Govt plans to develop border islands

Govt plans to develop border islands

Berni K. Moestafa and Debbie Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia would intensify development on islands that form the
country's borders to impress its sovereignty upon neighboring
countries, with most of whom the government had yet to sign
border treaties, an official said.

Eighty-three islands serve as Indonesia's points of reference
to determine its marine territory, continental coastlines and
exclusive economic zones (EEZ), said the director for small
islands at the Ministry of Maritime and Fishery Affairs, Alex
S.W. Retraubun, on Thursday.

He said his office had drawn up a five-step strategy to boost
development on the 83 islands, starting with inviting investment
there.

The investment may be related to tourism, fishery or
husbandry, but most importantly, the investment must show
activity on the otherwise deserted islands, he said.

"If we look at the court's decision, it's so simple: Malaysia
(showed its sovereignty through) with conservation and it has
shown continuous occupation over the islands -- things we could
have done too," he told The Jakarta Post.

Alex was referring to the recent UN international court ruling
in which Indonesia lost a border dispute with Malaysia over the
ownership of the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan.

The court voted 16 to 1 against Indonesia, saying Malaysia had
shown administrative control over the two islands long before
Indonesia did.

In the subsequent wave of criticism against the government,
President Megawati Soekarnoputri said on Tuesday she wanted
Indonesia to show more control over its border islands.

Investors already showed keen interest in developing a resort
on Nipah Island, located just 15 minutes away from Singapore,
Alex added.

He said Nipah marked Indonesia's border with Singapore, as
well as Malaysia.

The island, however, is sinking. Only five percent of Nipah
was above sea level, and if it disappeared completely, it would
obscure Indonesia's border demarcation with both Singapore and
Malaysia. "So we're talking about heavy reclamation here,"
commented Alex.

Another step would be to draw a profile of each of the 83
islands then decide how best to develop them, he added.

Alex said the other three steps deal with the prospect of
turning some of the islands into conservation areas, encouraging
local fisheries to operate close to the islands, and increasing
economic activities on those islands that were populated.

Indonesia is bordered by Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines,
Thailand, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Palau, the Caroline Islands,
India and Australia.

So far, the country has signed continental coastline
agreements with Malaysia, Thailand, India, Papua New Guinea and
Australia.

There are only two existing agreements on marine territory,
with Malaysia and Singapore, and just one EEZ agreement with
Australia.

Laode M. Kamaluddin, economic advisor to Vice President Hamzah
Haz and member of the Indonesian Maritime Board, said that five
islands were at risk of becoming lost or becoming the focus of
disputes with neighbors.

Aside from the diminishing Nipah Island, there is the case of
Miangas Island, whose people are interacting more with the
neighboring Filipinos. He saw in Mapia Island a similar risk
because of its people's closer affiliation with the people of
Palau.

He said Australia might be eying the Christmas Islands located
close to Pasir Island, as it is a popular holiday destination
among Australians.

Also at risk was one unnamed island in West Kalimantan that
had become a base for illegal Thai fishermen, Laode said.

In total, he added, some 70 named and unnamed islands were
drawing the interest of neighboring countries.

"Our neighbors will continue to set their eyes on our small
islands because we ourselves haven't seriously exploited them as
new economic resources," he explained.