Mega calls for quick settlement of border disputes

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Monday stressed the need for urgent attention to be given to the demarcation of the country's borders with neighboring countries rather than wasting time on demarcating maritime boundaries among the country's regencies.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the commemoration of National Archipelago Day, Megawati said that unclear border demarcations with neighboring countries and disputes among regencies over maritime boundaries had inflicted losses on the state and threatened national unity.

According to the President, illegal fishing, sand exports, and illegal logging stemmed from unclear border demarcation.

"We have to immediately demarcate our borders with other countries before it is too late. The Sipadan-Ligitan case, illegal fishing, and sand exports are just some of the reasons why we have to focus on our border arrangements with neighboring countries," Megawati said.

Indonesia has yet to demarcate its maritime borders with the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, China and East Timor.

Indonesia lost Sipadan and Ligitan islets to neighboring Malaysia in December 2002 after it failed to prove it had sovereignty over them.

Foreign fishermen, mostly from Thailand, also regularly fish in Indonesian waters, while illegal logging is rampant along the Indonesia-Malaysia border on Borneo island. Some non-governmental organizations claim that Malaysian loggers have moved border markers back dozens of kilometers into Indonesian territory.

Each year fish poaching in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone costs the country around US$4 billion, illegal logging another US$4billion and sand mining, mostly in Riau province, US$8 billion.

Megawati underlined that these problems were more important than simply finding new revenue sources.

"It is wrong for us to divide the sea up between regencies as part of autonomy as it will threaten national unity," Megawati said.

The President said that better ways should be found to increase local revenues instead of parceling out maritime areas as between the country's regencies.

"The sea is what holds the country together and we have to keep it intact as a national asset," she underlined.

The government has stopped sand exports to Singapore and is trying to reach an agreement with Malaysia to end the purchase of illegal logs. At the same time, the Navy is intensifying its hunt for Thai fishing boats in Indonesian waters.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also stepping up negotiations with neighboring countries to end border disputes.

Indonesia still has border disputes with Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and East Timor. Last year, the country settled the demarcation of its maritime boundaries with Vietnam.

The foreign ministry is scheduled to hold a joint commission meeting with Malaysia on Feb. 11 to discuss these issues.