Maritime Boundary with Myanmar
Dhaka starts submission in int'l court
Bangladesh yesterday began submission of its case concerning delimitation of the maritime boundary with Myanmar at International Tribunal for Law of the Sea (ITLOS), arguing for equitable solution of the long running dispute.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, as the agent of the case, strongly presented Bangladesh's views on equitable sharing of Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf in Bay of Bengal against Myanmar's method of equidistance.
In her opening statement at the 22-member bench headed by Jesus of Cape Verde, she said Bangladesh and Myanmar engaged in extensive negotiations concerning their maritime boundary since at least 1974.
In 1974, the foreign minister said, the two countries reached agreement concerning the maritime boundary in the territorial sea and that agreement was fully applied and respected by both states for more than three decades.
As a result of the agreement, there has never been any problem regarding the right of passage of ships of Myanmar through Bangladesh's territorial sea around St Martin's island, she said.
Dipu Moni told the tribunal that Myanmar is steadfast in its insistence that the boundary must be determined by reference to the equidistance method.
Referring to the concavity of Bay of Bengal's north coast, she said this shape combined with location of Bangladesh's land boundaries with Myanmar to the east and India to the west makes the equidistance method wholly unsuitable for an equitable solution.
“Despite a coast of several hundred kilometres, equidistance would leave us with just a small, wedge-shaped area of maritime space, all of it less than 200 nautical miles from our coast.
“It would deprive us of any access to the outer continental shelf,'' she told the tribunal.
Dipu Moni said the transparency and fairness with which the tribunal conducted this case have been a source of great comfort to Bangladesh.
Afterwards, Paul Reichter of Foley Hoag, also member of Bars of the United States Supreme Court, presented an overview of the most critical facts of geographic and geologic circumstances that frame the coast in favour of Bangladesh.
Dr James Crawford, Whewell Professor of International Law, University of Cambridge, cited facts and various maritime boundary cases.
The hearing will resume today at 10:00am.
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