Jakarta (ANTARAews) - Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Triyono Wibowo has warned Malaysia not to misinterpret President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s statements on the need for the two countries to finalize their talks on sea-borders.

"The president used the word to "push" Malaysia to settle the talks on sea-borders between the two countries. In diplomacy, push is a very strong word, and rarely used," Wibowo told ANTARA in an interview at his office Wednesday.

He was referring to remarks made by the president at the National Defense Forces (TNI) headquarters in Jakarta, on September 1. "In this context, I have sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Malaysia in which I conveyed our deep concern over the incident.

I also pushed Malaysia to expedite and finalize the process of maritime border talks," President Yudhoyono said.

Wibowo said Malaysia had been dragging its feet over talks on sea-borders with Indonesia, made various unacceptable excuses to delay them, including such flimsy pretexts as a statement that its responsible officials had been transferred to other posts.

"If the sea-border issues had been discussed without delays, the Bintan incident of August 13 would not have happened," said Wibowo who nevertheless welcomed the results of the Indonesia- Malaysia foreign ministerial meeting in Kinabalu, Sarawak, last September 6.

On President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s remarks on September 1, Wibowo said Malaysia should have a strong and clear commitment to settling the pending sea-border issues because, if they remained unresolved, the risk of border incidents and conflicts would continue to exist. Strained relations would not be good for the two close ASEAN neighbors.

Besides, Malaysia should also take into account the strong reactions among the Indonesian people to the latest incident where three Indonesian maritime officers were arrested by Malaysian marine police and taken to Malaysia for questioning. The officers had reported they received unpleasant treatment while in detention.

"The people here are both those demonstrating in the streets and their representatives in the parliament," Wibowo said, adding that despite their strong feelings over the issue, extreme action on the part of the demonstrators remained unacceptable.

Hundreds of Indonesians in many cities nationwide took to the streets in protest against Malaysia`s actions in the Bintan incident; some had burned the Malaysian flag and thrown human excrement onto the fence of the Malaysian embassy in central Jakarta.

(KR-VFT/S012/S026)

Editor: Suryanto
COPYRIGHT © 2012

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