Avoid war

Avoid war

From Media Indonesia

Indonesia is facing a new problem following Malaysia's claim
of the Ambalat Block in the Sulawesi Sea, which according to the
directorate general of oil and gas at the Ministry of Energy and
Mineral Resources, has rich oil and gas deposits.

The Ambalat area is estimated to contain from 700 million to
one billion barrels of crude oil and over 40 trillion cubic feet
of gas. Malaysia made the claim through its Petronas oil company,
which on Feb. 16 gave a concession to British-Dutch giant Shell
to exploit the block.

The Indonesian government rejected the claim because this
country had earlier controlled the offshore territory and given
oil/gas concessions to the Italian ENI and U.S. Linocal
companies.

With both nations preparing their military forces in the
disputed area and a lot of Indonesians enrolling as civilian
militia volunteers, an open war is likely. However, we should be
wise when dealing with this issue and avoid an emotional
reaction, while remembering that we as neighbors are
predominantly Muslim countries.

Any physical confrontation should be prevented, otherwise
regional instability will follow, which invites foreign
intervention. If a conflict is protracted, the zone will be
subjected to foreign control under the UN or an international
court.

SUCIATI
Surabaya