Indonesia needs detailed maps
Indonesia needs detailed maps
JAKARTA (JP): Detailed maps are crucial to the preservation of
Indonesia's national resources and territorial integrity, an
official said on Saturday.
The head of the National Survey and Mapping Coordinating
Agency (Bakosurtanal), Paul Suharto, said on Saturday that
complete and unabridged maps of the country are important in
protecting Indonesia's borders against potential claims from
abroad.
He pointed to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea, which came into effect in November and officially
recognizes Indonesia "archipelagic concept", as one reason why
thorough maps were important.
"As an archipelago we have to lodge detailed maps with the UN
in support of our claims to the exclusive economic zone and
continental shelf," Paul said, following a meeting with President
Soeharto.
Accurate maps of an international standard will aid
negotiators in any border disputes, he said.
Indonesia has land borders with Malaysia, on the island of
Borneo, and with Papua New Guinea, on the island of Irian Jaya.
Dense forest and steeply undulating mountains often make it
difficult to clearly the demarcate borders with those two
countries.
Accurate maps have been important in the dispute between
Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur over the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan,
located just east of Kalimantan.
Paul said that historical documents and maps show that both of
the former colonial masters, Britain and the Netherlands, had
conducted surveys of the two islands.
But he asserted that records also show that in the end the two
islands belonged to Dutch territory.
President Soeharto acknowledged the importance of cartography
and urged the private sector to play a greater role in this
endeavor, Paul said.
"The president instructed Bakosurtanal to help our friends in
the private sector to gain the technological know-how necessary
for mapping and he urged them to invest in training and
equipment," Paul said.
Mapping remains a largely untapped industry which holds much
potential and could employ many workers, he said.
Paul said this could be a lucrative industry for the private
sector since all they would have to do would be to add
accessories and background information to government maps.
Twenty-five years ago, only some 13 percent of Indonesia had
been mapped. The figure is currently about 68 percent of the
country.
Indonesia had established its expertise in the surveying and
mapping field, Paul said.
"Our experts can be depended on ... In fact our expertise in
the survey field is being offered to Malaysia, Thailand and oil-
rich countries such as Saudi Arabia."(mds)