Indonesia denies that the Malacca Strait is a crime-prone area and the most dangerous waters, reported Indonesian news agency ANTARA today. The country's minister of defense, Juwono Sudarsono, said "the Indonesian military (TNI) and police have their own data regarding the number of security cases that have happened in the Malacca Strait which is very different from that of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB)." He said after attending an inauguration ceremony at the Pancasila University that the number of security cases was not as many as the IMB had stated, without mentioning figures. He said his office had sent an official denial in connection with the publication of the IMB's statement. Juwono suspected the IMB's statement was aimed at weakening the navy's power in securing its territorial waters and a foreign interest had been behind it. He said he considered the IMB's publication part of war of data and facts aimed at reducing the image of the country's navy's strength. -- SPA
