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