Wednesday, February 15, 2023

The Australia-Indonesia border remains in dispute and Indonesia can rely on The Voice referendum to win its case - Indonesia can ignore the colonial era border once Australia recognises "First Nations" sovereignty, and there will be Indonesian natives who can claim to be Australian Aboriginals or Torres Straits islanders.

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 


    Source:  Renegotiating the Indonesia-Australia Maritime Boundary Agreement?
        24 APR 2018 By Dr I Made Andi Arsana


IThe Indonesia-Australia border remains in dispute and Indonesia has shown that it intends expanding its border at every opportunity.    The border as it stands was inherited from their respective colonial founders  pursuant to the principle of uti possidetis .  The Indonesian Government is happy to accept that it was created by the Dutch, who conquered and consolidated the island chain that stretches from the Indian Ocean to the Sulu Sea, but Australia on the hand is currently considering a constitutional amendment that is intended to consolidate the claims of hundreds perhaps thousands of small Aboriginal tribes  over the Commonwealth Of Australia. 

This recognition, if formalised  by a constitutional amendment, has the potential to undermine Australia's border for if the Australian Government does not recognise its creation by the United Kingdom, then there is no need for any other country to do so.   

Additionally, if rights in Australia are to be determined by membership of some undefined "First Nations" then there may well be  persons in Indonesia that can claim Aboriginal and First Nations heritage. It will be remiss of the  Indonesian Government to not take advantage of that likelihood to expand its borders. 

The Indonesians can be expected to have already investigated  the claims that Makassans may have to Arnhem Land. The Australians on the other hand, led by their new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, do no appear to have even considered the issue.


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