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nitially, there was the creation of new regencies or provinces as a result of the regional autonomy implementation, then, those new autonomous regions caused problems particularly regarding border issues.

Since Law No. 32/2009 on regional autonomy was implemented, at least 971 border disputes have been recorded. Of that number, 370 have been settled and 392 are in the settlement process, thus leaving 209 cases unresolved, according to data from the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister.

If the disputes were left unresolved, they could potentially trigger bigger conflicts, said Brig. Gen. Bambang Sugeng, secretary of the office’s domestic security disturbance mitigation (PGKDN) unit.

Bambang said his desk had been working on mediating and facilitating the settlement of the cases.

“We aim to settle those cases by 2019,” Bambang said after leading a coordinating meeting on the handling of the cases at the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) governor’s office in Mataram on Thursday.

He cited a variety of reasons for the border disputes between neighboring autonomous regions, including a lack of clear border mapping and decisions taken during the establishment of a new autonomous region.

The border disputes were also triggered by claims on natural resources, he said, adding that the disputes could trigger social conflict.

“They could trigger social conflicts, especially when they are used for political interests,” he said.

In NTB alone, he added, there were two border dispute cases that were in the settlement process, namely the border between West Lombok and Central Lombok regencies in Lombok Island and the border between Sumbawa and West Sumbawa in Sumbawa Island.

He said settlement of the two cases had been proposed to the Home Ministry for a decision on the borders through ministerial decree.

“We appreciate the NTB administration and the administrations of the respective regions for their active efforts in the settlement of these cases,” Bambang said.

Head of the NTB administration’s regional supervision division, H Eddy, said previously there were four border disputes in the province but two of them had been settled.

Eddy said the border disputes in NTB were indeed connected to natural resources in the disputed area.

He provided by way of example the area spanning 3 kilometers along the Poto Tano coast disputed by the Sumbawa and West Sumbawa regency administrations.

“A thorough analysis revealed that both administrations were competing for Kalong Island, which has tourism potential,” he said, adding that currently the two regents had expressed agreement and readiness to accept whatever the Home Ministry decided on the case.

“We are now waiting for the ministerial decree.”