Manohara Odelia Pinot is home. Media people line up to broadcast her story. The Cipuang - her given name upon marriage to a prince of Kelantan kingdom, Malaysia - revealed to the public the verbal and physical torture she got during the marriage.

If it's true - the validity of the marriage is still a controversy - why did a princess get bad treatment?

Is Indonesian woman an object of torture in Malaysia? Still fresh in mind tens of female migrant workers in the neighboring country come back home broken or died of torture by the employer. Some cases had been brought to trial, many left uncertain.

I can't help but wondering whether justice exist. Should there was a persecution against Manohara from her husband's government it would just add to the record that Malaysia is dim in reverence to the human rights of Indonesians.

Hopefully it's not because the suspected perpetrator is a member of a kingdom that make the subject above the law.

As though all that harassment not enough, Bumi Pertiwi is shocked by the uninvited ships patrol of Malaysia in the Ambalat Island. It was not the first violation, though. According to Navy Chief of Staff Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno in his report to the president on June 3, Malaysia had done such border violations 11 times this year alone.

The feud over Sipadan and Ligitan bordering island becomes a wake up call for Indonesia to keep its area. Should we lose the abundant oil womb Ambalat, it would not only mean the loss of our backbone it's a loss of the nation's sovereignty.

Malaysia is our closest jiran in term of geography proximity, historically and even of the similar culture. Love thy neighbors, they said. Why the bad treatment, then? Is it because Indonesia has no power and diplomacy to pinch back?

The Indonesian government hasn't done anything when Malaysia claimed some Indonesia cultures and boycotted Indonesian music works because they had been a threat to Malaysian music industry.

Although many corners called for confrontation, we should stick with diplomacy. If we want to be known as a great nation, we would not let others walk away after hurting our citizens and sovereignty without facing legal suit. Indonesia also needs to ask for assistance to other countries, particularly Asean countries to watch over. International support is a must in dispute settlement, either on human rights violations and the breach of boundaries.

If we should not live side by side in a warm friendship, honoring and paying respect to each other sovereignty, let the international law upheld to maintain peaceful co-existence.

Fandi A. Nurdiansyah

The writer is a student at the State College of Accounting (STAN) Jakarta. He can be reached at fandi@9.cn

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