CROSS-BORDER SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES: THE POTENTIAL AND CHALLENGES OF SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE DEVELOPMENT IN THE BORDER AREA BETWEEN OECUSSE, TIMOR-LESTE AND WINI, INDONESIA

Autores/as

  • Bonifasius Agung Nugroho Universitas Pertahanan Indonesia
  • Syamsul Maarif Universitas Pertahanan Indonesia
  • Ivan Yulivan Universitas Pertahanan Indonesia
  • Arief Prayitno Universitas Pertahanan Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v23.5375

Palabras clave:

Universitas Pertahanan Indonesia

Resumen

The strategic development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in border regions has increasingly been viewed as a policy instrument for transforming peripheral territories into nodes of economic growth and regional integration. This article examines the potential and challenges of establishing a Cross-Border Special Economic Zone (CBSEZ) in the enclave-border context of Oecusse District in Timor-Leste and Wini Sub-district in Indonesia. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research draws on fifteen semi-structured interviews with government officials, local entrepreneurs, and community stakeholders, complemented by analysis of policy documents and regional development plans. The findings suggest that the Oecusse Wini borderland possesses significant economic complementarity that could support the emergence of a joint cross-border growth pole, particularly in agro-processing, logistics, and tourism development. However, the feasibility of such an initiative is constrained by structural asymmetries in legal and administrative systems, infrastructure deficits, border securitization concerns, and the absence of institutional mechanisms for bilateral economic governance. The article argues that enclave-based CBSEZ initiatives require a phased institutional architecture that prioritizes confidence-building, functional cooperation, and adaptive governance mechanisms before full economic integration can occur. By examining CBSEZ feasibility in an enclave setting, this study contributes to the literature on borderland governance and regional economic integration by demonstrating how enclave territoriality reshapes the institutional conditions required for cross-border economic cooperation.

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Publicado

2026-04-24

Cómo citar

Nugroho, B. A., Maarif, S., Yulivan, I., & Prayitno, A. (2026). CROSS-BORDER SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES: THE POTENTIAL AND CHALLENGES OF SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE DEVELOPMENT IN THE BORDER AREA BETWEEN OECUSSE, TIMOR-LESTE AND WINI, INDONESIA. Veredas Do Direito, 23(7), e235375. https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v23.5375

Número

Vol. 23 Núm. 7 (2026): Veredas do Direito, v. 23, n. 7 2026

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Articles

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