Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta.  The government is working toward a fair and legal resolution regarding the ownership of four disputed islands between Aceh and North Sumatra, said Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra on Sunday (15/6/2025). 

The islands—Panjang, Lipan, Mangkir Besar, and Mangkir Kecil—remain in administrative limbo.

“Determining inter-district boundaries is the authority of the Minister of Home Affairs, formalized through a ministerial regulation. Such a regulation has not yet been issued,” Minister Yusril said, as quoted by antaranews.com.

He emphasized that the recent ministerial decree assigning codes to the islands, based on North Sumatra’s proposal, does not equate to a legal transfer of territory. The government, he said, encourages all parties to remain calm and respectful while the issue is being deliberated.

Minister Yusril also stressed that proximity alone is not enough to determine regional boundaries as the government must also consider legal, historical, and cultural aspects.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)