Consul assures that Indonesian soldiers shopping at Lachau unarmed
KUCHING: The Indonesian Consulate here has assured that the Indonesian Army ( TNI) personnel shopping at Lachau do not bear arms.
The vice-consul at the Indonesian Consulate- General Ringgi Perdini told The Borneo Post that the consulate has looked into the issue and had received confirmation that the Indonesian army personnel entering Lachau to buy groceries and food did not bear any arms.
She said since Lachau is the nearest bazaar to the army personnel guarding the border, they have been shopping for their daily needs in the town.
“We have checked the news with our army. Since to reach the closest village in Indonesia takes two days by car, the Indonesian border guards have been buying their daily needs in Lachau.
“We have asked for their confirmation regarding the issue whether there is any army personnel entering Lachau wearing uniform and bringing guns — they have confirmed that there are none going to Lachau bearing firearms,” said Ringgi.
She said TNI units stationed at the border near Lachau will communicate with the ATM ( Malaysian Armed Forces) including making clarification on the article.
Ringgi was responding to an article publishing by The Borneo Post on Tuesday titled ‘ Masir wants ministry to stop Indonesian Army men from entering Lachau without proper papers’.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Masir Kujat was reported to have urged the Ministry of Defence to stop TNI personnel from coming over to Lachau to obtain foodstuff without proper documentation.
According to him, TNI personnel often crossed the border to buy things and he was concerned about the breach of security along the border near Lachau.
Masir who is also the Sri Aman MP thus called on the relevant authorities to immediately strengthen the border near Lachau, a bazaar some 150km from here.
The Borneo Post team had gone to the ground to check on the issue after the news was published.
It was found out that apart from TNI personnel stationed at the border buying their daily necessities at Lachau, Indonesians living near the border have also been shopping at Lachau for decades.