Obstacles to the enforcement of sovereignty in the land border area of the Unitary State of Republic Indonesia (NKRI) with the Republic Democratic Timor Leste (RDTL)
Abstract:
Purpose: This study examines the enforcement of Indonesia’s territorial sovereignty in North Insana District, North Central Timor Regency, and Oecusse District, Democratic Republic of Timor Leste (RDTL). After Timor Leste’s secession in 1999 through a UN-supervised referendum, the new state faced the challenge of delineating borders with neighboring countries, especially Indonesia, to consolidate sovereignty and avoid disputes.
Method: A dual-method approach was employed: library research—covering books, treaties, seminar proceedings, correspondence, and online resources—and empirical fieldwork in the border region.
Results: The findings reveal two key issues in the RI–RDTL border area, particularly in North Insana. First, unresolved boundaries foster illegal cross-border activities by communities who feel excluded from development and rely on neighboring states for daily needs. Second, development gaps in the border region, illustrated by micro-level traffic in Haumusu Wini Village, underscore the need for a more inclusive strategy. Sovereignty challenges stem from limited resources, poor infrastructure, restricted accessibility, and insufficient funding.
Conclusions: The study concludes that Indonesia’s sovereignty along the RDTL border remains constrained by resource scarcity and unresolved territorial demarcation, necessitating stronger bilateral cooperation.
Limitations: The main limitations are time constraints and the distance of the research site, which restrict broader observation.
Contributions: The research emphasizes the importance of effective border management to safeguard territorial sovereignty and strengthen comprehensive state protection.
Downloads
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Boer, M. (2005). Hukum Internasional (Pengertian, Peranan Dan Fungsi Dalam Era Dinamika Global, Edisi ke-2). PT Alumni, Bandung. hal, 304.
Croissant, A. (2022). Timor-Leste: Challenges of Creating a Democratic and Effective State. In A. Croissant (Ed.), Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia: An Introduction to Governments and Political Regimes (pp. 361-399). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Gussen, B. F. (2024). Ratio Evolutionis: The Interiority of Self-Determination to the Intertemporal Rule. Transnat'l L. & Contemp. Probs., 34, 1.
Hadiwijoyo, S. S. (2011). Perbatasan negara dalam dimensi hukum internasional.
Harahap, J. (2018). Border Area and National Security Issues. Central European Journal of International & Security Studies, 12(4).
Indra, M. (2013). Urgensi Pengelolaan Wilayah Perbatasan dalam Kaitannya dengan Kedaulatan Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia. Jurnal Selat, 13-18.
Kase, D. A. (2020). Wilayah Perbatasan Negara dalam Perspektif Hukum Internasional. Jurnal Hukum Proyuris, 2(1), 168-183.
Kase, D. A. (2020). Wilayah Perbatasan Negara dalam Perspektif Hukum Internasional. Jurnal Hukum Proyuris 2.1, 168-183.
Krogh, J. S. (Producer). (2018). Jan S. Krogh's Geosite: Enclaves and Exclaves. Retrieved from http://geosite.jankrogh.com/exclaves.htm
Kurnia, M. P. (2006). Upaya Penanganan Permasalahan Perbatasan Maritim Republik Indonesia. Risalah Hukum, 53-62.
Kusumaatmadja, M. (2021). Pengantar hukum internasional. Bandung: Alumni.
MK, S. J. (Producer). (2008). Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 1945.
Munhanif, A. (2020). Democratization and The Politics of Conflict Resolution in Indonesia: Institutional Analysis of East Timor Referendum in 1999. Paper presented at the ICSPS 2019: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Social and Political Sciences, ICSPS 2019, 12th November 2019, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Muni, J. (2018). Decentralization Of State Border Governance: Relevance Of Decentralization And Synergy Of Border Governance (Case Study: Oecusse-Timor Lester-North Central Timor/Kupang Land Border-NTT-Indonesia. Paper presented at the 2018 Annual Conference of Asian Association for Public Administration:" Reinventing Public Administration in a Globalized World: A Non-Western Perspective"(AAPA 2018).
Parameshwara, P. (2023). Legal implications of placement illegal Indonesian migrants. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic and Practice Studies, 1(3), 241-248. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jomaps.v1i3.1580
Primus, L., DAENG, E., FALLO, A. R., RIHI, D. W., Andreas, P., ROHI, B. L., & TUTHAES, L. C. (2024). Community Perceptions in the Border Areas Regarding the Main Points of Agreement Concerning Final Completion of The Land Border Between Ri-Rdtl (Case Study in Haumeniana Village, District Bikomi Nilulat North Central Timor District). Journal of Governance, Taxation and Auditing, 2(4), 281-290. doi:https://doi.org/10.38142/jogta.v2i4.1061
Rato, D. (2019). Legal Conflicts in the Border Dispute between Indonesia and Timor Leste. Lentera Hukum, 6, 353. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.29303/ius.v8i3.800
Rato, D., & Harianto, A. (2022). Local Wisdom-Based Settlement on Customary Land Conflict in the Border Region between the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste in Kupang District. JL Pol'y & Globalization, 120, 33. doi:https://doi.org/10.18588/202105.00a171
Real, A. G. C. (2024). THE CONSOLIDATION OF LIMITED POWERS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF TIMOR-LESTE (A NEW CLARIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION OF RDTL/2002), IN ACTUALIZATION, 2024. American Journal of Medical and Clinical Research & Reviews, 3(2), 1-5. doi:https://doi.org/10.58372/2835-6276.1138
Riyadi, S. (2024). Law enforcement against Indonesian army soldiers committing the criminal act of bigamy (Case Study of Supreme Court Decision Number 108 K/MIL/2023). Dynamics of Politics and Democracy, 4(1), 1-16. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/dpd.v4i1.2981
Santoso, D., & Husaini, H. (2024). Enterprise Risk Management, Corporate Social Responsibility, Dan Kinerja Perusahaan Manufaktur (BEI). Goodwood Akuntansi dan Auditing Reviu, 3(2), 97-108. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/gaar.v3i2.4755
Schrijver, N. J. (2021). State sovereignty in the planetary management of natural resources. Environmental Policy and Law, 51(1-2), 13-20. doi:https://doi.org/10.3233/EPL-219002
Shrinkhal, R. (2021). “Indigenous sovereignty” and right to self-determination in international law: a critical appraisal. AlterNative: an international journal of indigenous peoples, 17(1), 71-82. doi:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1177180121994681#tab-contributors
Starke, J. G. (1984). Introduction to International Law: Butterworth & Co Publishers Ltd.
Sudiarto, B. (2024). Power Reduction in Constitutional Democracy. KnE Social Sciences, 188–208-188–208. doi:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2485-6375
Tajuddin, T., La Ode, S., Novi Theresia, K., Ernawati, & Nur, A. (2024). Penyuluhan Strategi Transformasi Desa Berkembang Menjadi Desa Maju dan Mandiri Berbasis IDM. Yumary: Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat, 5(4), 741-749. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/yumary.v5i4.3891
Tilley, A., Hunnam, K. J., Mills, D. J., Steenbergen, D. J., Govan, H., Alonso-Poblacion, E., . . . Amador, T. (2019). Evaluating the fit of co-management for small-scale fisheries governance in Timor-Leste. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 392. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00392
Tirtamulia, T. (2008). Pentingnya Batas Kedaulatan dan Hukum Wilayah Negara. Jurnal Yustika, 203-2019.
Tukan, E. N., & Dimoe, R. A. (2024). the role of the NTT Provincial Border Management Agency in Resolving Land Boundary issues between Indonesia and Timor-Leste (Case study in North Netemnanu Village). Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 4(3), 219-230. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v4i3.2066
Utomo, A. T. S. (2010). Optimalisasi pengelolaan dan pemberdayaan pulau-pulau terluar dalam rangka mempertahankan keutuhan Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia. Jurnal Dinamika Hukum, 10(3), 319-328.
Wulansari, E. M. (2023). Permodelan dan Bentuk Hukum Pokok-Pokok Haluan Negara sebagai Payung Hukum Pelaksanaan Pembangunan Berkesinambungan dalam Rangka Menghadapi Revolusi Industri 5.0 dan Indonesia Emas. Kajian Ilmiah Hukum dan Kenegaraan, 2(1), 17-36. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/kihan.v2i1.2346
Wuryandari, G. (2009). Keamanan di perbatasan Indonesia - Timor Leste : sumber ancaman dan kebijakan pengelolaannya.
Yani, Y. M. (2008). Pengamanan Wilayah Perbatasan Darat Guna Mendukung Keutuhan Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia. Roundtable Discussion Lemhannas RI, 11.
- Boer, M. (2005). Hukum Internasional (Pengertian, Peranan Dan Fungsi Dalam Era Dinamika Global, Edisi ke-2). PT Alumni, Bandung. hal, 304.
- Croissant, A. (2022). Timor-Leste: Challenges of Creating a Democratic and Effective State. In A. Croissant (Ed.), Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia: An Introduction to Governments and Political Regimes (pp. 361-399). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
- Gussen, B. F. (2024). Ratio Evolutionis: The Interiority of Self-Determination to the Intertemporal Rule. Transnat'l L. & Contemp. Probs., 34, 1.
- Hadiwijoyo, S. S. (2011). Perbatasan negara dalam dimensi hukum internasional.
- Harahap, J. (2018). Border Area and National Security Issues. Central European Journal of International & Security Studies, 12(4).
- Indra, M. (2013). Urgensi Pengelolaan Wilayah Perbatasan dalam Kaitannya dengan Kedaulatan Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia. Jurnal Selat, 13-18.
- Kase, D. A. (2020). Wilayah Perbatasan Negara dalam Perspektif Hukum Internasional. Jurnal Hukum Proyuris, 2(1), 168-183.
- Kase, D. A. (2020). Wilayah Perbatasan Negara dalam Perspektif Hukum Internasional. Jurnal Hukum Proyuris 2.1, 168-183.
- Krogh, J. S. (Producer). (2018). Jan S. Krogh's Geosite: Enclaves and Exclaves. Retrieved from http://geosite.jankrogh.com/exclaves.htm
- Kurnia, M. P. (2006). Upaya Penanganan Permasalahan Perbatasan Maritim Republik Indonesia. Risalah Hukum, 53-62.
- Kusumaatmadja, M. (2021). Pengantar hukum internasional. Bandung: Alumni.
- MK, S. J. (Producer). (2008). Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 1945.
- Munhanif, A. (2020). Democratization and The Politics of Conflict Resolution in Indonesia: Institutional Analysis of East Timor Referendum in 1999. Paper presented at the ICSPS 2019: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Social and Political Sciences, ICSPS 2019, 12th November 2019, Jakarta, Indonesia.
- Muni, J. (2018). Decentralization Of State Border Governance: Relevance Of Decentralization And Synergy Of Border Governance (Case Study: Oecusse-Timor Lester-North Central Timor/Kupang Land Border-NTT-Indonesia. Paper presented at the 2018 Annual Conference of Asian Association for Public Administration:" Reinventing Public Administration in a Globalized World: A Non-Western Perspective"(AAPA 2018).
- Parameshwara, P. (2023). Legal implications of placement illegal Indonesian migrants. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic and Practice Studies, 1(3), 241-248. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jomaps.v1i3.1580
- Primus, L., DAENG, E., FALLO, A. R., RIHI, D. W., Andreas, P., ROHI, B. L., & TUTHAES, L. C. (2024). Community Perceptions in the Border Areas Regarding the Main Points of Agreement Concerning Final Completion of The Land Border Between Ri-Rdtl (Case Study in Haumeniana Village, District Bikomi Nilulat North Central Timor District). Journal of Governance, Taxation and Auditing, 2(4), 281-290. doi:https://doi.org/10.38142/jogta.v2i4.1061
- Rato, D. (2019). Legal Conflicts in the Border Dispute between Indonesia and Timor Leste. Lentera Hukum, 6, 353. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.29303/ius.v8i3.800
- Rato, D., & Harianto, A. (2022). Local Wisdom-Based Settlement on Customary Land Conflict in the Border Region between the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste in Kupang District. JL Pol'y & Globalization, 120, 33. doi:https://doi.org/10.18588/202105.00a171
- Real, A. G. C. (2024). THE CONSOLIDATION OF LIMITED POWERS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF TIMOR-LESTE (A NEW CLARIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION OF RDTL/2002), IN ACTUALIZATION, 2024. American Journal of Medical and Clinical Research & Reviews, 3(2), 1-5. doi:https://doi.org/10.58372/2835-6276.1138
- Riyadi, S. (2024). Law enforcement against Indonesian army soldiers committing the criminal act of bigamy (Case Study of Supreme Court Decision Number 108 K/MIL/2023). Dynamics of Politics and Democracy, 4(1), 1-16. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/dpd.v4i1.2981
- Santoso, D., & Husaini, H. (2024). Enterprise Risk Management, Corporate Social Responsibility, Dan Kinerja Perusahaan Manufaktur (BEI). Goodwood Akuntansi dan Auditing Reviu, 3(2), 97-108. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/gaar.v3i2.4755
- Schrijver, N. J. (2021). State sovereignty in the planetary management of natural resources. Environmental Policy and Law, 51(1-2), 13-20. doi:https://doi.org/10.3233/EPL-219002
- Shrinkhal, R. (2021). “Indigenous sovereignty” and right to self-determination in international law: a critical appraisal. AlterNative: an international journal of indigenous peoples, 17(1), 71-82. doi:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1177180121994681#tab-contributors
- Starke, J. G. (1984). Introduction to International Law: Butterworth & Co Publishers Ltd.
- Sudiarto, B. (2024). Power Reduction in Constitutional Democracy. KnE Social Sciences, 188–208-188–208. doi:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2485-6375
- Tajuddin, T., La Ode, S., Novi Theresia, K., Ernawati, & Nur, A. (2024). Penyuluhan Strategi Transformasi Desa Berkembang Menjadi Desa Maju dan Mandiri Berbasis IDM. Yumary: Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat, 5(4), 741-749. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/yumary.v5i4.3891
- Tilley, A., Hunnam, K. J., Mills, D. J., Steenbergen, D. J., Govan, H., Alonso-Poblacion, E., . . . Amador, T. (2019). Evaluating the fit of co-management for small-scale fisheries governance in Timor-Leste. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 392. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00392
- Tirtamulia, T. (2008). Pentingnya Batas Kedaulatan dan Hukum Wilayah Negara. Jurnal Yustika, 203-2019.
- Tukan, E. N., & Dimoe, R. A. (2024). the role of the NTT Provincial Border Management Agency in Resolving Land Boundary issues between Indonesia and Timor-Leste (Case study in North Netemnanu Village). Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 4(3), 219-230. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v4i3.2066
- Utomo, A. T. S. (2010). Optimalisasi pengelolaan dan pemberdayaan pulau-pulau terluar dalam rangka mempertahankan keutuhan Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia. Jurnal Dinamika Hukum, 10(3), 319-328.
- Wulansari, E. M. (2023). Permodelan dan Bentuk Hukum Pokok-Pokok Haluan Negara sebagai Payung Hukum Pelaksanaan Pembangunan Berkesinambungan dalam Rangka Menghadapi Revolusi Industri 5.0 dan Indonesia Emas. Kajian Ilmiah Hukum dan Kenegaraan, 2(1), 17-36. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/kihan.v2i1.2346
- Wuryandari, G. (2009). Keamanan di perbatasan Indonesia - Timor Leste : sumber ancaman dan kebijakan pengelolaannya.
- Yani, Y. M. (2008). Pengamanan Wilayah Perbatasan Darat Guna Mendukung Keutuhan Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia. Roundtable Discussion Lemhannas RI, 11.
