28/09/2009
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the world was faced with a new meaning of borders. Arguably, the fall of the Berlin Wall appeared to tell us that borders were no longer required.
For the first time, the expression “borderless world” was used. It was also supported by similar ideas such as globalization, free trade, etc.
Our world seems to be borderless, where the exchange of goods and services is much easier than before. Does it mean that borders are no longer important?
On the other hand, tensions between Indonesia and Malaysia often build up due to border issues. The infamous Ambalat case is a good example of this. The pending of maritime boundaries off Sulawesi is, among other reasons, why the case emerged.
Similarly, disputes between Thailand and Cambodia in relation to the ancient Preah Vihear Temple located in their border area have been in the news for quite a while. It seems that negotiations between the two neighbors have not worked out very well.
In Europe, Croatia’s bid to join the European Union had been continuously blocked by Slovenia, also because of a border dispute (New York Times, July 27, 2009). Slovenia was not happy with having Croatia on board, because the two neighbors had yet to settle their land and maritime boundaries.
Only after the two neighbors reached an agreement concerning their maritime boundary, did Slovenia withdraw its objection (Croatian Times, Sept. 11, 2009).
While it is true that in some ways borders have lost some of their traditional functions, it is worth noting that borders remain relevant. Arguably, the expression “borderless world” does not seem to be fully grounded.
Two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, borders are still an important issue and arguably their relevance seems to be increasing, to an extent. Moreover, borders still dictate and can be a source of tension in the relations of mankind.
In a smaller scope, border disputes do happen. Dispute over the ownership of Mount Kelud, between the regencies of Kediri and Blitar in East Java, colored our newspapers at the end of 2008. Similarly, in August 2009, tension built between the regencies of Bantul and Sleman in Yogyakarta (kompas.com, Aug. 25, 2009).
The two neighbors each claimed to be the rightful owner of Tambakbayan and Tambakkraman villages located in their border area. At the time of writing, the case has yet to be solved.
When international issues, such as Ambalat, were building, some opined that territorial disputes between districts should not be regarded as a big deal.
Some added that Indonesia should focus on the international case and be more prepared to face Malaysia, and not be trapped in a petty domestic dispute.
The above opinion might be sufficiently grounded, but it does not mean that district/regional borders can be ignored. In a different geographical scope, regional borders are indeed very important.
In the autonomous era for Indonesia, the general allocation fund (DAU), for instance, is distributed by considering the area/size of regions.
How are we going to define an accurate area without properly settled borders? This might be the reason why Sleman and Bantul are very serious about dealing with their border dispute.
The matter of regional boundaries in Indonesia is governed by Law No. 32/2004 on Regional Governments.
Technical guidelines on regional boundary settlement have also been issued by the Home Ministry through Regulation No. 1/2006.
This regulation consists of detailed procedures on boundary delimitation (on maps) and boundary demarcation (in the field) for both land and maritime boundaries.
Technically, boundary delimitation and demarcation involve surveys and mapping. Two points to be taken into account are the types of boundaries to be used (natural of artificial) and the technology/equipment in relation to precision and accuracy requirements. In addition, social aspects cannot be ignored, crucially the participation of the community residing in the border area.
Border definition is in fact multidimensional. In an area where dispute over ownership is yet to be settled, one cannot just come, survey and map the border. Disputes need to be resolved beforehand.
In this case, legal and historical aspects do matter, as well as social, political and economic aspects.
At the end, borders should ideally provide us with safety and security, which in turn contribute to people’s prosperity.
Accordingly, border issues cannot be merely the domain of one discipline. It is a multidisciplinary issue.
Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, when people were first were introduced to the expression “borderless world”, the world is still struggling with border disputes. Even though interaction among people around the world is much easier these days, borders possess no less importance. We are now witnessing the re-emergence of the significance of borders.
Borders are important, not to exclude one from others, but to build respect for one’s right and obligations in relation to territory and jurisdiction. In addition to government and the private sector, this issue should be a domain where academics play an important and positive role.
Multidisciplinary studies on borders, which are not dictated by borders among disciplines, are important.
The writer is a lecturer at Gadjah Mada University’s Department of Geodetic Engineering. He is currently an Australian Leadership Award scholar (PhD candidate) at the University of Wollongong, This views expressed are his own.
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