SINGAPORE, INDONESIA RATIFY SEA BOUNDARY TREATY

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- Singapore and Indonesia today ratified the
treaty between the two countries relating to the delimitation of the territorial
seas in the western part of the Strait of Singapore.

Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo and his Indonesian counterpart
Marty M. Natalegawa signed the exchange of the instruments of ratification at
the Foreign Affairs Ministry here.

In a statement here, the Indonesian Embassy said the territorial sea
boundary line between Indonesia and Singapore was determined on the basis of
international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, to which both countries were parties.

The territorial sea boundary line agreed in this treaty is the continuation
of the territorial sea boundary line as previously agreed upon in the treaty
signed by both sides on May 25, 1973.

It said the establishment of the line, from the archipelagic baseline at
Pulau Nipa up to Pulau Karimun Besar, in the western part would allow law
enforcement authorities and navigation officials from both sides to carry out
their duties more definitely in the strait.

The treaty would be the legal basis for officials of the two countries in
overseeing the security, safety of navigation, law enforcement and the
protection on their maritime zones under their existing national law, it added.

Indonesia and Singapore still need to settle their borders on the eastern
parts between Batam and Changi, and the area located between Bintan and South
Ledge, Middle Rock, and Batu Puteh which awaits further negotiation between
Singapore and Malaysia following the International Court of Justice ruling on
the matter in 2008.

Malaysia too has not settled its territorial sea boundary line with
Indonesia between Johor and Bintan/Batam on the eastern part of the Singapore
strait, which recently became an issue for the two governments after their
marine enforcement agencies came face to face with one another.
-- BERNAMA


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