Surabaya, E Java (ANTARA News) - Indonesia should stage military maneuvers to back up its position in diplomatic talks to settle pending border problems with Malaysia, an observer here said.

"To strengthen our position in diplomatic talks with Malaysia, we should hold military maneuvers, short of war," international relations observer Basis Susilo MA said here Friday.

He concurred with the views expressed by many quarters that the government`s stance in the wake of the August 13 incident in Bintan Island waters was too soft.

According to the Airlangga University lecturer, staging military maneuvers to support diplomacy was a common practice in international affairs

"China always uses military maneuvers in and and outside the region when dealing with Taiwan, but maneuvers do not necessarily have to lead to war," he said.

Basis who is dean of the Social and Political Faculty of Airlangga University (Unair), said the military action by Indonesia would be a "show of force" to tell other countries not to mess with Indonesia.

"For example, we need to persuade Malaysia to apologize for the inhuman treatment of our three fisheries officers," he said.

He appraise that officials is the representative of Indonesian government, because of that a deal with them mean deal with Indonesia.

"That ethic depend on other countries behavior toward the officials of DKP. If there is inhuman treatment, so we have a rights to prosecute apology from Malaysia," he said.

That thing, he said, different with the treatment for the fisherman because the fisherman can not be said to represent Indonesia.

"Substantially, I think the President Yudhoyono speech related to Malaysia behavior is hard enough, but his style is soft," he said.

However, he said, the President Yudhoyono speech to solve borders problems with Malaysia was not enough.

"The border problems is not enough, because the arrest must be responded to strongly through the military maneuvers short of war," he said.(*)

Editor: Heru
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