Government Policy in the Management of Border Conflict Between Indonesia and Oecusse District, Timor Leste

摘要

This research describes the types, causes and consequences of border conflict, and government policy in the management of border conflict between Indonesia and Oecusse District, Timor Leste. Research data were obtained through in-depth interview, focus groups (FGs) and document review, while data analysis used qualitative analysis technique. This research found several types of border conflict between Indonesia and Oecusse District, Timor Leste such as communal, inter-state, horizontal, latent, extraordinary, damaging, threat on state sovereignty, and threat on social order of border society from both sides. Causes of the border conflict are administrative/political history and contemporary. The border conflict also tends to destroy sosial/political relation, socio-cultural values and safety among border society. Indonesia obeys adequately regulation such as "border line agreement", but has not yet used customary law to resolve the border conflict. Indonesian central government is slightly slow while provincial government of East Nusa Tenggara, and district government of Kupang and North Middle Timor are faster enough in managing the border conflict. Indonesian government is able to protect border societies and assure their safety, but less equal in determining border line in conflict segments. It has also conducted diplomacy and negotiation with Timor Leste government, but it is still unsuccessful yet to convince Timor Leste government in resolving unresolved segments. It should continuously do diplomacy and negotiation with Timor Leste government to manage and resolve the border conflict by considering simultaneously administrative/politics, border history, customary law, equity and togetherness.