Sipadan, Ligitan lost; time to lick the wounds

Sipadan, Ligitan lost; time to lick the wounds

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia lost the long-standing battle with Malaysia over the
Sipadan and Ligitan islands when the International Court of
Justice awarded the islands in the Sulawesi Sea to Kuala Lumpur
on Tuesday.

Now is the time for Indonesia to tend to its wounds, as
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said, "Considering
the process of the tribunal, we hope the Indonesian people can
accept the decision prudently."

Ending the three-decade dispute and three-year trial process
at The Hague, the judges at the court, the highest judicial body
of the United Nations, voted 16-1 to award the two islands to
Malaysia.

In reaching this conclusion, the court considered the
administrative measures taken by British colonizers, who once
ruled Malaysia, over the two islands as strong reasons to award
the two to Malaysia.

Records on regulations of bird preservation in 1917, tax over
collecting turtle eggs in 1933 and lighthouse operations since
the 1960s were viewed as administrative proof of Malaysia's
authority over the disputed islands.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar welcomed the
decision, telling journalists in Kuala Lumpur, "Malaysia has
never doubted that the islands belonged to us."

"This will not affect our relations with Indonesia. We have
shown that we can settle disputes peacefully, as neighbors," he
was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse.

The Indonesian delegation at The Hague congratulated Malaysia
on its victory and Jakarta's ambassador to the Netherlands, Abdul
Irsan, said his country would respect the court's judgment.

"What we are trying to do is maintain stability, peace and
order in the region," Irsan told Reuters after the ruling.

This marked the first time two members of the Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) had agreed to bring a
territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice, which
boded well for the future, he added.

Indonesia, nevertheless, cannot hide its disappointment over
the decision as it ran contrary to the efforts of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.

"It is undeniable that we are disappointed, because the hard
work of past four administrations failed to achieve the result
that we expected," he said at the press conference.

Indonesia is still traumatized by the separation of the former
province of East Timor in 1999, and the expulsion of thousands of
illegal Indonesian workers from Malaysia last August remains
fresh in the minds of many Indonesians.

The decision may have a political impact on the administration
of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, as the loss of the two
islands occurred during her term in office.

Legislator Effendy Choirie from the National Awakening Party
said that the government should explain the loss of the two
islands to the people. Otherwise, people would blame Megawati for
the loss.

Fellow legislator Ibrahim Ambong from the Golkar Party and
chairman of the House of Representatives' Commission I on foreign
political affairs took a softer stance, saying that should the
people show any signs of disappointment, then the commission
would demand an explanation from the government.

Minister Hassan came to defend the current administration,
saying that the dispute over Sipadan and Ligitan was a legacy
from past administrations and had gone through a long process
that traversed the tenure of four presidents.

"It will be very unfair if the people judge the process only
at the end, and not from the beginning of the dispute," the
minister said.

Chronology of Sipadan-Ligitan dispute

1969: Territorial dispute over Sipadan and Ligitan emerges
when Indonesia and Malaysia open their first talks to delineate
common borders.

1989: The dispute is brought up again for serious discussion;
both countries agree to negotiate a peaceful settlement, with
heads of state President Soeharto and Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad resolving to settle the issue.

1996: Diplomacy fails, the two countries turn to international
arbitration via the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

1998: Court proceedings commence.

2002: ICJ rules in favor of Malaysia.