RI, Singapore to start more border talks

Lilian Budianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 09/01/2010 9:14 AM

Indonesia and Singapore will proceed with another round of border negotiations, after successful resolution of an earlier spat in the eastern Singapore Strait, said the countries’ foreign ministers.

Riau Islands

The success comes after four years of negotiations between Indonesia and Singapore— and at a time when Indonesia has been under pressure to push Malaysia to start long-awaited border negotiations.

Relations between Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur have frayed after the recent arrest of Indonesian officials by Malaysian police in disputed waters off Indonesia’s Riau Islands province.

At a joint press conference in Singapore, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said Jakarta and Singapore would begin the process of demarcating the border between Changi and Batam immediately.

That border is one of two sections of the two nations’ sea border that have not been settled.

“There is one more stretch, between Pedra Branca and Bintan, but that will have to be done later, after we have demarcated that part of the sea border with Malaysia,” Singaporean Foreign Minister George

Yeo said.

“So for the next stage, we will concentrate on the sea between Changi and Batam,” he added.

Marty visited Singapore Monday to meet with Yeo at a ceremony to exchange ratification documents on the border negotiations that had been concluded last year.

The border negotiations have hogged the spotlight in bilateral diplomatic relations, over worries that the city-state might use reclaimed shoreline as a basis for determining the border. Singapore has conducted booming coastal expansion since 1999, reclaiming land using sand imported from Indonesia, before Jakarta banned exports in 2003.

Singapore reportedly turned to Cambodia for sand for its reclamation projects.

During the meeting, both ministers agreed to regular informal meetings every six month to assess bilateral relations.

Marty said that both ministers should be able to keep in close contact to address problems that might rise more frequently due to the countries’ geographical proximity.

“I think this is something that both of us agreed to in our previous conversation: That we should make it more practical and more pragmatic to meet whenever a situation requires us to meet, so that we can always have an opportunity to engage and maintain good communications,” said Marty.

Indonesian and Malaysian relations have recently turned sour after demonstrations threatening attacks on Malaysian interests have continued across the archipelago. Angry crowds have said they were outraged by Malaysia’s arrest of Indonesian officials in the disputed waters, which some say has trampled on the dignity of Indonesia.

Indonesia and Malaysia have been involved in several standoffs, such as disputes on cultural heritage, the treatment of migrant workers and border claims.

Marty said the current row between Malaysia and Indonesia would not impact relations with Singapore or ASEAN relations, as Jakarta is set to chair the Southeast Asian regional group next year.

“Obviously we have our ways and means of dealing with whatever problems and challenges through normal diplomatic channels and it has not had any impact whatsoever with the bilateral ties we have, certainly, with Singapore,” said Marty.