Southeast Asia

This case is by no mean similar 2002's Sipadan-Ligitan Island where 16 out 17 judges from International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded Sipadan-Ligitan from Indonesia to Malaysia on a basis of 'effective occupation' (see paragraph 6).

In theory, Malaysia 'owns' Ambalat (which is subject to a territorial dispute between Indonesia) with the publication of a map by Malaysia in 1979. The map shows that the area within its Malaysia territorial waters and continental shelf but Indonesia has profusely objected to the map. However, the map used to claim Ambalat by Malaysia has not yet deposited to the UN Secretary General.

Ambalat is the sea block of the Celebes Sea beween Indonesian province of East Kalimantan and south-east of the Malaysian state of Sabah. This whole region is formerly known as Borneo. Located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin Ambalat is located in the same maritime zone (overlapping claim) near the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world called Sipadan. More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem.

The absence of territorial sea boundary between Indonesia and Malaysia, consequently, leaves an uncertainty regarding the sovereignty over the territorial sea (water column). Meaning Indonesia still can claim Ambalat due to the fact Malaysia has agreed a seabed boundary but have not yet agreed a boundary for the water column. Since the independence era, Malaysia has been the successor of Britain and Indonesia has been continuing the Netherlands' regime.

In defining their boundary, especially land boundary, both countries have to refer to the 1891 Convention agreed by The Great Britain and the Netherlands. Indonesia has yet finished none of the ten potential maritime boundaries with neighboring states/ the neighboring states are Australia, Malaysia, Philippine, Singapore, Palau, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor. Gosong Niger is part of the seabed that is divided by the boundary line where two third of the seabed fall within the Indonesian side. With regard to this, the ownership of the sandbar is considerably clear. As there is a precise line, it should have been clear who own which seabed. However, Indonesia has never officially announced the exact locations of its maritime territorial limits. Consequently, the Malaysian navy had chased Indonesian fishermen out of Ambalat while Indonesia further accused Malaysia of 35 violations of disputed territory.

Malaysia has been actively established a permanent tourism service around the area and provide facilities for diving, swimming, and other aqua-tourism . Ambalat, the 15235-sq-km is also rich in oil and gas reserves which could be exploited for 30 years. In that case, the 'effective occupation' above (Effectivités) is a relevant consideration to decide the sovereignty over it. Sipadan- Ligitan a new Malaysia's territory and new Archipelagic (containing a large number of scattered islands) baseline and this could theoretically put Indonesia in a worse position to claim Ambalat. Moreover, it is worth noting that the ICJ's decision to grant Sipadan and Ligitan to Malaysia may change the configuration of Malaysia's baselines.

Malaysia will not refer the dispute with Indonesia over Ambalat to the International Court of Justice in the Hague, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in early June 2009. Instead, he said the matter should be resolved through the existing brotherly diplomatic channels between Indonesia. Since such case is very sensitive, with regards to Ambalat case, people from both countries have to really understand the problem in terms of georgraphy, history and law.

Burma (also known as Myanmar) is ruled by a murderous and merciless military regime. Senior General Than Shwe is the current head of state, with his other co-generals, all of them are members of the so-called State Peace and Development Council.

The controlling regime has been criticized for a great number of human rights violations. Shwe's army has destroyed 3,000 villages across the country, launched a terrible campaign against the Muslim minorities in Burma, forcing an estimated 250,000 people to flee to neighbouring country Bangladesh as refugees and recruiting over 70,000 child soldiers at gunpoint. His daughter, Thandar Shwe's wedding, was so extravagant that some of the wedding gifts given to her cost a shocking $50,000,000! The video of the wedding, I think, was smuggled out of Burma and uploaded on Youtube.com, or maybe it was uploaded secretly in Burma...

His army, the Tatmadaw, is now nearly half-a-million strong and uses rape as a weapon against the ethnic minorities in Burma.

There are over 1,000,000 internally displaced people throughout the country, these people have been forced to choose between slavery or to flee to the jungle...many chose to flee into the jungle and are now struggling to survive.

He has continously told the Burmese that his government is following the road to democracy, but the road to democracy that he is talking about is just the road to nowhere and more repression.

Shwe is the one and only man who is greatly HATED by the Burmese people, whatever he does, and if he even says that he is leading the Burmese nation and people to prosperity, he's not.

Yes it does have a mean bad dictator

Rhiannon