Indonesian ownership of 92 outermost islands not yet fully secured

Antara 18 Jan 10;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s ownership of 92 outermost islands has yet to be fully secured, expert in international politics and international relations lecturer of Parahiyangan University Dr Andreas H Pareira said in Jakarta over the weekend.

He was responding to a statement made by the foreign ministry in Jakarta that the 92 outermost islands are completely safe from the claim of other countries, as the Indonesian ownership is guaranteed under international law.

"The safety from foreign claims on the basis of international law is merely a first stage guarantee, not yet a full guarantee," the former House Commission I member said.

In past experience, he said, other countries had different interpretations of international law, which could also happen in the future.

"This can always lead to overlapping claims. We therefore need to be constantly alert and never always rely on international law, our international law experts need to be aggressive in fighting for Indonesia`s ownership of its outermost islands," he pointed out. (*)

Many RI boundaries still without coordinates
Antara 19 Jan 10;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Member of House Commission I Fayakhun Andriadi had once again criticized Law Nomor 43 of 2008 on state boundaries without border coordinates, which had often confused security guards at the boundaries.

"This is a serious shortcoming of the law, and we from Commission I had been urging the government to make a revision of the law, to make things easier for security guards to carry out their duties in the border regions, " he said in Jakarta Monday.

He made the statement in response to information that the President will soon issue a decree establishina a special body which would manage the development of border regions.(*)