evidence: Indonesian tribe to sue Australia over oil-rich islands as it draws line in the sand - The Timorese Sea Indigenous People, who live across the Indonesian islands of Rote, Alor, Sawu and Timor, claim their ancestors had been fishing around the islands since 1642 - The islands consist of four low-lying tropical islands in two separate reefs and are closer to Indonesian territory – about 144km south from Rote Island in East Nusa Tenggara province – than Australia’s, which is located some 320km away [...] The people also claimed their ancestors had been fishing around the Ashmore Reef, which is called Sand Island or Pulau Pasir in Indonesian, since 1642. The islands consist of four low-lying tropical islands in two separate reefs and are located closer to Indonesian territory – about 144km south from Rote Island in East Nusa Tenggara province – than Australia’s, which is located some 320km away.