Indonesia, Malaysia Seek Diplomatic End to Border Row

JAKARTA, March7 , 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Indonesia and Malaysia said Monday, March7 , they would seek a diplomatic end to a border and oil dispute despite a military-backed visit by Indonesia's president to the contested region, risking stoking tensions.

In a telephone conversation early Monday, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Malaysian Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi decided to assign their foreign ministers to end the row, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“We want to settle this in a good manner ... It should be settled well without falling into the trap of confrontation, especially armed confrontation,” Yudhoyono said.

Claims by both countries to an area of the Sulawesi sea, near the land border between Indonesia's East Kalimantan province and Malaysia's Sabah state were recently unbalanced by Kuala Lumpur's granting of oil exploration rights.

Last year, Indonesia awarded another oil giant, US-based Unocal Corp, the right to explore for hydrocarbons in the area, according to Reuters.

Diplomatic Drive

Abdullah, on his part, confirmed the importance of the diplomatic drive, reported the Malaysian news agency, Bernama.

“To prevent any undesirable incidents which may create tension in the relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia, both of us agreed for the matter to be discussed at the diplomatic level,” he said, according to Bernama.

“Hopefully, in this way, any problem faced will, InsyaAllah [God willing], be resolved in a cordial manner," he said, adding that ties between the two countries remained strong.

Abdullah told staff in Malaysia's administrative capital of Putrajaya he was confident talks between the foreign ministers would yield good results.

No timeframe was given for the talks, but the Malaysian foreign minister is due in Jakarta this week for meetings with his European Union and Association of South East Asian Nations counterparts.

Military Buildup

Warships from both countries have come into close contact in the area several times since February 16 when energy giant Shell was given a concession in the area by Malaysia's state oil company Petronas.

The two predominantly Muslim, ethnic Malay states have accused each other's boats and airplanes of incursions into their territories.

On Sunday, March6 , Indonesia said it was beefing up its security presence in the area, sending four F- 16fighter planes and at least seven navy ships to the region, while placing troop reinforcements in nearby North Sulawesi province.

The Royal Malaysian Navy has reportedly stationed two warships in the disputed waters to monitor the situation.

Meanwhile, Yudhoyono was Monday touring East Kalimantan province and was later due to visit Sebatik, an island split between Malaysia and Indonesia that is home to military garrisons belonging to both countries.

Angry Protests

s tensions have increased, anti-Malaysian sentiments have also been on the rise, with demonstrations staged in several major cities, including Jakarta and Makassar on the island of Sulawesi.

In Makassar Monday, thousands of people held a protest outside a provincial parliament building to urge the government to take a firm line against Malaysia.

In Jakarta some 200 members of activist group Study Forum for Democratic Actions held noisy demonstrations at a busy city center roundabout and outside the Malaysian embassy, waving placards and yelling: “Crush Malaysia.”

Indonesia and Malaysia previously disputed the ownership of two small islands east of Sebatik.

But in December2002 , the International Court of Justice ruled that the islands -- Ligitan and Sipadan -- belong to Malaysia.

Malaysia, Southeast Asia's second-biggest crude producer after OPEC member Indonesia, has a similar dispute with Brunei.

The rising tension comes on the backdrop of Malaysia's crackdown on over a million illegal immigrants on its soil, of which some400 , 000are Indonesians.

The Indonesian government pledged early February utmost efforts to bring home its illegal Indonesian immigrants in Malaysia.

The Malaysian government has announced an amnesty period during which the estimated one million undocumented foreigners can return home without penalty. From November14 ,2004 , it was extended to December31 ,2004 and then to January31 ,2005 .

Following the end of the four-month amnesty, Malaysia has launched a controversial operation to round up, whip and deport hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants. The operation has been widely condemned by rights groups and governments of Indonesia, Philippines and other affected Asian countries.