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Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 09:44:32 +1000
From: Brendan Whyte <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: In Indonesia, even maps are dangerous...
Sender: Brendan Whyte <[log in to unmask]>



Two humourous map incidents in Indonesia in the last few days:

A small firefight erupted between INTERFET troops and TNI (who laterclaimed
it was really militia) on the north coast of Timor, at the border between
West and East. The Indons complained INTERFET had crossed into West Timor.
Interfet denied violating the border. When the two local commanders
compared maps, it was found the Australian soldiers were using a 1992
Indonesian map, which showed the village in question in East Timor. The
Indons were using a 190s Dutch map, which allegedly showed the village in
West Timor. Ironic that each side was using the maps of the previous
colonial regime to validate its own claims. The maps were glimpsed in TV
coverage last night here in Australia and in a photo in today's Melbourne
Age. They appear to be 1:250 000 maps, the Indonesians using West timor
sheets which went up to the East timor border, but no further. Checking old
Dutch maps of the west ourselves, the border, which follows a stream inland
from the north coast, and so should be fairly definite to find on the
ground, is marked by a heavy dashed black line. This line is displaced
several mm east so as not to obscure the stream and other features it
follows. Presumably old Portuguese maps do the same, displacing it west a
little. This is a common 'inaccuracy' especially on older momochromatic or
few-coloured maps. Thus it would appear the Indons are treating the border
are the land directly under the dashed line on the map, rather than the
riverine features it actually follows, and could explain the 100m or so
discrepancy between the arguments of each side. In this case the
Australians seem to be correct. Soldiers need to know how to read maps
properly!

        The Indons seem to prefer the Dutch maps to their own. Maybe the older
ones are better, but with recent development especially in Java, they must
be hopelessly out of date. In the early 1990s, an army search and rescue
team in east Java was using WW2 US 1:50 000 maps in its counter-terrorist
efforts, which were but (fairly minor) revisions of late 19th century Dutch
mapping. Many roads in the area were just not marked. I pity anyone who was
lost: the rescuers would also become so just by searching!


        In Jakarta, the Australian International School has had fears for its
pupils safety, after several minor attacks. The fact that Ali Alatas'
grandson attends the school and was evacuated along with the other children
yesterday has not deterred the anti-Australian attackers. The school had
earlier ditched its uniform for security reasons. Why? The uniform was
green and gold, the shirt featuring a large map of Australia on the back!

Brendan Whyte
University of Melbourne

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