Govt prepares legal groundwork for islands trial
Govt prepares legal groundwork for islands trial
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is busy preparing its lawyers and the
legal documents pertaining to the disputed Sipadan and Ligitan
Islands for its case against Malaysia at the International Court
of Justice.
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas told
journalists yesterday Jakarta was collecting as much proof as
possible to support its claim over the islands.
"We have to prepare our case. We have to collect all the
documentation to back our arguments," he said.
Alatas had just returned from a trip to Kuala Lumpur where he
accompanied President Soeharto, who had a private meeting with
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on the overlapping
claims.
The two leaders agreed after reaching an impasse in bilateral
negotiations that the dispute would be taken for arbitration to
the International Court of Justice.
The two tiny islands are located on the northeast coast of
Kalimantan. Both Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur lay claim to the
islands, basing their arguments on the territorial possessions of
their former colonial rulers.
The two sides had attempted to reach a settlement. However,
negotiations among high-ranking officials hit a brick wall.
Indonesia at first rejected the idea of taking the case to the
international court and proposed arbitration through the ASEAN
High Council instead.
In a show of solidarity and friendship, Soeharto and Mahathir
agreed Monday to take the dispute to The Hague-based court.
Alatas said yesterday preparations included selecting a legal
counselor to present Indonesia's case in The Hague.
"We have to appoint our lawyer to handle the case in the
international court," he said.
When asked whether it would be an Indonesian or foreign
attorney, Alatas replied: "It could be both. It depends on things
later."
Alatas also discounted the possibility of a compromise on the
islands dispute.
"It has passed," he said, adding that both legal and political
approaches from the two sides have failed to result in an
outcome.
Despite the territorial dispute, both Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur
have stressed that the issue would not serve as a wedge in the
good ties between the two countries.
Officials have also taken great pains to point out that the
two sides would be submitting their case together, thus avoiding
the impression one side was contesting the other.
Senior officials are expected to meet next week to begin
preparations for the case's submission to the court.
Alatas claimed that the two nations' handling of the
overlapping claims is an example of how international disputes
can be managed and resolved peacefully.
"We are showing that if there is a problem between two
friendly states, there is no need to develop it into a conflict,"
he said. (mds)