Warships deployed close to disputed territory<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Navy has deployed three warships to disputed
\nwaters where the Malaysian government has granted oil production
\nsharing contracts.<\/p>\n
\"Yes, we have certainly deployed three Navy vessels to the
\narea, but that does not mean there is tension between the two
\ncountries,\" DPA news agency quoted Lt. Col. Guntur Wahyudi,
\nspokesman for Indonesia's Eastern Fleet (Armatim).<\/p>\n
Wahyudi explained that the deployment of the warships was
\naimed at safeguarding waters close to Sipadan and Ligitan
\nislands, off the eastern coast of East Kalimantan province,
\nbordering Malaysia.<\/p>\n
He said the Indonesian Navy has merely been conducting
\nroutine, round-the-clock patrols in the area.<\/p>\n
In addition to the Navy vessels, the Indonesian military has
\nalso deployed two Nomad maritime aircraft to conduct
\nreconnaissance for possible incursions into Indonesian territory,
\nincluding airspace violations by foreign aircraft, Wahyudi said.<\/p>\n
The government of Indonesia last week lodged a protest against
\na Malaysian oil production sharing contract with Anglo-Dutch
\ngiant Royal Dutch Shell in an offshore area Indonesia claims as
\nits own.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian government says the area is part of its
\nterritory, while Indonesia says that Malaysia's claim was made
\nbased on a self-made map from 1979, which is not recognized by
\nthe Indonesian government or by most other Southeast Asian
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
The disputed areas are close to the Sipadan-Ligitan islands,
\nwhich were awarded to Malaysia by the International Court of
\nJustice in 2003 after a decade-long dispute with Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has urged U.S. oil and
\ngas firm Unocal Corp. to continue exploration activities in the
\ndisputed area, referred to in Indonesia as the East Ambalat oil
\nand gas block.<\/p>\n
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources director-general of
\noil and gas Iin Arifin Takhyan said on Tuesday that Indonesia is
\nopen to a negotiated settlement of the dispute, but in the
\nmeantime \"the show must go on.\"<\/p>\n
\"There will be further talks with the Malaysian authorities
\nover the oil blocks and we are ready to accept a sharing
\nagreement should there be overlapping areas between the two
\ncountries,\" Iin told reporters.<\/p>\n
However, he emphasized that: \"Unocal must continue with
\nexploration activities\" while the government is preparing for the
\ntalks.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government awarded the contract to explore the
\nEast Ambalat block to Unocal in November last year.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo
\nYusgiantoro said that the two deep-water blocks are Indonesian
\nterritory and there is no reason for Unocal not to continue their
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
\"We have granted them the contract, and they should continue
\nwith the exploration as mentioned in the agreement. That
\nterritory is ours,\" the minister said earlier on Monday.<\/p>\n
The territorial dispute between the two nations comes as
\nMalaysia starts a crackdown against illegal workers who are
\nmainly from Indonesia.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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