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Navy Chief of Staff Acknowledges Ashmore Reef Belongs to Australia
Friday, 25 November, 2005 | 09:09 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara:: Admiral Slamet Soebijanto, Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff, has stated that Ashmore Reef off the southern part of Rote island, Rote Ndao Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, belongs to Australia.

Ever since Australia became a British colony, Soebijanto explained, Ashmore reef has been included within British territories and was handed over to Australia at the same time that it was formally established as a country.

The Navy Chief of Staff made this statement in response to questions posed by reporters about protests from several NGO activists who consider that this island historically belonged to the people of West Timor.

“Although Ashmore reef legally belongs to Australia, in fact our traditional fishermen are still allowed to carry out their fishing activities in the reef area.

But this does not mean that the island belongs to Indonesia,: said Soebijanto in Kupang on Thursday (24/11).

Ferdi Tanoni, director of the West Timor Care Foundation (Yayasan Peduli Timor Barat), said that the Navy Chief of Staff should not have issued a one-side statement like this before he conducted a study on the background of the reef’s ownership.

“For what reason did the Navy chief of staff acknowledge that Ashmore reef belongs to Australia? History shows that the island actually belongs to Indonesia,” stated Tanoni.

He stated he would continue putting pressure on Australia so that it returns Ashmore reef to Indonesia.

Tanoni also urged the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Department to immediately coordinate with Australia and East Timor in order to ratify several MoUs made earlier, including discussing the possession of Ashmore reef with Australia.
(Jems de Fortuna-Tempo News Room)