THE SUNDA STRAIT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R01012A026000060009-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 10, 2014
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: September 4, 1964
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part-Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/11: CIA-RDP79R01012A026000060009-0
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C01117M31_414,.
trOgRaiDitTi FOR MR. tRairMY SMITE
I-1111TE WAS
Throush: ttakerse tuady
$u tt Suuda Strait
12570
%ra accordance 'with your rciueat there te attached a hackground
steziorord= on the Zund,a Strait in. Ladonesta.
The winorandum points out that there is uncler iatortatir4,a1 law
rtaht of imocent patitSne through the Runde Strait 1=atia2 it iS a
strait used for international navigation between tvo parts of the
high seas. The immoral/dm a1so indicates, bouswro that Inclortosie
andouhtedly vould dispute the erk.iSt.C=C of such a tit sirt�CO it
aloes not consider the waters within the Indonesian orchipelakya as
.serie but inotoad alai= them ea internal voters. The United
Stages does not recopise Indonesia's claim.
It has beea our practice in recent years to inform Indonesia
O1 ;:t IZe-7 to llav7 lava of the intended plasago A.1.1.27.1=1/ WAral
veEwels threush waters claimed by todonesia. tlo have done this not
in the forla of a requeot er a a required notification bit rather
as cour.tesy to a friendly natton.
tooloc=e:
t%-momr,.71.= dzted
Szptevlber4 19C14.
7.71./FE:CFSa1ansiejs 9/4/64
Doom nt D.
Retrien oS this Cootanant 1:;), CIA hos
determi sd that
IA has no .o;1.ar.ften .to dectass
0 I tont:this infsmIc.,'iion of CIA
"it3ru,t .that most rsinaht
�c �zsifi,-xt at IS S C
Authority: RR 1a-2
0 It contains nothing of CIA interest
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LrmjaminZ.=7,;Ind
Ecutivo $aorotally
S --RC)
- A true ppta, ;ijg,rie4. origina
- Mr. Kearney (draft)
Nr. Bundy (draft)
rE/RA - Capt. Miller (draft)
INR/RES/GE - Dr. 'dodgem (draft)
L. Fr hat (draft)
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Declassified in in Part-Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/11: CIA-RDP79R01012A026000060009-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/11: CIA-RDP79R01012A026000060009-0
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COMIDERrIAL
$etetbr 44 4
The Sunda Strait Separates Java from Sumatra end connects the
Java Sea with tho Wiau Ocean. At its narroweat point, the Strait
Ls apprmlimately 13.6 nautical miles wide. There are a nuaer of
small islands scattered throuelout the Strait. Civen 4 three-mile
territorial sea for each of these iplanda and for Java and Ematrat
the waters of the Strait are ell In4ones1en territorial waters at
tho narrowest point.
Straits Under Interna.ional Lao
Intcrsational law tesozniaes a tight of innocent Eiasasse for
unrships and merchant/atm throutth StrAit$ which -are used for inter,-
national traffic between two parts of the high sees. This Ls ao
even if the strait is wholly within the territorial waters of a
sing/o atate. This rule vas recently codified inArticlo 16(4) of
the Conova Convention:PA the Territorial Sea nO the Centiguous Zomet
"Thereshall he no Pus:pension �of the
innocent passage of foreign ships throuwh
straits uhi Ch are used for international
mviGatLan between one part of the high seas
e,rd another part of the hizh seas or the
territorial soo of a foreign Rata."
The cep:vent:ten defines par.mEe fin "irtrocene '4-so long as it it not
pre:p,:i4c1�7.1 to thopsnoo, t.,004 ord= or security of the coastal State."
Thc Unl:zt-741 Ztal.ez, Untted lUnZara a2d the -.10,d_ot umix.410 fzoong
ettaT,5, gc.rtiell to th-',1 r4,4VCrzt4Q-42 T5lich enters into force
Se-ptcr 102 UL4, :11* sigr.e43 this Convention.
tirn tzar;p=t 14.77,cationni lavgate apsrt
fram tbe Cenvontiot. Vor example, iu 1949 the Internationel, Court
of Justice, .,11-4;.car,n bet=er, the United gintdom oxid Alhevia involvitg
0.1e- C7..%rt:,4 ar:17,-11, hrve a rik,At in pcaeotive to send
C:nir t470.2D thvp1;:t fog ir.termatiorai na-ciaatipa
of tk.1.1 4Icza wiasut the pre:07.m= vajlprisation
ofC;-,6-; wza.,;.;f4 274-.7ided p=z.:Izo is irxecent. 57,1 court held
that willozlz 1:,t1so r,rocazi-t7d au international, cooventton, there
is no ie3.7 a oaasta $.-..na to prohrrIt zaLch pasnaGo.
Indonesia has dram etmight 'easciines around the e.-
�:,'.1rtdonekqina archipelago con=ting
the outormost poi;cts on the low
Almter mar% of the outer laallcla of the zrehipplezo. Under this
,
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/11: CIA-RDP79R01012A026000060009-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/11 CIA-RDP79R61012A026006060009-0
COVIDIATIAL
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so-calle4 "archipelago theory",_ it considers. an "internal 'uatere
all voters lying within those ;eSelices. There is TiO TiEht r
pasaw,: by formiga VerimIs through Interna1. waters or 'throug,h
strait leading to internal =ern under iaternetioaal
Imv.taaesiA aiatula tuelve-mi/e territorial sea eztending
souctrd from the line tillch it has &awn around the archlpelago.
The United Staten &en tot recognise Indonesia' a archipelago
thoory and therefore 4does not consider the vaters ulthia tho
Iadoezaian archipe/ago aa internal waters., /noteed our position
la that each of Indenasial a 'constituent islands has a three-mile
territorial Ica ae41, that all oamr 4ntfor4s1and waters in the
archipelaco ere part of the hi-apt seas. Thorn Is little support
in international law land practice for tho archipelas,o theory.
(Indonosie, the Philippines and E 4adar have rade .0.airas based
on the arthipelne theory.)
Whea the Netherlands had -Sovereignty over Indonesia, the
Dutch clawed enly athree-L.411e territorial sea around each of
the islands it the aroUpcle,sol the reoeindor of the varera being
tonclAisred hit;h sea*. Unler Dutch 1410 end resulation, therefote,
the ftada St=it uould have '6aca tra-d 44 a strait: evallectia3 two
parts of the high eas threusr.h uhich the.
ti
r4ht of iwaecent
pac-14,ase,
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'71\-tIVi2 711.77e:�7"t"'';?1. ST1tVit
Dcp,artmato an evoratTA of t7W) or three
Urell,;(:4 :tfVzo:-;Ir a year tlizeo 1963 hs-ia transited the
""z f.oa t* AsP..r431.1.a. The Uavy
C.cter2Int. ;:af.7. i'gsg.15-oZ thesa paipa c cctually
vancnd etrouzh the Itut42 ll of those
Inatt'aaes, the T.Taarr thi'vw,14,;=1:4 Djekarta, ireomed the Indo-
Taor-dxn reray -41,1t v:.712Id tsim place. This vas eona
not es a r.pifica,;:lon, or e requst, but -aa a courtesy
Z:UZS VS.;:i4n1.1:5e* -Zzi.czkaly zun.tozt,
Vr.:th th;,1 pessa-50 of the Coseord Voscdcon
thmK--:,1 E.7.11.acea ,51=alt, AnLasador Jeves iaermed President
P7,34744tms.
c t such
IT;wzAraro Yalsr--cc, Strait s':::ould1.-:e 6istl.acaished 44-.cri the Sunda
Str,,t in recozam,7:a Z4lacc4 ea c,,� inzernstional
arzit threurA t4lich there is e xlzht of inne=it pileaase.
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, Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/11: CIA-RDP79R01012A026000060009-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/11: CIA-RDP79R01012A026000060009-0
,
co-0==AL
'United lanzdem. ITavy informs the Indonesian Governzont of
warship paseage through the Ssmia Strait.
apectivo
With reapcot to merchantmen, the "Sailira Direct/one� for the
Sunda Strait publiabed by the Unite4 Stateo Vaval OesnaaraPhle
Office state onlr that
vTeaceful navigation in the Indonesian
territorial asa an4 internal water ie open to
foreir,in water tarns vehiclea, $4bjeet; to
goverment revlation."
The Vavy estimates that an average of 10 to 20 merchant c'hipa it day
traasit the Zunda Strait of which a =clearable muller p'xobably
are British flag vessels. Ula are mot amire of any Indonesian
interference vitt) the passago of ouch zerchantmen.
lialjMe7i-311=deja
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/11: CIA-RDP79R01012A026000060009-0