(ANTARA News) – Kasus perbatasan bukan barang baru bagi Indonesia. Berlokasi di antara dua benua dan dua samudra menjadikan posisi Indonesia sangat strategis sekaligus rawan di tengah lalu lintas dunia.

Karena posisi geografisnya, Indonesia berbatasan dengan sepuluh negara: India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapura, Vietnam, Filipina, Palau, Papua Nugini, Australia dan Timor Leste. Isu seputar perbatasan sepertinya tak pernah sepi dari pemberitaan.

Di awal tahun 2005, negeri ini gempar oleh kasus Ambalat. Ketegangan tidak saja tercermin dari pemberitaan media tetapi juga dari reaksi masyarakat. Ada yang mendaftaran diri siap berperang, ada yang membubuhkan tanda tangan darah, ada pula yang meneriakkan “Ganyang Malaysia”. Foto artis cantik Siti Nurhaliza yang tak berdosa juga kena getahnya, dibakar dalam berbagai demonstrasi masa. Kala itu, sengketa antara Indonesia dan Malaysia perihal kepemilikan Ambalat mencuat tinggi. Setelah empat tahun lebih peristiwa itu berlalu, bangsa ini dikejutkan lagi oleh kata yang sama “Ambalat”.

Ilustrasi Ambalat di Laut Sulawesi

Silakan baca selengkapnya di sini.

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The deadline has past for many coastal States in their race to secure a larger continental shelf (seabed). May 13, 2009 was the deadline for many States to submit information concerning the outer limits of their continental shelf to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in New York.

By submitting the information, coastal States have the opportunity to secure rights to the seabed beyond 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from their baseline (coast line), pursuant to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (Law of the Sea Convention, LOSC). For the many States that ratified the LOSC before May 13, 1999, (including Indonesia) the deadline was May 13, 2009. Meanwhile, other States, which ratified the LOSC after May 13, 1999, have 10 years after ratification.

On 8 May 2009, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka submitted to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, in accordance with Article 76, paragraph 8, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, information on the limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

It is noted that the Convention entered into force for Sri Lanka on 16 November 1994.

On 8 May 2009, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka submitted to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, in accordance with Article 76, paragraph 8, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, information on the limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

It is noted that the Convention entered into force for Sri Lanka on 16 November 1994.

On 8 May 2009, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire submitted to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, in accordance with Article 76, paragraph 8, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, information on the limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

It is noted that the Convention entered into force for Côte d’Ivoire on 16 November 1994.

On 8 May 2009, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire submitted to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, in accordance with Article 76, paragraph 8, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, information on the limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

It is noted that the Convention entered into force for Côte d’Ivoire on 16 November 1994.