RI understands border closure

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia said yesterday it understood Malaysia's decision to close a dozen border crossing points along the Sarawak-Kalimantan boundary, but added they should not be closed indefinitely.

"The decision taken by the Malaysian government is their right to maintain security in their territory and can be taken without coordinating with Jakarta," Izhar Ibrahim, the Indonesian foreign ministry's director general for political affairs, told Antara.

On the weekend, Malaysia closed off 12 border posts in the south Sarawak which borders two Indonesian provinces.

The decision was taken to avert a possible spread of reported unrest by several thousand Dayak tribesmen in West Kalimantan.

The sudden closure stranded several hundred Indonesians working or traveling to neighboring Sarawak.

Sunday marks the Moslem Idul Fitri religious holidays in which it is customary for Indonesian Moslems to return to their home towns. The closure of the border crossing points left many Indonesians in Sarawak wondering whether they would be able to return.

The 12 points closed are: Bario, Batu Lintang, Tebedu, Sungai Tujuh, Merapok, Tedungan, Sundar, Serikin, Lundu, Pedawan, Bunan Sega and Kampung Sebanji.

Extra police were deployed at the border posts, to guard against any spillover of troubles from the other side of the border, AFP reported from Kuala Lumpur.

But police said yesterday the situation at all crossings on the Malaysian side was calm.

Foreign ministry sources in Kuala Lumpur said the joint Malaysia-Indonesia border committee had been aware of Malaysia's decision to discourage Malaysians from crossing into Kalimantan.

Izhar could not predict when the crossing points would be reopened.

"I don't know when they will be reopened because if the situation is not yet deemed safe, the Malaysian government will continue to keep the crossing points closed," he said.

Izhar said Jakarta would like to see the crossing points reopened once the unrest has subsided.

"There is no reason for Malaysia to keep the border crossing points closed if the situation is under control, and Indonesia would like to see them opened as soon as possible," he said.

Jakarta would convey its objection if the border was closed indefinitely, even when the situation had been returned to order, he said.

Speaking on the fate of the Indonesians stranded because of the closure, Izhar said there were other checkpoints they could go through. "The government will always help its citizens who are having difficulties abroad," he said. (mds)