By: Iboy Sandi)*
Jakarta – CIDISS. As a maritime nation Indonesia has a very wide territorial waters. On the one hand by having a comprehensive territorial waters have a positive impact as potential big sea from the sectors of fisheries and other natural resources such as petroleum and natural gas that is widely available in Indonesian waters. But on the other hand can also have a negative impact if not managed well, such as the number of “holes” in the defense of Indonesian maritime border areas, or driveways from other countries into the territorial waters of Indonesia border.
One of the maritime border regions in Indonesia, namely in Alor regency, East Nusa Tenggara province. Indonesia has three (3) border areas that require location delitimation maritime border with the Democratic State of Timor Leste (East Timor). All three locations are the potential problems that the Ombai Strait, Wetar Strait and the Timor Sea.
Its maritime boundaries include the Continental Shelf Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). So far, the completion of the Indonesian maritime boundary with the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, both the Territorial Sea Limit, Limit Continent, as well as limit the EEZ still have to wait for the completion of land border between the two countries. Given the current new land boundary which resolved 90 percent, then negotiate a maritime boundary can not be started. This is because basically the continuation of a maritime boundary is the land border.
Such conditions, namely the unclear boundary between the maritime areas of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) with RDTL impact on the marine territorial claims by neighboring countries. Where the border between Indonesia and Timor-Leste still not agreed up, especially in the maritime zone to cause potential losses in economic sectors that illegal fishing and others such as the potential of natural resources such as oil and gas, especially in the area of maritime borders. Not to mention that from the perspective of national defense and security, where the perspectives of the state border of the fence at the front inhibiting the influx of cross-border activity that could threaten the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.
Therefore, settling the boundary, especially in the maritime area is indispensable immediately, to avoid any damages and threats to the security and sovereignty of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.
)* The author is CIDISS contributor Jakarta region
