World court to rule on RI-Malaysia territorial dispute over isles

World court to rule on RI-Malaysia territorial dispute over isles

Agence France-Presse
The Hague

The world court in The Hague announced on Thursday that it will
issue a ruling on Dec. 17 on a territorial dispute between
Indonesia and Malaysia over two resource-rich islands in the
Sulawesi sea.

This is the first Southeast Asian territorial dispute to go to
the ICJ, the supreme legal body of the United Nations.

Pulau Ligitan and Pulau Sipidan, small islands off Malaysia's
eastern Sabah state that are known as a diver's paradise, are
claimed by Indonesia and Malaysia which cover their their oil and
natural gas reserves.

Pulau Sipadan drew international attention in April 2000 after
a band of Muslim rebels -- the Abu Sayyaf gang from neighboring
Philippines -- raided the island and kidnapped 21 Malaysians and
foreigners.

The dispute between Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur over the isles
dates back to 1969 when the two countries, unable to agree on the
boundaries, decided to maintain the status quo temporarily.

They signed an accord in May 1997, handing the International
Court of Justice (ICJ) responsibility for resolving the dispute
"in the spirit of friendly relations," adding that they would
accept the court's decision as "final and binding upon them".

In June of this year both Indonesia and Malaysia presented the
basis for their historical claim on the island in several days of
public hearings.

Both countries named treaties signed by their former colonial
powers, Britain for Malaysia and the Netherlands for Indonesia,
in the late 19th and early 20th century to show their
sovereignty.

The judgement will be read out by judge Gilbert Guillaume, the
president of the court. There is no appeal mecanism for rulings
by the ICJ.