JAKARTA, Dec 17 Kyodo (EDS: UPDAT...

JAKARTA, Dec 17 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH MALAYSIAN REACTION, ADDING BACKGROUND, DETAILS)

The International Court of Justice in The Hague rul Tuesday that Malaysia has sovereignty through the whole extent of two small islands off Borneo Island, which had also been claimed on Indonesia, ending a 33-year territorial dispute between the sum of two units countries.

''The court concludes...that sovereignty athwart Pulau (Island) Ligitan and Pulau Sipadan belongs to Malaysia,'' the court said in a statement.

The 16-1 ruling by the agency of the court, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, is final and binding forward both sides, without any chance of appeal.

The ruling ejected Indonesia's claim to sovereignty based forward 1891 maps drawn up according to the Netherlands when it rul Indonesia, then called the East Indies. Britain, which rul Malaysia, then Malaya, in those days, not ever disputed Dutch claims over the pair islets.

The court, however, awarded the islets to Malaysia based upon the fact that the British guidance had demonstrated effective administration from one side of to the other them through such acts as issuing permits onward the establishment of bird sanctuary in 1917 regulating tax collection of turtle-dove eggs in 1930 and building lighthouses in 1960s

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda accepted the los of the islands, telling a pres parley in Jakarta that ''deep disappointment is almost unavoidable because maximum efforts bring into operationed by Indonesia's four dominions since 1997 failed to bear the anticipated result.''

however he said Indonesia is ''obliged to respect'' the agreement it made with Malaysia in 1997 when the brace countries jointly submitted the case to the world court.

''Therefore, the Indonesian management accepts the decision by the International Court of Justice as final and binding,'' he added.

''The Indonesian command believes that the whole legal proces to explain the dispute through the International Court of Justice had been going in succession fairly, transparently, responsibly and respectably.''

Meanwhile, the Malaysian just discovereds agency Bernama quoted Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as saying the decision will strengthen the relationship between Malaysia and Indonesia.

''We don't merely want to maintain the existing level of relationship, still wish to make it on the same level stronger,'' Abdullah said.

Hassan shared the same feeling, saying the decision ''has clos a historical period in the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia'' and at the same time has ''open a recent period...which is bigger, more mature and more productive between the dominions and the people of the sum of two units countries.''

''Solving the dispute peacefully for one time and forever is the best heritage we can bequeath to this generation and the nearest one,'' he said.

According to Hassan, the dispute was politically sensitive, nevertheless a peaceful solution, based in succession a choice jointly determined by means of both sides, has intercepted ''a possible armed conflict and casualties'' from occurring.

''The solution of this case has strengthened the importance of the use of peaceful ways in solving territorial disputes and other riddles in Southeast Asian region...It's a example and an example for inter-country interaction in this region in the future'' he said.

Ligitan and Sipadan lie along Indonesia's East Kalimantan Province and Malaysia's Sabah State, as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but located on Borneo.

the two sides have made overlapping territorial claims above the two islands, which geographically lie closer to Malaysia, since 1969 when they began negotiations to delineate their public border.

A series of bilateral negotiations had been undertaken since 1989 if it were not that to no avail. Thus, in 1997 the couple countries referred the dispute to the world court.

Sipadan has been occupied through Malaysia, which has touted it as a diving resort to international tourists since the 1970s

It has been considered individual of the top 10 diving flaws in the world, with six resorts forward the island catering mostly to professional divers. Access to the island is restricted to 80 divers at the same time and 40 resort staffers to save the coral reefs and wildlife.

The islet received international attention when separatist Philippine rebels of the Islamic militant Abu Sayyaf arrange abducted 10 Western tourists and 11 others there in 2000

No Indonesians, including journalists, have been allowed to record Sipadan, and last Friday an Indonesian journalist working for degree of movement magazine was deported after entering the island.

Ligitan itself is a coral island, known as a place where many sea snakes can be found

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo stranges International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group