RI To Remain Involved In Determining Timor Sea Maritime Boundary

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Dec 9 (Antara) - Indonesia will remain involved in the determination of the maritime boundary at the Timor Sea between Timor Leste and Australia, stated international law observer Wilhelmus Wetan Songa, here on Monday. A lecturer from the Nusa Cendana University (Undana) Faculty of Law, he stated that Timor Leste is suing Australia in the International Court of Justice in The Hague for issues concerning the maritime border between the two countries at the Timor Sea. "Indonesia cannot be left behind in the determination of the maritime boundary on the Timor Sea between Timor Leste and Australia because Indonesian maritime territory lies directly adjacent to both countries," explained Wilhelmus, responding to the lawsuit by Timor Leste against Australia over the maritime boundary. He noted that friendly relations between Timor Leste and Australia had ceased to exist after Australia had spied on the ministers of the new country and the Australian Intelligence Agency (ASIO) had raided the Canberra office of Timor Leste`s lawyer Bernard Collaery, last Monday. Wilhelmus, however, said that the legal measures taken by Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao to sue Australia in the International Court of Justice did not mean that Indonesia`s position in the determination of the maritime boundary will be ignored. "Indonesia, particularly the people of West Timor as part of East Nusa Tenggara, has similar interest over the Timor Sea, and therefore, Timor Leste and Australia cannot act individually in the determination process of the maritime boundary," he asserted. In connection with that, Wilhelmus also added that the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry should take steps to determine whether the lawsuit filed by Xanana Gusmao was finally granted by the International Court of Justice to establish a permanent maritime boundary on the Timor Sea. He noted that since Timor Leste had been declared independent through a United Nations sponsored referendum in August 1999, Jakarta should have taken steps to discuss the issue of the maritime boundary on the Timor Sea trilaterally with Australia and Timor Leste.