The Jakarta Post -- Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said Saturday Indonesia was not afraid of a series of maneuverings by Malaysia in the disputed maritime territory of Ambalat in the Sulawesi Sea.“We are undeterred. Let Malaysia send military force and launch propaganda in Ambalat and its surrounding areas. For certain Ambalat belongs to the Unitary State of Republic of Indonesia,” Juwono said as quoted by Antara news agency.
He said despite their poor economic and social status, Indonesian citizens living near the border were mature and smart enough to resist all forms of Malaysia’s maneuvering and propaganda.
Juwono said Indonesia had awarded concessions to Italian company ENI and US energy giant Chevron to operate in Ambalat since 1966, but Malaysia only began to raise the issue to fore after it released its maritime map in 1979. Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and China are challenging the legitimacy of the map.
"Revenues from the contracts have gone to the state's coffer. Our position is stronger whatsoever...all is in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," he said.
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