Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Ronna Nirmala & Armando Siahaan, Jakarta – Indonesian officials have denounced an anti-Malaysia campaign by the ultranationalist People's Democratic Defense, or Bendera, as threatening the two countries' diplomatic relations.
On Monday, Bendera members threw human feces at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta during a protest over a maritime dispute.
The group went further on Friday when its members smeared feces on the Malaysian flag and pictures of Malaysian celebrities in Indonesia. Bendera members also threatened to accost Malaysians working in Jakarta and "force them back to their own country."
On Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the "overreactions will have a negative impact on diplomatic talks between the countries."
He said it was understandable the Malaysian government would be concerned by its flag being burned and its citizens being threatened with violence, "which is unjustifiable even in the context of democracy."
Responding to reports that the Malaysian government had imposed a travel advisory against Indonesia in the wake of Monday's demonstration, Teuku said the Foreign Ministry had yet to receive an official notification from Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie, from the ruling Democratic Party, said the recent demonstrations against Malaysia had "crossed the line of propriety," citing in particular Monday's feces-hurling incident.
He added that threats by Bendera to "run sweeps" for Malaysians living in Indonesia would "create poor conditions for improving relations" between the two countries. "What I fear is that this will also help create a new problem for Indonesians living in Malaysia," he said.
Elsewhere, the National Police released the three Bendera activists arrested for Monday's incident, claiming it could not detain them as "they had not committed a crime."
The police said on Thursday that no action would be taken against the perpetrators, despite pressure from groups within Indonesia and Malaysia to make an example of them.
"We can't charge them if the article relating to the alleged offense doesn't exist," National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Iskandar Hasan said.
The controversy took another turn when legislators at the House called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to resign for failing to prevent the dispute from spiraling out of control.
Rieke Dyah Pitaloka, from the opposition Indonesian Democratic party of Struggle (PDI-P), and Lily Wahid, from the ruling coalition's National Awakening Party (PKB), said they were disappointed with the government's handling of the arrest of Indonesian maritime officials by Malaysian authorities, which had sparked the current unrest.
The officials, who the government said were seized in Indonesian waters, were later released, allegedly in exchange for seven Malaysian fishermen who had been arrested for allegedly poaching in Indonesian waters.
"If the government can't safeguard the country's sovereignty and safety of its citizens, please just resign," Lily said.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, who said the cabinet was unanimous in wishing to see the current dispute incident resolved peacefully, said he hoped Indonesia would act against those behind Monday's "heinous act."
"If it is an offense under Indonesian law, I hope action will be taken against them," he was quoted as saying by Malaysian news agency Bernama. "But I'm not about to tell the Indonesians what to do with their laws. We respect them."
Anifah also told Bernama that Prime Minister Najib Razak had expressed disappointment over the incident. "He thinks it was wrong for them to do that," he said.