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View all search resultsIndonesia decided not to make any military advances toward Malaysia despite the neighboring country's frequent "trespassing" of warships into the disputed oil-rich Ambalat waters in East Kalimantan
ndonesia decided not to make any military advances toward Malaysia despite the neighboring country's frequent "trespassing" of warships into the disputed oil-rich Ambalat waters in East Kalimantan.
It will instead send Malaysia a diplomatic note planned to be brought about in the two countries' upcoming boundary negotiation.
Indonesian Navy chief of staff Adm. Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno told a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday he would soon send a letter through the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Djoko Santoso to Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirayuda requesting for the diplomatic note.
He said Indonesia would not add its naval nor air force fleet in Ambalat, adding it would keep guarding the area with its current six warships and three military aircrafts.
"We keep guarding the border, and the measures we take are in line with regulation and the President's direction," Tedjo said after a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Office.
"What we do is detecting their presence, building communication with them, shadowing them and then driving them out of our territory.
"Yesterday we successfully drove them out. This morning they also tried to tresspass, but again we managed to send them away," he added.
Tedjo said Malaysia "trespassed" the Ambalat area 76 times in 2007, 23 times in 2008 and 11 times in 2009 as of Wednesday.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS said Indonesia had been in negotiation talks with Malaysia over the Ambalat area 23 times since 2005.
He said the two countries would meet next month for the 24th negotiation talk.
"Indonesia wants the negotiation to cover all of our boundary segments including those in Malacca Strait, Johor, South China Sea and Sulawesi Sea - including Ambalat," Widodo said.
"We hope Malaysia will respect the negotiation process and not carry provocative measures through its units in the field, which trespass and abuse our territory," he added.
Widodo said Yudhoyono had ordered the Foreign Ministry to proactively accelerate the negotiation process.
"And the military is firmly asked to keep taking measures to defend our sovereignty, maritime territory and national jurisdiction."
Earlier Tuesday, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that Indonesia must take action and be prepared to wage war over border breaches in Ambalat waters but pointed out relations with Malaysia remain cordial.
Kalla made the remarks Monday following continued incursions by Malaysian Navy patrol boats into Ambalat waters.
"We must be strict about any violations in Ambalat," he said. "We must be ready for war if we are disturbed."
Kalla added he would check on the issue with the (TNI) to ascertain just how serious the breaches were.
"We will see whether sailing in *the area* constitutes a border violation or not," he said.
"Border violations disrupt a country's sovereignty, therefore stern action is needed."
But Kalla was quick to point out relations between Malaysia and Indonesia were still good.
International borders in the area have yet to be determined, with each country claiming the area as its own.
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