Singapore, Indonesia ratify sea boundary treaty ... Malaysia yet to settle

Sep 1, 2010: SINGAPORE: Singapore and Indonesia ratified on Monday 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