GOVT CRITICIZED FOR BEING TOO SOFT IN HANDLING BORDER INCIDENT by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug 23, 2010 (ANTARA) - Being kind to neighbors is a noble deed but when it concerns national sovereignty, dignity is at stake and firm action seems to be valued more.

At least that was the lesson learned from the recent border incident between Indonesia and Malaysia.

The Indonesian government recently sent a protest note to Malaysia about the incident that happened last August 13, when three Marine and Fisheries Ministry (DKP) officers based in Riau Islands Province were detained and taken to Malaysia by a Malaysian police boat crew.

The Malaysian officers had intercepted the Indonesian officers` boat on their way to Batam Island while escorting a Malaysian fishing boat that had been caught poaching in Indonesian waters.

The latest incident with Malaysia and the way in which the government handled it has drawn strong public reactions in essence calling for more resolute actions to settle the pending boundary issue.

Tantowi Yahya, a member of the House of Representatives Commission I for defense, information and foreign affairs, suggested that the government withdraw the Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia in protest against the recent sea border violation.

"We propose recalling f our ambassador to Malaysia. This is a protest, an expression of our displeasure at the provocation made by Malaysia. This will be the strongest ever protest Indonesia will lodge to Malaysia," he said in Jakarta last Wednesday (Aug 18).

Tantowi questioned the foreign ministry`s policy of freeing the seven Malaysian fishermen.

"I don`t understand why the `barter` happened, the more so why our state officers were `bartered` with the Malaysian fish poachers. If they are to be released, do it. There is no legal basis for Malaysia to detain the three state officers," he said.

Arresting Indonesian state officers on Indonesian territory was a great humiliation, he said.

"Since the beginning we realize that our diplomacy is weak. We always give priority to soft diplomacy. It`s okay if other countries unknowingly (have violated our territory). But when it comes to Malaysia which has frequently violated (our territory), and conducted a show of force, in my view, the territorial violation cannot be solved by means of soft diplomacy," he said.

Therefore, both countries must sit together to resolve the coordinates of their sea borders, he said.

The government must have the guts to question the motive behind the actions taken by Malaysia so far, he stated.

Previously, National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas) Governor Muladi said the Indonesian government`s attitude towards Malaysia had so far been "too low profile."

"We must not be too low profile. We must sometimes show our real power," he said last Wednesday (Aug 18) in Jakarta.

He said "we have been extremely tolerant. We must lodge a strong protest so that such an incident will not happen again. Malaysia must not demonstrate such arrogance."

Muladi also criticized the country`s Sea Security Coordination Agency (Bakorkamla) which he said was incapable of safeguarding the country`s coasts and marine territory.

"We should form a coast guard force because Bakorkamla is not strong enough. We need a sea and coast guard that is strong and covers 13 offices. Now each office works by itself while Bakorkamla is not effective," he said.

House Deputy Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso meanwhile has asked Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Defense Forces (TNI) Commander General Djoko Suyanto and National Police chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri to take firmer action against Malaysia.

"I have asked the defense minister, the TNI commander, the police chief and the commander of the naval force assigned at the border with Malaysia not to hesitate to seize Malaysian boats, arrogant marine police officers or anyone entering the country`s sea territory illegally," he said.

"To the foreign minister I also appeal not to be idle. Warn the Malaysian authorities against making provocations that could damage the two countries` relations," he said.

Priyo said the government had not been responsive and firm against Malaysia.

He said showing civility did not mean the government must tolerate other countries` impudent behavior. "Our government`s authority is waning," he said.

Former defense minister Juwono Sudarsono said that unclear marine borders have often caused misunderstanding between Indonesia and Malaysia.

Another factor which often create problems in the two countries` relations was Malaysian marine police`s overacting and misbehavior during patrols in border areas, he said here Friday (Aug 20).

"In the field, Malaysian marine police often misbehave and overact. They always show off their power as they know weak points," Juwono Sudarsono said.

Malaysia had violated Indonesian territory 14 times in 2009 and 10 times in 2010.

A prominent Muslim student association has also criticized the way the Indonesian foreign ministry has handled the recent sea border incident with Malaysia, saying its policy on the matter had "shamed" the country.

The executive board of the Indonesian Muslim University Students Union (HMI) in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 18) referred to the ministry`s policy of freeing seven Malaysian fishermen who had been caught poaching in Indonesian waters near Bintan island in exchange for the release of three Indonesian fisheries officers.

"The foreign ministry shamed Indonesia by agreeing to barter the Indonesian fisheries officers with the Malaysian fish poachers," the union said in its statement.

"For having allowed this self-degrading policy to be carried out, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa should resign," HMI chairman Arip Mustopha said in the statement.

"He has made Indonesia appear as lacking self-respect by agreeing to `barter` our three fisheries officers with Malaysians who have stolen fish from our territorial waters," Arip said.

HMI strongly protests the exchange of three Indonesian fisheries officers who were detained by Malaysian police for the seven Malaysian fish poachers, he added.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, however, had earlier denied that there was a "barter" between the two governments to release their respective prisoners.

"So, there was indeed a synergy but the process does not at all involve a barter. What happened was a mutual respect process," the minister said.

On the trespassing case where Malaysian fishermen stole fish in Indonesian waters, the minister said the Indonesian government would always exercise its sovereignty over its territory, and would never compromise on even one inch of its territory.

Indonesia has lodged no fewer than nine diplomatic protests over border violations by neighboring Malaysia since early this year, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa recently.

"The diplomatic notes are important in citing precedents in talks with Malaysia. They affirm our position as a sovereign country, our efforts in protecting the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI)," Minister Natalegawa said.

Marty on a separate occasion said both countries had laid overlapping claims to the waters.

But he believed Indonesia would have stronger position because it laid a claim to the waters under the map number 349 of 2009 while Malaysia`s claim was based on the older map of 1979.

"By checking the coordinates of the spot where the incident happened, we have established that it took place in Indonesian waters. Therefore, we sent a protest note to the Malaysian government through the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta," Marty told a press conference on Wednesday.

"We not only protested the border violation but also the arrest of Indonesian marine and fisheries officers by Malaysian marine police," he added.

Indonesia has proposed a date for talks on border issues with Malaysia and is waiting for a response from Kuala Lumpur, Marty said in his office Monday (Aug 23).

The foreign ministry had taken the initiative after receiving a presidential directive on Sunday on the need to speed up the settlement of pending border issues with Malaysia and other neighboring countries, he explained.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had renewed his request for immediate sea border talks with Malaysia to prevent the recurrence of recent border incidents.

"There is a need for an agreement on the demarcation lines between Indonesia and Malaysia," the President said at his Puri Cikeas Indah residence in Bogor, West Java, on Sunday (Aug 22).

Yudhoyono said the geographical location of Indonesian waters was highly vulnerable to claims by other countries as Indonesia bordered on seven countries and thus, Indonesia must continue to prioritize diplomacy in settling border problems with its neighbors. ***4***

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