On Sipadan and Ligitan

On Sipadan and Ligitan

The bad news has finally arrived, and concerned Indonesian
citizens must accept the fact. This is the second time that
Indonesia must "give up" her territory after the secession of
East Timor four years ago.

We cannot evaluate why Indonesia must give up the two islands,
because we do not have adequate information regarding the
islands' status. Some people say that the government of Indonesia
tends to ignore small islands that border neighboring
territories. This could be true, so as a starting point, let us
be more vigilant and not ignore islands that lie on our nation's
borders, including our land boundaries with East Timor, Malaysia
and Papua New Guinea.

Being an Indonesian citizen from West Timor, may I call upon
the government to take a close look at the detailed covenant on
the boundary between the eastern and western parts of Timor as
established by the former colonial governments of the Netherlands
and Portugal? The covenant was placed on the State Gazette, Year
1909, No. 214. Almost one hundred years has passed, and who knows
that unilateral trespasses had taken place.

Most likely, part of our territory spanning a number of
regencies sharing their borders with the Republic of Timor Leste
had been unilaterally inhabited by the citizens of East Timor.

CORNELIS A. BOCKY, Jakarta