Ambalat

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Ambalat is a sea block in the Celebes Sea. The sea block is rich in crude oil.

[edit] Sovereignty dispute

The control of the area is disputed by Malaysia and Indonesia. Earlier, Malaysia and Indonesia were in dispute over the control of the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan. The matter was brought up to the International Court of Justice. In 2002, the ICJ awarded the two islands and its surrounding to Malaysia based on "effective occupation" reasoning. That, however, failed to demarcate the maritime boundary between Malaysia and Indonesia in the Celebes Sea.[1]

The dispute between the two Southeast Asian nations amounted to a minor skirmish between the two navies several times. In March 2005, Indonesia accused a Malaysian navy vessel, KD Renchong, of ramming into its military ship, KRI Tedung Naga. The incident caused minor damage to both vessels.[1] A few days after the incident, Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono alleged that the Malaysian government had sent an apology regarding the incident.[2] The Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak however denied making any apology.[3][4] Subsequently Kompas agreed that their report is inaccurate and retract the story and Malaysia agreed not to take action on their misreporting. [5]

The Malaysian navy had chased Indonesian fishermen out of Ambalat as well. Indonesia further accused Malaysia of 35 violations of Indonesian territory.[6]

Furthermore, both Malaysia and Indonesia have awarded oil concessions to Shell, Unocal, and ENI respectively. Both Southeast Asian countries have delivered protest notes to each other. Several demonstrations against this policy sparked in Indonesia within several months as well.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Energy Security and Southeast Asia: The Impact on Maritime Boundary and Territorial Disputes. Harvard Asia Quarterly. Fall 2005.
  2. ^ Malaysia admits mistakes by offering apology over Ambalat Antara. March 29 2005
  3. ^ Najib: No apology made over alleged border violations. New Straits Times. March 30 2005
  4. ^ Najib Denies Malaysia Has Apologised Over Alleged Ambalat Intrusion. Bernama March 29 2007.
  5. ^ "Kompas" dan Deputi Perdana Menteri Malaysia Sepakat Berdamai - Rabu, 04 Mei 2005
  6. ^ Malaysian warships chase away Indonesian fishermen from Ambalat

[edit] External links

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