RI will not allow other countries to escort ships through its water

DENPASAR (Antara): Indonesia will not accept the idea of allowing Singapore or other countries to act as security guards for international ships passing through the Malacca Strait, especially through parts of the waterway located in its territory, a spokesman said.

"Indonesia will object strongly to any security guard escorting ships in its waters," Ibnu Hadi, director for Asia Pacific and Africa Inter-regional Cooperation at the Foreign Ministry, said here on Saturday.

Hadi, flanked by Yuhong, director of Asian Affairs at China's foreign ministry, made the statement after attending a regional meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) discussing marine security issues involving 44 participants from 22 countries.

He said the Indonesian military (TNI) once escorted a US tanker passing through the Malacca Strait.

"Indonesia cannot accept foreign ships escorted by foreign security guards," he said.

Security in the Malacca Strait that passes through Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore is fully in the hands of the three countries according to their respective sovereignty.

He said the busy international shipping lane was quite safe following coordinated patrols by the three countries so far.

All countries using the strait had to have understanding.

He said he hoped countries at the meeting would have common perception and would leave the security of the strait to the littoral countries according to their respective sovereignty. (**)