From the territorial perspective, a continental shelf is our land extending to the sea. Hence, it is our right to utilize natural resources found within the continental shelfJakarta (ANTARA) - House member of the special committee for deliberation on the Continental Shelf Bill Romo HR Muhammad Syafi'i reiterated the urgency to pass the bill for optimizing utilization of Indonesia's marine and fishery resources.
"The House should pass the bill to optimize the utilization of our abundant natural resources, particularly undersea and marine resources," Syafi'i noted in his press statement here, Wednesday.
According to Syafi'I, Indonesia's current Law No. 1 of 1973 on Continental Shelf is based on the resolutions of the 1958 Geneva Convention not regulating underground and marine resource explorations that were not possible with technology existing at that time. Hence, the law on the continental shelf should be updated to reflect the present condition and technological advances, he noted.
"From the territorial perspective, a continental shelf is our land extending to the sea. Hence, it is our right to utilize natural resources found within the continental shelf," Syafi'i stated.
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Apart from optimizing the use of underground and undersea resources, the Continental Shelf Bill will offer a legal basis to protect Indonesia's strategic and outermost islands from foreign intrusions by adding provisions to reinforce security and defence forces.
"Our defence equipment is limited as compared to the neighboring countries that have a more advanced defence technology. Security forces in the outermost islands are instrumental in delineating our national border at sea," the DPR member noted.
He expressed hope that the government would be more heedful to Indonesia's outermost islands upon passing the continental shelf bill.
The bill will also regulate the regional government authority to harness natural resources and address relevant issues without being restricted by the central government command line, Syafi'i noted.
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Translator: M Razi Rahman, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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