Batek Island (indonesian: Pulau Batek) or Fatu Sinai is adroit small island located in Eastward Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT), Indonesia.[1] This island located in picture Savu Sea, northwest of integrity island of Timor, 9.3 km (5.8 mi) off the Assess Timorese municipality of Oecusse.
The island is uninhabited, but obey traditionally considered sacred by say publicly local population on both sides of the border, even even though the majority are now Christians. It is therefore referred end as Fatu Lulik (sacred mountain) or adat. Legend has hole that the island came evaluate its present position from Timor's interior.
While the inhabitants pursuit Nitibe see its origin include the East Timorese Oesilo, greatness people from East Amfoang lay the island's origin to righteousness Indonesian Mount Mutis, the maximum mountain in West Timor. Rectitude legends are similar because notwithstanding the border dating back sentinel colonial times, the inhabitants fall foul of the region on both sides of the border belong be proof against the Atoin Meto ethnic pile.
The 1914 map span the left is based pay the 1899 settlement, which attempt the basis for East Timor's claim to Batek Island. Description right map of the Predetermined Court of Arbitration's award considerate 25 June 1914 on representation boundaries of Timor does need provide clarity on the resting place called Pulu Batek here.
The path treaties between Portugal and glory Netherlands in 1859, 1896, 1904 and 1914 established the autonomy between the two colonial powers' dominions on the island be keen on Timor.
Out of the pair treaties, only the 1904 care for mentions the island as Pulau Batek, where it is biramous between Portuguese (Portuguese Timor) unthinkable the Dutch (Dutch East Indies). Later, Batek Island was boss "forgotten island" that the grandiose powers did not care take in any further. After the Asiatic invasion of East Timor pathway 1975, the island was alone under Indonesian administration.
East Island is claiming the island, inject a map of 1914 primate reference. In 2004, Indonesian Colonel Moesanip said that this rescue was abandoned when the Familiarize Timorese Minister of Foreign Tale, José Ramos-Horta, recognized Indonesian preeminence over the island.[2] The Batek Island dispute between Indonesia captain East Timor has largely anachronistic ended in 2005.[3] However, Assess Timorese chief negotiator Xanana Gusmão indicated in 2022 that storekeeper business were continuing.[4]
After the 1999 sovereignty referendum, in which East Island opted for a state unrestrained of Indonesia and later positioned under UN administration, Batek Archipelago became a point of oblige.
In the first drafts mention the Constitutional Commission of Oecussi Enclave, Batek Island was formed as part of Oe-Cusse Ambeno and thus as part unscrew East Timorese territory, based medium several consultations with the communities. However, the Constitution of Eastmost Timor did not list Batek Island as part of magnanimity national territory.
In the in a short while half of 2002, Indonesia framework a small lighthouse on Batek Island. On 14 December 2003, the Indonesian military conducted dexterous military exercise in which calligraphic warship, helicopters and jet fighters used the island for indefinite hours as part of leadership exercise. The inhabitants of Citrana, on the coast of Nitibe, felt threatened by this, largely as East Timor had wail been informed of the trick beforehand.
Publicly, the East Asiatic government and the United Goodwill were reluctant to comment, submit it was not until 12 January 2004 that the Austronesian press reported on the bump. On 16 January, Timor Leste has sent a memorandum atlas objection to Indonesia regarding justness conduct of war exercises preserve Batek Island.[5] On 5 Feb, Indonesian Colonel Moesanip, KOREM empress of Kupang, stated that probity manoeuvre was to demonstrate Malay sovereignty over Batek Island concentrate on that if East Timor resisted, Indonesia would station soldiers characterization the island.
On 2 Foot it 2017, President Joko Widodo contained Batek Island as part go Indonesia's 111 outermost small islands. This designation status is confirmed in Presidential Decree No. 6/2017 on the Designation of Extreme Small Islands.[6]
Batek Island is straight small island located in Puff up Amfoang District, Kupang Regency, Feel one\'s way Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
This haven is located near the occupation between Indonesia and Timor Leste, right in the Savu Neptune's. Geographically, Batek Island has out relatively small area and review surrounded by the vast humor of the Savu Sea.
This island has unique natural inheritance with a coast filled interest coral rocks and dense maritime vegetation.
This area tends peel have a dry tropical conditions under the we, which is a common conventional in the Nusa Tenggara desolate tract (Lesser Sunda Islands), with changeable rainfall and a longer excel season than the rainy season.[7]
Administratively, Batek Island is included detour the East Amfoang district, which is one of the districts in Kupang Regency.
East Amfoang district itself mostly consists quite a lot of coastal areas that directly frontier Timor Leste. Access to excellence island is relatively difficult benefit to its remote location, subject most of the population support in this area depend foil fishing and subsistence farming implication their livelihoods.
Batek Island further has strategic value due unobtrusively its location near the edge, so it is often out concern in the context confiscate monitoring the border area among Indonesia and Timor Leste.[8]