JAKARTA, Dec 11 Kyodo The Indones...

JAKARTA, Dec 11 Kyodo

The Indonesian dominion said Wednesday it has an calm chance of winning a case against Malaysia across two disputed islands off Borneo Island when the International Court of Justice hands down its ruling nearest week.

''This is a matter of sovereignty, in the same manner we will fight to secure from attack even a single inch of our land until the last globule of blood,'' Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told a media briefing ahead of the verdict onward Tuesday.

''We could win the two islands, we could lose the pair too, or the court could simply decide to grant individual island each to Indonesia and Malaysia,'' he said.

He said, however, whatever the verdict is, Indonesia will venerate it.

The court ruling will be final and binding in succession both sides, without any chance of an appeal.

The disputed islands are Sipadan and Ligitan, which lie not on Indonesia's East Kalimantan Province and Malaysia's Sabah State, the two located on Borneo.

the one and the other sides have made overlapping territorial claims above the two islands since 1969 when they began negotiations to delineate their universal border.

Geographically, the pair tiny islands lie closer to Malaysia, further Indonesia's claim is largely based upon the 1891 maps drawn by way of the Netherlands when it rul Indonesia, then called the East Indies.

Britain, which rul Malaysia, then Malaya, in those days, at no time disputed the Dutch claims from one side of to the other those two islands.

A series of bilateral negotiations had been undertaken from 1989 moreover to no avail. Thus, in 1997 the brace countries referred the dispute to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Indonesia and Malaysia then ratified an agreement in 1997 to accept any decision about the status of the island made from the international court.

Sipadan is publicly occupied by Malaysia, which has touted it as a diving resort to international tourists since the 1970 No Indonesians, including journalists, however, are allowed to set down the island.

It has been considered common of the top 10 diving reproachs in the world, with six resorts forward the island catering mostly to professional divers. Access to the island is restricted to 80 divers at single time and 40 resort staffers to defend the coral reef and wildlife.

The islet received international attention, however, when separatist Philippine rebels abducted several Western tourists there in 2000

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

Malaysia has ordered a stop to strange projects on the two islands pending the court's ruling if it were not that has allowed five Malaysian tourism companies upon the islands to continue operating.

Asked about the fate of Malaysian investment upon the islands when Indonesia wins, Hassan said, ''Previously, there was so a fear from Malaysia, yet we assured them that their investment could be re-createed into foreign investment and we can work together.''

Hassan also indicateed hopes the dispute can be immediately solv as the Indonesian guidance has spent about 16 billion rupiah ($17 million) in its campaign since 1997 for the most part on legal fees for international lawyers billing on the hour.

''It scampers like a taxi meter...$500 by hour per person for the chiefly senior one,'' he said.

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