Dhaka hails UN verdict in Myanmar border dispute

A United Nations court yesterday laid down a new sea border between Bangladesh and Myanmar, ruling on a complex dispute in a resource-rich area that has been a frequent flashpoint for the two nations.

In a two-hour ruling at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, presiding judge Jose Luis Jesus set out a new maritime line widely seen as a compromise between the two rival cases.

He ruled that both countries should retain sovereignty over their respective continental shelves and, while ruling in favour of Myanmar’s method of measuring the border, handed more sea area to Bangladesh.

The 23 judges from all over the world arrived at the decision unanimously although some offered dissenting opinions on some parts of the judgement.

“Both sides won something and lost something,” said the German judge on the panel, Ruediger Wolfrum, according to local German agency DPA.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Dipu Moni also acknowledged it was a “victory for both sides,” according to DPA, although she said Dhaka could now begin to exploit the area for gas and oil.

The row, dating back decades, brought the two countries close to military conflict in 2008 when Bangladesh accused Myanmar of exploring for gas in disputed waters.

Myanmar sent military vessels to support drilling for gas by South Korean company Daewoo some 50km (30 miles) south of Bangladesh’s Saint Martin island.

Bangladesh responded by sending four warships of their own. Troops massed on the border before the tensions calmed. AFP

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