged that Indonesia's
\nposition in the matter was clear.<\/p>\n
\"We should try to resolve the matter through friendly,
\nbilateral talks, the ASEAN way,\" he said.<\/p>\n
If Indonesia were ever to desire bringing in a third party to
\nhelp end the dispute, he said, Indonesia would suggest that
\nmechanisms already present in the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN), such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, be
\ntaken first.<\/p>\n
\"Only when these fail, should we seek outsiders. But it's not
\ntime to involve a third party,\" Alatas added.<\/p>\n
He said that by ending the dispute the \"ASEAN way\", both
\ncountries have a chance of proving ASEAN is capable of solving
\nits own problems through self-created mechanisms.<\/p>\n
Located in the Makasar Strait between East Kalimantan and
\nSabah, East Malaysia, the tiny Sipadan and Ligitan Islands have
\nbeen disputed between the two countries since the 1960s.<\/p>\n
In 1969, the two countries agreed to maintain the status quo
\nuntil legal ownership was maintained.<\/p>\n
Legal documents<\/p>\n
Each country possesses what it considers to be legal documents
\njustifying its legitimate rights over the two islands.<\/p>\n
\"Our documents, showing our position over the islands, are
\nvery powerful,\" Alatas said, adding they are based on earlier
\nagreements between Dutch and British colonizers which stipulate
\nthat the islands were once part of Dutch territory and therefore
\nare now part of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Alatas admitted, however, that Malaysia also possesses
\ndocuments of its own which it considers legitimate.<\/p>\n
During the talks in Jakarta last week, Malaysia added some 22
\nmore documents to the 67 already presented.<\/p>\n
Although ASEAN has had to face various bilateral and
\nmultilateral disputes over the years, with debate becoming heated
\nat times, Alatas said he did not consider these to be signs of a
\nweakening \"ASEAN solidarity.\"<\/p>\n
\"I only consider that once in a while, (member countries) need
\nto be reminded that there are higher interests and principles at
\nstake,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Armed Forces (ABRI) chief spokesman Brig. Gen.
\nSyarwan Hamid yesterday assured that the Indonesian military
\nwould not interfere in the Sipadan-Ligitan dispute.<\/p>\n
Syarwan, who was in Kuala Lumpur to accompany ABRI Chief Gen.
\nFeisal Tanjung, was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying
\nthat the diplomatic efforts made by Indonesia was the \"best
\nalternative\" the two countries had to promote good relations.<\/p>\n
The Malaysia Armed Forces yesterday presented the medal for
\nthe Distinguished Commander of Armed Forces to Gen. Feisal what
\nit considers as his extraordinary accomplishments in improving
\nrelations between the two countries.<\/p>\n
The honors, which is said to be of a higher degree than the
\ntitles \"Tan Seri\" or \"Datok\", has been given in the past to
\nFeisal's predecessors Benny Moerdani and Try Sutrisno, currently
\nthe vice president. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/islands-rift-may-be-raised-during-mahathirs-visit-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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