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Indonesia will not file reply protest against China: FM
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Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi speaks to journalists at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta. (The Jakarta Post/-)
I
ndonesia will not formally protest the Chinese government following the latest incident in Natuna, Riau Islands, where one China-flagged vessel along with its seven crewmen were allegedly caught fishing illegally, a minister has said.
"This is an issue of law enforcement, not a political one," Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com.
Retno said the actions taken by the Indonesian Navy, which arrested one of twelve foreign boats suspected of illegal fishing in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), were correct and sufficient in handling the situation.
“There is no need to extend the issue by lodging a protest,” she added.
The Chinese foreign ministry had protested the Navy's actions and the capture of its citizens, calling it an "excessive use of force" and that the incident had taken place in a traditional Chinese fishing ground where the two countries have overlapping maritime claims.
The Indonesian government has been consistent in denying China's territorial claim, in what is the third of similar incidents this year, by reasoning that it has no value in the face of international laws.
Retno said Indonesia would continue to exercise its sovereign rights over its territorial waters, which is internationally recognized based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
She said a note of protest was common in the world of diplomacy and that it was not to be exaggerated. "Communication is still ongoing, our relationship with China remains good," Retno said. (liz/bbn)
