Neighboring nations to set up strait task force

Neighboring nations to set up strait task force

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta

To counter a rise in piracy and prevent possible terrorist
attacks, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to set up
a task force that will be free to pass over sea borders while
patrolling the narrow Strait of Malacca.

The accord comes in the wake of Indonesia and Malaysia's
rejection of a U.S. proposal on joint patrols in the straits.

In rejecting the proposal, the two countries cited fears that
their territorial rights would be undermined and that the
presence of U.S. forces would attract terrorists.

"We initially planned to establish a joint patrol, meaning
navy personnel from the three countries (Indonesia, Malaysia and
Singapore) would be on board the same patrol boat to guard the
straits.

"But we dropped the plan because we have to respect our own
sovereignty," Indonesian Navy chief Adm. Bernard Kent Sondakh
said on Tuesday during a joint press conference with his
Malaysian counterpart, Adm. Dato' Sri Mohd. Anwar Bin Hj. Mohd
Nor, at the military headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.

Anwar said the countries did not want outside forces to play a
role in securing the straits because "it is better that we
ourselves take the role in securing it. The United States can
help by sharing any intelligence information it has".

He added that there was nothing new in such cooperation,
saying Malaysia and Indonesia had been working together for
years. However, he underlined that the two countries had to
intensify their communication to curb rampant piracy and to deter
terror threats.

The Strait of Malacca -- the narrow, 800-kilometer long
waterway bordered by Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia -- carries
a third of the world's trade and half of the world's oil supply.
But it is rife with pirates and authorities warn the waterway is
vulnerable to possible terror attacks.

Singapore initially welcomed the United States' proposal for
joint patrols in the straits, but Sondakh said Singapore
eventually agreed "to manage problems without foreign
intervention".

Sondakh said coordinated patrols would begin next month and
would allow for a quick response to any impending threats, as
well as cross-border searches and chases. Each country will
contribute four to seven patrol boats and share the same radio
frequencies.

To speed up the establishment of the task force, next week
naval officers from the three countries will meet in Batam, Riau
islands, to discuss the task force, Sondakh said.

"We are going to conduct patrols together in the Malacca
straits throughout the year," Sondakh said. "This coordination
will allow Indonesian patrol boats to chase pirates into
Malaysian and Singaporean waters."

Sondakh also said the naval forces would be able to respond to
a distress call within hours, rather than the "two or three days"
it currently takes.