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.
Sifting through South China Sea maritime issues
There have been at least four incidents involving the Vietnam coast guard and Indonesian maritime law enforcement reported as of May 2017.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Repatriated: Hundreds of Vietnamese fishermen wait for their repatriation to their home country from Batam, Riau Islands, on June 9. A Vietnamese coast guard vessel brings home the fishermen arrested over illegal fishing in Indonesian waters. (Antara/MN. Kanwa)
T
ension in the South China Sea (SCS) is not receding despite the ruling of international arbitration on the territorial waters between the Philippines and China. Rivalry persists not only between maritime powers but also between the claimants.
In particular, a spat between the United States and China has reached an alarming level for littoral Southeast Asian nations, as it may tilt the region’s delicate balance toward an open conflict.
It seems China is increasing and continuing its strategic footprint on various artificial islands, deploying new surveillance systems and establishing advanced military facilities in the area. Similarly, the US is intensifying its presence to enforce the freedom of navigation there.
To make matters worse, exploitation of natural resources has been rife surrounding the disputed territory under the pretext of the right to exclusive economic zone (EEZ), triggering conflict between states.
For example, Vietnamese fishermen operate in the waters the country has claimed as part of its EEZ, with support and protection from its coast guard. On the other hand, Indonesia, which also claims the EEZ, patrols the area as part of enforcement of its national law.
Tension arises when an Indonesian law enforcement agency apprehends the Vietnamese fishing vessels. As happened recently, the Vietnam coast guard asked Indonesian law enforcers to release a fishing vessel accused of poaching in Indonesia’s EEZ.
There have been at least four incidents involving the Vietnam coast guard and Indonesian maritime law enforcement reported as of May 2017. In one of the sea rows, the Vietnam coast guard detained an Indonesian law enforcement officer.
