Behind the Protest on Camar Bulan and Tanjung Datu

Being countries that share borders which span for thousands of miles, Indonesia and Malaysia have had their fair share of neighborly argument. The last one involves the area of Camar Bulan and Tanjung Datu in West Kalimantan which Indonesians claim to have been “snatched” by the Malaysians. To show their displeasure, several social organizations staged a protest in front of the Malaysian High Commission in Jakarta. As the protest went on, emotions ran high and physical scuffles began.

For those that are against the protest, such acts are an embarrassment to the Indonesian Government who pledged to settle any disagreements on the negotiating tables. To make matters worse, the protesters are not people from the affected area, whom by argument have the right to show their unhappiness. The point is if the affected people do not protest, why should these people protest? Others are more critical, saying that these people are just politicizing the entire issue for their own benefits.

However, one can also look at this entire episode from another angle. Although these protesters are not from the affected area, they are Indonesians by birth and hence have the rights to fight for lands that they believe should belong to Indonesia regardless of whether they are from the area or not. To put it simply, it is a case of by Indonesians for Indonesia.

Additionally, one can also argue from the perspective that these people are simply taking over the role of the Indonesian Government, both central and regional, who have the authority and right to make their displeasure known to their neighbour. These people are effectively replacing the Government whom they feel is not firm enough on acts that breach the sovereignty of the nation.