TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Indonesia called on to join ReCAAP in combating piracy
Change Size
Close talk: President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte attend a press conference at the State Palace in Jakarta on Sept. 9. They signed a memorandum of understanding on maritime security in Sulu waters. (Antara/Widodo S. Jusuf)
I
ndonesia may get stronger support for its fight against piracy by joining the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), a US official has said.
"If Indonesia joins ReCAAP and coordinates with this multilateral agreement and the International Maritime Bureau [IMB], it’ll get even bigger coordinated patrols. You’ll have better assets, better awareness, better targeting capacity and that will start to drive piracy down," the senior advisor to the assistant secretary for borders, immigration and trade of the US Department of Homeland Security’s policy office, Sean Moon, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
He further said ReCAAP membership was essential although Indonesia had reached a trilateral maritime security agreement with Malaysia and the Philippines to secure regional waters.
Moon underlined that international cooperation and cooperation at sea were key to address maritime security issues because the sea itself was inherently international.
The US official further said ReCAAP would welcome Indonesia's presence as a member of the multilateral agreement, in which it would complete its regional patch because the cooperation overlooked and would create holistic coordination.
“It is in everybody's best interest,” Moon added.
The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC), established under the agreement, was recognized as an international organization in 2007. ReCAAP now consists of 20 member states, mostly from Asia. It also includes the US, Australia and several European countries.
Moon is currently in Indonesia to visit several cities across the country and will engage with the private and public sectors to exchange knowledge on maritime matters, specifically on seaport management and sea security to ensure smooth trade-lane operations. (ebf)
