So, at least, the International Court of Justice implied when it awarded two nearby islands, Ligitan and Sipadan, to Malaysia last year over Indonesia's objections.

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The Malaysian government also has small detachments in various locations, including the Malaysian islands of Sipadan and Pandanan, where armed gunmen kidnapped hostages in 2000, before taking them to islands in the southern Philippines.

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Chief Philippine government negotiator Robert Aventajado said he was confident that all of the remaining hostages, including four Europeans from among the original 21 kidnapped at the Malaysian island resort of Sipadan in late April and a Filipino man, would be released after payment of additional "development aid" by Tripoli.

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