Malaysian territorial violations in Ambalat draw strong criticism

Jakarta - Territorial violations in the Ambalat by Malaysia has drawn strong criticism especially from the House of Representatives, the military and other circles in Indonesia.

It is true that Malaysia was granted sovereignty over Sipadan and Ligitan islands by the International Court of Justice in 2002, but the ruling left maritime issues and border demarcation unsettled. No wonder, the territorial violations often occur in Ambalat which is actually not part of Malaysian territory.

The House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday lodged a protest against members of Malaysia`s armed forces for frequently violating the territorial borders between the two countries, particularly in Ambalat off the East Kalimantan coast.

"We protest the Malaysia`s action," DPR Chairman Agung Laksono said at parliament building here.

The protest came a day after National Defense Forces (TNI) chief Gen Djoko Santoso said that members of Malaysia`s armed forces had often been committing territorial violations in Ambalat.

Djoko said that at several meetings with Indonesia, Malaysia was continuing claiming the block as part of its territory.

"This is apparent in the copy of a Malaysian diplomatic note on the deployment of Indonesian military forces in the Ambalat Block," he said.

Agung said Malaysia`s violation of territorial borders with Indonesia was against the ASEAN Charter.

"The act is a provocation. Malaysia must stop it," he said adding that the House, along with the government, must launch a protest against the action to prevent it from recurring.

He said the violation of territorial borders could disrupt the relations between the two countries. "It is very regrettable that Malaysia as our immediate neighbor has been committing this violation," he said.

The Ambalat and Bukat blocks off the East Kalimantan coast are part of the Indonesian territory. The government has assured Zaitem, a subsidiary of ENI SpA of Italy, of its continued exploratory rights in the blocks.

In response to the Malaysian territorial violations, some experts urged the government to seek a diplomatic solution to the dispute, while maintaining its stance that the country`s possession of the disputed oil and gas-rich area remains non-negotiable.

International relations expert Dewi Fortuna Anwar said the violations were against the law and hurts the feeling of ASEAN brotherhood. But the issue had to be resolved through diplomatic channels to prevent an armed conflict.

Dewi underlined that diplomacy should be backed by military strength.

"Diplomatic efforts are the priority, but the government should not be too focused on paper and documents. Military is an indication that Indonesia doesn`t hesitate to take stern measures and it`s very important to let them know that they can`t just walk all over us," she said recently.

Dewi said the government could even use the current anti-Malaysia sentiment here as a tool to strengthen its bargaining power during the talks with Malaysia.

"Another measure is to develop the area in a bid to provide stronger proof of our possession of it. Continuing the construction of a lighthouse there is a good way -- of course with the Indonesian Military guarding the areas," she said.

The calls for prioritizing a diplomatic solution came as the two countries dispatched their warships and war planes to the area, and amid reports at home quoting some politicians as suggesting the government opt for an armed action.

Claims by Indonesia and Malaysia on the Ambalat area in the Sulawesi sea near the land border between East Kalimantan province and Malaysia`s Sabah state, recently emerged after the Malaysian government awarded in February an oil production sharing contract to Royal Dutch Shell.

The two states on March 5, 2005, came close to military confrontation over the areas. But Malaysia on March 8 said it was taking control of the areas, while Indonesia said it was for a peaceful solution.

On March 7, Malaysia`s Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Indonesian President Yudhoyono announced on various occasions agreed by telephone that their foreign ministers would discuss the matter further and that the two states were seeking a diplomatic solution.

Both states have sent their warships and war planes to the disputed areas in recent days. The attempt to defuse the crisis came after Malaysia accused Indonesia of trespassing in its territory when a navy patrol ship crossed about eight nautical miles (9.2 miles/15 kilometers) into Malaysian waters.

The Royal Malaysian Navy had sent two warships to patrol the Malaysian waters. Premier Badawi said: "To prevent any undesirable incident which may create tension in the relations between Indonesia and Malaysia, both of us agreed to discuss the matter at diplomatic level. Hopefully, in this way, any problem, God willing, will be resolved in a peaceful manner".

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was on March 9 to leave for a three-day visit to Jakarta for talks with his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda, on the overlapping claims. On March 7, President Yudhoyono visited an island near the disputed sites off Kalimantan, and said: "The problem should be solved without any confrontation, especially armed confrontation".

One solution might be the establishment of a joint economic zone. In this way, the two states would share royalties while maintaining strong convictions over the validity of their competing claims.

Although military deployments are widely seen as no more than posturing, officials in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur are concerned about the possibility that a miscalculation by commanders in the area could produce an incident which would make a diplomatic solution harder to reach.

The 15,235 square kilometers Ambalat block is rich in oil and gas reserves which could be exploited for 30 years. By Eliswan Azly

Source: http://www.antaranews.com (October 24, 2008)
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