The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) has no worry at all about the impact of rising political tensions in Timor Leste on security in Indonesian waters around Timor, official news agency Antara quoted a spokesman as saying in Surabaya, East Java, on Tuesday.
"In our view so far, the situation in Timor Leste is having no significant impact on security at sea," said Toni Syaiful, spokesman of the Navy's Eatern Fleet Command.
One person was reportedly killed in renewed rioting in Timor Leste's Ermera district on Monday.
Previously, five people were killed in a riot last April 28 in Dili, Timor Leste's capital. The riot reportedly occurred amid rumors saying that former East Timorese soldiers would launch another attack on the capital.
The rumors came a week after deadly clashes between the former soldiers and police that left five people dead and dozens injured.
Nearly 600 East Timorese soldiers were dismissed in March after they abandoned their barracks to protest conditions in the military. They had threatened to wage a guerrilla war against the government if they were not reinstated with better working conditions.
Toni said up to now the Navy had no plan to assign more ships to patrol duty in waters bordering Timor Leste.
At present, one naval patrol ship, the KRI Warakas, was doing an operation to prevent trespassing on Indonesian waters by people from Timor Leste.
"The KRI Warakas is patrolling the waters there and thus if there are any Timor Leste people intending to cross the border into our territory, the patrol ship will send them back," he said.
He, however, said the Indonesia Navy would remain alert and continuously monitor each development occurring in the former Indonesian province.
Source: Xinhua