The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Methodology of the delimitation bogged down the experts level maritime boundary talks between Bangladesh and Myanmar, which began in the city yesterday.

The two sides came close to an armed confrontation in the Bay of Bengal over attempt of oil gas exploration by Myanmar. Bangladesh alleged that Myanmar was running exploration mission in her territorial waters while Myanmar claimed that it was within its boundary.

Talking to reporters after the first day's discussions at the technical level, Bangladesh delegation leader and Additional Foreign Secretary MAK Mahmood said Dhaka placed logic of the principle of equity (180 degree line) in delimitating the sea border while Yangon stressed equidistance (243 degree line) principle, " which is not acceptable to us".

He noted that application of equidistant line as a method of delimitation frustrates the very purpose of maritime delimitation, that is, equitable result.

Mahmood said according to UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Laws of the

Sea) 1982, no method should dictate the result; rather the result would justify the method. Since the outcome generated through the method of equidistance is obviously inequitable to Bangladesh, it is incumbent on both the states to examine other options and reach a mutually acceptable solution.

Officials said the Myanmar side, led by their Deputy Foreign Minister U Myint, was rigid on their arguments. The negotiations-taking place hot on the heels of a near-confrontation over oil exploration in the disputed part of the Bay waters--will continue till today for a negotiated solution.

The two neighbours held two technical-level rounds of talks in Dhaka and Bagan (Myanmar) in April and September this year.

In his opening remarks, Mahmood referred to the tense situation that prevailed in the Bay of Bengal in the first week of November, saying that the unfortunate development took place because of misunderstanding of the Myanmar authorities on a proposal made by Bangladesh in 1976.

He said that the proposal hinged on a package deal under which Myanmar was supposed to officially accept Bangladesh's baseline, particularly base-point 8, and the North-South direction of Bangladesh's natural prolongation.

Mahmood said this pre-UNCLOS proposal died its natural death since Myanmar never accepted it. Because this misunderstanding has resulted

in a heightened situation, he said, "we would like to clarify that our maritime zone as declared in 1974 along the 092 degree 17 minute 30 second line (commonly referred to as 180-degree line) is the line we are bound to follow until a final delimitation is attained between the two states on the basis of 'equity' principle".

He said the host side would like to categorically state that until a final agreement between the two states on maritime delimitation is signed, Myanmar should restrict its survey and exploratory activities to the East of 1800 line which was confirmed through exchange of various notes and communications from 2006 to date.