RI must demarcate border with S'pore

JAKARTA: Indonesia needs to demarcate its border with Singapore as geographically the latter's expansion through reclamation work using sand from Indonesia does not provide any advantages for this country, an executive of the Indonesian Fishermen's Association (KPI) said on Wednesday.

KPI chairman Hanafi Rustandi said that Indonesia obtained no advantages from the export of sand to Singapore (now banned), except in the case of certain persons and companies that were involved in the sale of sea sand.

As a result of the expansion of its land area, Singapore would be able to claim Indonesian territory, he said, adding that the matter needed to be settled as soon as possible in a bid to avoid any future claims that would prejudice Indonesia.

Hanafi also raised the issue of Law No. 7/1973 on the Indonesia-Singapore maritime border in the Singapore strait.

He urged the government to stick to the agreement, which set out all the border coordinates, if Indonesia did not want to lose part of its maritime territory. --Antara