I see a lot of manipulations by the negotiators in defining certain seabed and continental shelf boundaries as well as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which are more in favor of Australia, and therefore needs to be canceled.
Kupang, E.Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - The agreements on the border between the waters of Indonesia and Australia in the Timor Sea, signed in 1973 and 1997, needs to be canceled because it did not match the existing geological and geo-morphological data, a Timor Sea observer, Ferdi Tanoni, said here Monday.

"I see a lot of manipulations by the negotiators in defining certain seabed and continental shelf boundaries as well as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which are more in favor of Australia, and therefore needs to be canceled," he added.

He suggested this response to the arrogance of Australian Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson who gave approval to the Timor Sea PTTEP Australasia polluters to conduct oil and gas drilling activities in Bonaparte Basin, off the Kimberley coast of Western Australia, without the slightest feeling of guilt and responsibility towards Indonesia .

Tanoni who is also Chairman of West Timor Care Foundation (YPTB) said, the agreement on certain seabed boundaries and EEZ which was agreed in 1997 had never been ratified by the parliaments of both countries.

Surprisingly, the author of "Scandal of Timor Sea, A Political Economy Barter of Canberra-Jakarta" said, Australia has used the treaty to claim the territorial waters as its own including the oil and gas wealth contained therein.

He emphasized, the Montara oil spill almighty lasted for more than 70 days off the coast of Western Australia and pollute the waters of Indonesia in Timor Sea, has brought misery to hundreds of thousands of people in West Timor, Rote Ndao, Sabu, Alor, Lembata, East Flores and Sumba.

According to him, everything that happens due to PTTEP Australasia and Australian government errors, which until now has tried to escape from its responsibility for oil pollution in Timor Sea.

The former Australian embassy immigration agent called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and all the national components to act decisively and stop the Australian government measures that have controlled Timor Sea which is very rich and is directly or indirectly has also been colonizing the Indonesia people in East Nusa Tenggara province.

Tanoni said, YPTB and alliances as well as its networks are adequately considered either to cancel the entire agreement between Indonesia and Australia through the Indonesian Constitutional Court.

"We have enough accurate and strong evidence and data for the Constitutional Court to cancel the entire agreement between Indonesia and Australia in the Timor Sea," he said.

However, the question is whether the Constitutional Court has the authority to handle this case and whether the agency is bold enough to hold a trial and decide the case as fairly as possible in accordance with the facts and data contained, he noted.

(KR-LWA)

Editor: Ella Syafputri
Copyright © ANTARA 2011