MPR changes definitions of territorial borders
MPR changes definitions of territorial borders
JAKARTA (JP): Upon hearing expert advice, members of the
People Consultative Assembly's (MPR) Commission A made a last-
minute change to a constitutional amendment, which initially
defined Indonesia's territorial borders using map coordinates.
During the last day of hearings, the commission charged with
drafting constitutional amendments decided to scrap their initial
definitions proposed in an article on state territory.
The article initially defined Indonesia as lying between 92
degrees and 141 degrees east longitude, seven degrees 20 minutes
and 14 degrees south latitude.
Such a coordinate would result in Indonesia being confined to
a limited "box", which also incorporates neighboring countries
such as Malaysia and the Philippines.
It was only after a hearing with several experts that the
oversight was corrected.
"We finally agreed to change the article draft. We will not
mention any coordinates because it would have too much negative
impact on the country, especially on foreign affairs," Commission
A deputy chairman Ali Masykur Musa said on Monday.
He said the article would now contain a more general
definition of Indonesia as a united state using an archipelagic
concept that includes land, air and sea along with those beneath
sea level, including all the natural resources within.
Among the experts called in to brief the Assembly members was
diplomat and maritime expert Hasyim Djalal along with members of
the Coordinating Body for Survey and National Charting
Development Board.
Hasyim Djalal warned that defining Indonesia's territory using
the proposed coordinates might cause a strong outcry from
neighboring countries as it could imply Indonesia was trying to
claim their territory.
"Not everything beyond the mentioned coordinates can be
categorized as Indonesian territory because there are several
neighboring countries, and that will bring uneasiness to the
diplomatic relationship," he said.
Hasyim also told The Jakarta Post that the initial draft would
be in violation of the International Sea Convention.
"The international community has already approved Indonesia
having 12 miles from the most outer point of the Indonesian
archipelago and 200 miles of the exclusive economic zone," Hasyim
added. (dja)