ID :
63942
Wed, 06/03/2009 - 10:21
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https://www.oananews.org//node/63942
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News Focus: GOVT URGED TO INTENSIFY DIALOGUE TO SETTLE AMBALAT ISSUE
By Eliswan Azly
Jakarta, June 2 (ANTARA) - Following Vice President M Jusuf Kalla's remarks on the need to take stern actions against foreign warships encroaching on Indonesian waters in the Ambalat area, some elements in the country have called on the government to intensify dialogue with Malaysia to settle the territorial dispute.
The government should speed up the settlement of the dispute over the Ambalat Block with Malaysia through intensive diplomacy, Dr Sofyan Siregar, an expert on international law and a roving lecturer of the Islamic University of North Sumatra, said here on Tuesday.
The Indonesian government should not keep silent or remain indifferent but continue to conduct good communication with Malaysia, he said.
"We don't need to become emotional when seeing Malaysian warships encrouching on our waters in Ambalat but try to be mature and try to settle the dispute," he said.
According to him, it was something natural if Malaysian ships trespassed Ambalat waters because the two countnries had overlapping claims to the block.
Sofyan, who is also a permanent lecturer of the European Islamic University in Rotterdam, said diplomatic communication to create mutual understanding would yield better results than political communication.
In addition, he said, National Defense Forces (TNI) ships in Ambalat waters should remain vigilant and intensify border patrols without making maneuvers that would create tensions between the two countries.
"It is important for Indonesia as a law-abiding country to avoid tension in border areas between Indonesia and Malaysia, diplomatic channels are the best way to solve the problem," he said.
He said the government, through the Foreign Affairs Ministry, should play an active role and adopt a resolute stance in giving inputs for the best possible solution of the Ambalat dispute between the two countries.
Commenting on the dispatch of TNI personnel to Ambalat, Sofyan said said it had to be done because it was part of the two countries' cooperation to protect their respective borders.
"If Malaysia deploys troops at the border, TNI personnel should not remain silent but try to maintain a conducive situation," he added.
Meanwhile, Abdillah Toha, a House of Representatives (DPR) member, said to maintain security and stability in Asia, the Malaysian government should stop making maneuvers in the Ambalat area that could increase tensions at its border with Indonesia.
"If Malaysia really has a problem with Indonesia, it should be discussed in an amicable way without resort to provocative acts. And as a neighbor it's improper for Indonesia to resort to war," he said.
The frequent maneuvers by Malaysian warships in Indonesian territory in Ambalat waters in the past few days had prompted Indonesia to step up its sea patrols in the disputed territory.
TNI Chief Gen Djoko Santoso said recently that security in Ambalat waters was being maintained in accordance with maritime standard operation procedures agreed on by Indonesia and Malaysia.
In response to high tension on Ambalat with the trespassing of Malaysian warships, Teuku Faizasyah, a foreign ministry spokesman, said that Indonesia was still waiting for confirmation from Malaysia about the continuation of negotiations on Ambalat.
Indonesia, according to Faizasyah, had insisted on continuing the negotiations with Malaysia when their teams met for the last time in July last year.
"Both sides have to talk a lot of things with regard to the Ambalat. Therefore Indonesia at the July meeting asked Malaysia to continue the talks," he said.
However Malaysia had yet to give any confirmation because the neighboring country was still consolidating its negotiating team.
"We have no idea when they will finish consolidating their team of negotiators and are ready to meet us at the negotiation table," the foreign ministry spokesman said.
What is obvious is that the Indonesian government had asked for another confirmation from Malaysia over the continuation of the talks.
He said the Indonesian-Malaysian teams of negotiators on the Ambalat dispute had met 13 times since 2005 but both sides had not met any point of agreement for the settlement of their overlapping claims to the oil- and gas-rich maritime region.
Earlier, House of Representatives' Commission-I member Abdillah Toha said Indonesia should exercise more caution and continue to conduct good communication with Malaysia.
According to the politician from the National Mandate Party (PAN), diplomatic communication to build mutual understanding was necessary to do in order to arrive at an expected results. communication.
In addition, he said, National Defense Forces (TNI) ships in Ambalat waters should remain vigilant and intensify border security without making maneuvers that create tensions between the two countries.
"It is important because Indonesia is a law-abiding country, and therefore to avoid tension in border areas between Indonesia and Malaysia, diplomatic channels are the best way to solve the problem," Toha said.***5***
Jakarta, June 2 (ANTARA) - Following Vice President M Jusuf Kalla's remarks on the need to take stern actions against foreign warships encroaching on Indonesian waters in the Ambalat area, some elements in the country have called on the government to intensify dialogue with Malaysia to settle the territorial dispute.
The government should speed up the settlement of the dispute over the Ambalat Block with Malaysia through intensive diplomacy, Dr Sofyan Siregar, an expert on international law and a roving lecturer of the Islamic University of North Sumatra, said here on Tuesday.
The Indonesian government should not keep silent or remain indifferent but continue to conduct good communication with Malaysia, he said.
"We don't need to become emotional when seeing Malaysian warships encrouching on our waters in Ambalat but try to be mature and try to settle the dispute," he said.
According to him, it was something natural if Malaysian ships trespassed Ambalat waters because the two countnries had overlapping claims to the block.
Sofyan, who is also a permanent lecturer of the European Islamic University in Rotterdam, said diplomatic communication to create mutual understanding would yield better results than political communication.
In addition, he said, National Defense Forces (TNI) ships in Ambalat waters should remain vigilant and intensify border patrols without making maneuvers that would create tensions between the two countries.
"It is important for Indonesia as a law-abiding country to avoid tension in border areas between Indonesia and Malaysia, diplomatic channels are the best way to solve the problem," he said.
He said the government, through the Foreign Affairs Ministry, should play an active role and adopt a resolute stance in giving inputs for the best possible solution of the Ambalat dispute between the two countries.
Commenting on the dispatch of TNI personnel to Ambalat, Sofyan said said it had to be done because it was part of the two countries' cooperation to protect their respective borders.
"If Malaysia deploys troops at the border, TNI personnel should not remain silent but try to maintain a conducive situation," he added.
Meanwhile, Abdillah Toha, a House of Representatives (DPR) member, said to maintain security and stability in Asia, the Malaysian government should stop making maneuvers in the Ambalat area that could increase tensions at its border with Indonesia.
"If Malaysia really has a problem with Indonesia, it should be discussed in an amicable way without resort to provocative acts. And as a neighbor it's improper for Indonesia to resort to war," he said.
The frequent maneuvers by Malaysian warships in Indonesian territory in Ambalat waters in the past few days had prompted Indonesia to step up its sea patrols in the disputed territory.
TNI Chief Gen Djoko Santoso said recently that security in Ambalat waters was being maintained in accordance with maritime standard operation procedures agreed on by Indonesia and Malaysia.
In response to high tension on Ambalat with the trespassing of Malaysian warships, Teuku Faizasyah, a foreign ministry spokesman, said that Indonesia was still waiting for confirmation from Malaysia about the continuation of negotiations on Ambalat.
Indonesia, according to Faizasyah, had insisted on continuing the negotiations with Malaysia when their teams met for the last time in July last year.
"Both sides have to talk a lot of things with regard to the Ambalat. Therefore Indonesia at the July meeting asked Malaysia to continue the talks," he said.
However Malaysia had yet to give any confirmation because the neighboring country was still consolidating its negotiating team.
"We have no idea when they will finish consolidating their team of negotiators and are ready to meet us at the negotiation table," the foreign ministry spokesman said.
What is obvious is that the Indonesian government had asked for another confirmation from Malaysia over the continuation of the talks.
He said the Indonesian-Malaysian teams of negotiators on the Ambalat dispute had met 13 times since 2005 but both sides had not met any point of agreement for the settlement of their overlapping claims to the oil- and gas-rich maritime region.
Earlier, House of Representatives' Commission-I member Abdillah Toha said Indonesia should exercise more caution and continue to conduct good communication with Malaysia.
According to the politician from the National Mandate Party (PAN), diplomatic communication to build mutual understanding was necessary to do in order to arrive at an expected results. communication.
In addition, he said, National Defense Forces (TNI) ships in Ambalat waters should remain vigilant and intensify border security without making maneuvers that create tensions between the two countries.
"It is important because Indonesia is a law-abiding country, and therefore to avoid tension in border areas between Indonesia and Malaysia, diplomatic channels are the best way to solve the problem," Toha said.***5***
