Sipadan and Ligitan long listed on RI map<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strengthened
\nyesterday its claim on Sipadan and Ligitan, two small islands off
\nEast Kalimantan currently being disputed by Indonesia and
\nMalaysia.<\/p>\n
\"Our maps have always incorporated the two islands, but they
\n(Malaysia) only started to put Sipadan and Ligitan on their maps
\nin 1969,\" Director General of Political Affairs Izhar Ibrahim
\ntold a hearing with the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Izhar pointed out that Malaysia's claim over the two islands
\nonly came after Indonesia reasserted its ownership in 1967.<\/p>\n
Two years later, Malaysia put Sipadan and Ligitan on its maps
\nas part of its territory and in 1983 enforced its claim through a
\nstate law.<\/p>\n
\"This shows that before 1969, Malaysia had no objection to our
\nclaim over the islands. This is our trump card,\" he said in
\nresponse to questions from Commission I legislators, who deal
\nwith foreign policy and national security.<\/p>\n
Press reports from Kuala Lumpur this week suggested that
\nMalaysia was considering a new protest after learning that
\nIndonesia had incorporated the two islands in its latest maps.<\/p>\n
\"The new map is only a redefinition or confirmation of the
\nprevious one now that we have the law of the sea as a reference,\"
\nIzhar said, adding that Indonesia had not yet received any formal
\nMalaysian protest.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's map is based on a 1891 agreement between Britain
\nand the Netherlands, the respective colonial rulers of Malaysia
\nand Indonesia, which recognized the two islands as part of Dutch
\nterritory, or present-day Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The last round of talks to resolve the sovereignty of the two
\nislands last June ended in a stalemate. Malaysia suggested
\narbitration through the United Nation's International Court of
\nJustice but Indonesia insisted that the matter be resolved
\nthrough the ASEAN's high court -- an institution that to this day
\nhas never been put to use.<\/p>\n
Legislators at the hearing questioned Izhar about Indonesia's
\nrefusal to go to the UN court, to which he replied: \"It's not
\nthat we are afraid, but we feel that there is still a chance of
\nsolving the issue bilaterally or informally.\" (pwn\/mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sipadan-and-ligitan-long-listed-on-ri-map-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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