Settling a sibling row<\/p>\n
If two siblings are fighting over two pies, the solution is
\nobvious: each gets one. If two nations are fighting over two
\nsmall islands however, the solution, unfortunately, may not be as
\nsimple.<\/p>\n
Despite 27 years of trying, Indonesia and Malaysia have not
\nbeen able to resolve the riddle of Sipadan and Ligitan -- two
\nislets off the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan. The
\nownership row, dating back to 1969, remains the sine e most
\nserious obstacle to the otherwise blossoming relations between
\nthe two countries and two peoples, whose Malay roots make them
\nsiblings.<\/p>\n
Not even the statesmanship of President Soeharto and Prime
\nMinister Mahathir Mohamad has proved adequate to find a solution.
\nThe two men, in their meeting on the Malaysian resort island of
\nLangkawi in 1993, lent their personal stature to the search for
\npeace by declaring that the row should be settled through
\nbilateral negotiations, without the involvement of a third party.<\/p>\n
It is also apparent now that the kinship that exists between
\nthe two countries, or the neighborly ASEAN spirit, is not
\nsufficient to push them into an agreement.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, when Soeharto and Mahathir met in Kuala Lumpur,
\nthey agreed that the matter should be brought before a third
\nparty, in this case the International Court of Justice in The
\nHague.<\/p>\n
This is a rather unfortunate turn of events, but one that is
\nunderstandable, if not unavoidable. A once-and-for-all settlement
\nis urgently needed if the two countries are to remove the
\nremaining thorn in their relations, but obviously neither
\nIndonesia nor Malaysia is willing to back down from their
\nrespective claims of sovereignty over the two islands.<\/p>\n
Both countries seem to find it difficult to remove the islands
\nfrom their respective national maps. Indonesia claims its map is
\nbased on an agreement signed in 1891 between Britain and the
\nNetherlands, the respective colonial rulers of Malaysia and
\nIndonesia at that time. According to this pact the two small
\nislands are part of the territory of what was then the
\nNetherlands East Indies, the present state of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Since then, maps of the Indonesian archipelago have
\nincorporated those two islands. Malaysia apparently did not begin
\nto include them on its maps until 1969. Jakarta insists that
\nMalaysia's claim over the islands did not come until after
\nIndonesia reasserted its ownership in 1967. Two years later
\nMalaysia put the two islands on its national maps as part of the
\ncountry's territory. And it was not until 1983 that Malaysia
\nstarted enforcing its claim with the passing of a state law.<\/p>\n
Although the two countries have reached an impasse, credit
\nmust be given to President Soeharto and Prime Minister Mahathir
\nfor keeping the row under control thus far, without affecting the
\noverall bilateral relations.<\/p>\n
The protracted negotiations over the conflict may have failed
\nto bear fruit, but at the very least, they showed the two
\ncountries' resolution to settle their row by peaceful means. When
\none considers that the two countries were on the verge of war
\nduring the Confrontation years of the early 1960s, this is no
\nmean feat.<\/p>\n
There were moments when the issue threatened to blow up, such
\nas when Malaysia began to develop the islands -- in defiance of a
\n1969 agreement to maintain their status quo pending a solution --
\nand tout them as its latest exotic tourist destination. There was
\nalso the time when Malaysia conducted military drills which
\npurported to free the two islands of foreign occupation.<\/p>\n
Although the two countries have now agreed to take the matter
\nto a third party, it is difficult to see how the International
\nCourt of Justice can settle the row, given that both parties feel
\nthat they have a strong position and that neither of them is
\nwilling to budge. Given this situation, the solution of giving
\neach an island may not be so naive after all.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/settling-a-sibling-row-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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