Malaysia, RI to step up security on shared border<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Malaysia and Indonesia on Tuesday pledged to cooperate in the
\nfight against illegal logging, smuggling and piracy at their
\ncommon border on Borneo island by increasing security.<\/p>\n
Malaysia's defense minister Najib Razak said two new security
\noutposts would be built in 2004 on the border to improve security
\nalong Malaysia's eastern Sarawak state and Indonesia's
\nKalimantan.<\/p>\n
It would take the number of outposts along the border to five.<\/p>\n
Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, who led the
\nIndonesian delegation to the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, said both
\ncountries needed to be aware of the potential for terrorist
\nactivities on porous and poorly manned border areas. He added
\nthey must also fight drugs, weapons and people-smuggling.<\/p>\n
But the meeting, which was attended by some 40 top officials
\nfrom both countries, focused mostly on the divisive issue of
\nillegal logging.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said the practice had to be contained and that
\nboth countries would cooperate to fight the menace.<\/p>\n
"Yes, there are illegal logging activities. There are bad
\npeople everywhere. We are working to overcome it and agreed to
\nincrease the number of security posts," he said.<\/p>\n
Endriartono added the two countries had also addressed the
\nproblem of border markers being moved, which previous reports
\nsaid had been done by Malaysian loggers to enable them to steal
\ntimber from Indonesia. "It is a problem. But we are tackling it
\ntogether," Endriartono said.<\/p>\n
"I am confident we can cooperate to overcome the threats."<\/p>\n
There have been claims and counter-claims in the logging
\ndispute on the huge and underdeveloped island of Borneo, which is
\ndivided between Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's forestry department says annual deforestation
\nrates hit 2.4 million hectares (5.9 million acres) last year,
\nwith estimated losses in government revenue from illegal logging
\nand timber smuggling of more than US$3.5 billion.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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