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Negotiations to Tackle Ongoing Border Dispute
Armando Siahaan & Camelia Pasandaran | August 24, 2010

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Jakarta. Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to discuss border issues at a meeting in Kinabalu early next month after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday asked to accelerate negotiations.

“The border incident and other problems will be the focus on Sept. 6,” Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said on Tuesday.

Marty was referring to the Aug. 14 arrest of three Indonesian maritime officers by the Malaysian Marine Operations Force, after the officers arrested seven Malaysian fishermen believed to be illegally fishing in Indonesian waters.

Three days later Indonesia agreed to release the Malaysian fishermen, while Malaysia freed the Indonesian officers.

After the release, Marty sent a diplomatic note to his Malaysian counterpart to protest the “territorial breach perpetrated by Malaysian officials” in illegally entering Indonesian territory and arresting the patrol officers.

On Tuesday he said the government would not compromise on its territorial claims at the upcoming meeting.

The border incident and its aftermath have led to several protests at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta.

Lawmakers have slammed the release of the Malaysian fishermen, questioning whether it was part of a swap for the three Indonesians.

On Tuesday, maritime official Aji Sularso, who made the final decision to release the fishermen, told House Commission I, which oversees foreign affairs, that they did not have enough evidence to hold them.

He said Malaysian maritime authorities had taken the fishing boats and equipment with them when they arrested the three officers.

“Without those fishing boats, the police could not charge them with anything, and according to the law, they have to be released after 24 hours,” Aji said.

However, he acknowledged that Malaysia had said from the start that it would release the officers immediately if the seven fishermen were freed.

Aji said he did not know if any negotiations on this demand had taken place at ministerial level.

Lawmakers on the commission said they had heard that the three officers had been abused during their detention.

But all three officers — Saivo Grevo Wewengka, Asriadi and Erwan — who were at the commission hearing, denied this.

Saivo said their hands had been tied and their uniforms taken before they were interrogated “in a high tone” on a Malaysian boat. But “there was no abuse.”

Asriadi suffered a minor head wound, which he said happened when he slipped when getting on board the Malaysian police boat.

“I was taken to the clinic to get my injury treated,” he said.

Marty said he was investigating the alleged violence and was considering sending another complaint to the Malaysian Embassy.

“We have already sent a protest letter regarding the arrest of the three officers and border violation, but with the new information about violence, we will investigate and send another protest letter so Malaysia will pay attention to its responsibility,” he said.




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