REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu urged people to use safe shipping lines to avoid areas prone to piracy in the border of Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines waters. "I had previously warned sailors to avoid the waters. However, there are people who still cross the piracy-prone areas," Ryacudu said here on Friday.

The government has also coordinated with all stakeholders in transportation to avoid some areas that are prone to piracy, Ryacudu said. "I was annoyed. Why do they prefer to cross the piracy-prone shipping line?" Ryacudu questioned.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry has also urged the Indonesian shipping crews in Sabah Waters of Malaysia not to leave the area after the kidnapping of two Indonesians. Both the Indonesians were fishing in Pengarus Coral Reef of Kertam Waters located at 15 nautical miles from Kuala Kinabatangan of Sabah, Malaysia.

The officer said the two Indonesians were La Utu bin La Raali of SSK 00520F boat and La Hadi Bin La Adi of SN 1154/4F boat. Both of them were from Buton District of South East Sulawesi Province. Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines had conducted a trilateral meeting in Yogyakarta on May 2016 to discuss current issues on maritime security and peace stability.

The meeting agreed to resolve the threats of piracy, hostage-taking and other cross-border crimes immediately. The Foreign Affairs Minister, Retno Marsudi, said the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas is a strategic economic waterway, as more than 55 million metric tons of goods and more than 18 million people are shipped through this waterway every year.

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