Indonesia is involved in bickering over borders with neighboring countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Last week, senior Indonesian and PNG officials held a consultative meeting at Port Moresby in an effort to solve the disputes. The Jakarta Post's Abdul Khalik, , who covered the two-day event that ended last Thursday, spoke about the issue with Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto, who headed the Indonesian delegation.
Question: How important is this consultative meeting to solving problems concerning Indonesia-PNG border areas?
Answer: The meeting was aimed at improving understanding between the governments of the two countries and solving existing problems in the border areas, such as illegal crossings and smuggling cases, as well as enhancing security there.
To regulate trans-border activities, Indonesia and PNG have agreed to establish an international border post -- called the Skow-Wutung post -- early next year. When the post is open, illegal gateways could be shut down as people from Indonesia and PNG will be able to enter both countries legally.
The post will connect Jayapura in Indonesia with Vanimo in PNG. And we believe that the opening of the border post will also encourage economic, social and cultural activities involving the people of both countries, resulting in more prosperity, mutual understanding and friendship in the border areas.
Besides the fact that Indonesia shares borders with PNG, what is the state of relations between the two countries?
PNG has been a strong and loyal supporter of Indonesia's territorial integration, including providing formal recognition that (West) Papua is part of Indonesia. That country has also played an instrumental role in supporting Indonesia's integration at regional and global levels.
Prime Minister Michael Somare has been supporting Indonesia, and is a very good friend of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Both leaders have maintained good communications on issues concerning the two countries. They share views on how to manage the border and support each other on climate change issues at the global level.
Most of Indonesia's border areas are underdeveloped and poor, a result of slow infrastructure development and weak economic conditions, which result in a lack of patriotism among residents, thus threatening disintegration. How is the government handling these problems?
We are now seriously focusing our attention on enhancing economic welfare for people living in border areas as we are aware that prosperity is key to national integration. The House of Representatives passed late last month a bill on national territory, setting a foundation for a legal guarantee for national integration.
Based on the bill, which will soon be signed by the President, we will establish a special management body or commission on border development within six months.
The body will accumulate resources to finance development in border areas throughout the country as well as coordinate all programs under regional administrations and ministries so that they are conducted thoroughly to directly benefit people.
I will use (what we have learned from) border relations with PNG and border management along PNG-Indonesia borders as models to develop other border areas in the country.
But aren't there different issues to address in our country's border areas? For instance, Indonesia-Malaysia border areas are plagued by economic disparity, while Indonesia-PNG borders suffer from security issues.
Yes, of course there are differences. We will handle the border issues based on the needs of the areas in concern. But in general, prosperity and cultural aspects are the main problems.
For instance, we don't need to build a huge, fancy border post to facilitate traditional activities as people there will be afraid of entering the post, so they will use illegal ways. We should try to build a post that is as familiar as possible to local people so that it will be effective.
You see, we plan to introduce a single national identity number for all Indonesian citizens by 2011. We hope that together with the enhancement of border management, the single identity number system will increase accurate management and mitigate identifying residents, thus improving security and the civilian data base.
Are there any special funds being allocated for this special border management body?
Yes, we are working on collecting money. But I think funds allocated for regional administrations and ministries will be sufficient to conduct more development activities in border areas.
You see, regional administrations have received a lot of money from the state budget as mandated by the autonomy law, while ministries have also allocated much of their money to the regions. For instance, more than 70 percent of state funds given to the Home Ministry is allocated to regions.
The problem lies in poor program coordination and integration between ministries (representing the central government) and regional administrations. As a result, people in the regions don't feel a lot of money is being allocated for them. They don't feel the development.
I hope the new border development body can integrate the programs so they become effective.
We need to remember also that without the role and cooperation of regional administrations, all programs will not be applicable. That's why I have told governors that all national programs will be useless unless they make them operational.
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