by Ganesh Sahathevan
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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