PULAU PASIR (ASHMORE REEF) BELONGS TO INDONESIA

Pulau Pasir (Ashmore Reef) Belongs to Indonesia:

Timor Gap Teamwork Chairman;

Received from Joyo Indonesia News

KUPANG, E Nusa Tenggara, Jan 6 Asia P

ulse/Antara - Chairman of Timor Gap Teamwork Ferdi Tanoni has insisted that Pulau Pasir ( Ashmore Reef), 60 miles south of Rote island, belongs to Indonesia. Tanoni 

made the statement written by the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry's political and security official, Donnilo Anwar, at a press briefing at the weekend. He said the fact that the island was handed over to Australia by the United Kingdom in 1878 was something unreliable. In the press briefing, Donnilo, accompanied by Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa, said Ashmore Reef (Pulau Pasir)  had been dominated by the United Kingdom until it was handed over to Australia in 1878.

"The question is that which source of history did the foreign ministry official find the 

information about the status of Ashmore Reef," Tanoni asked.

Tanoni said the Timor Gap Teamwork and West Timor Care Foundation [YPTB] had 

reliable evidence indicating that Ashmore Reef, located 60 miles south of Indonesia's Rote island and 500 miles west of Darwin, belongs to Indonesia.

"Thus, the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry has no reason to recklessly give the 

island up to Australia," Tanoni said. According to Australian literature, the Australians discovered Ashmore Reef in  1826 and in 1855 Australia conducted research on the island where they later built a satellite city. According to Tanoni, the United Kingdom handed over the Ashmore Reef  (Pulau Pasir) administration to Australia in 1933.

Quoting Dr Damian Kingbury, a senior lecturer of International Relations Development at Deakin University in Melbourne, Tanoni said Australia started controlling the 

island in 1931. Meanwhile, the traditional history of Rote islanders from generation to generation proved that Ashmore Reef, originally known as "Pulau Pasir" (Sand Island) is part of Indonesian territory, Tanoni said.

The traditional history suggested that Ashmore Reef, consisting of three small 

islands, was for the first time discovered by Rotemen of the Dato family in 1700.

"

That is why following the discovery the three islands were named after Dato I, Dato II and Dato III. That is the historical fact that nobody can deny," Tanoni said. He said

Rote island's forerunners had long roamed the three tiny islands before the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 1974 between Indonesia and Australia to allow 

Indonesian fishermen to fish there.

"Based on these historical facts, Indonesia has the right to the island but because of our weak diplomacy in the international forum, we handed it over to Australia through the Exclusive Economic Zone [EEZ] agreement on March 1977," Tanoni lamented. 

"We will continue to urge Jakarta to discuss again the status of Pulau Pasir (Ashmore Reef) with Canberra," he added.Tanoni said the inconsiderate submission of Pulau Pasir (Ashmore Reef) to Australia without any diplomatic strive in the international forum would adversely affect the people of East Nusa Tenggara.(Internet)

Penulis : Drs.Simon Arnold Julian Jacob

23 Maret 2003  8:48:00