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Jakarta Post

Respecting boundaries

After all, an independent and sovereign Indonesia is key to security and peace in the region.

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, September 21, 2021

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Respecting boundaries The Chinese coast guard ship 5204 was detected by Bakamla patrol ship KN Nipah 321 through an automatic identification system around 10 a.m. local time in September, 2020. (Courtesy of Bakamla/--)

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t was surely not unintentional that in its statement issued last week regarding the latest situation around Natuna waters, the Navy mentioned the presence of both Chinese and United States vessels in the international waters around the territory.

With that statement Indonesia not only sought to protect its sovereignty and national interests, but it also chose to conduct a delicate balancing act in a region that has just entered a new era with the signing of a nuclear submarine deal involving the US, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Tension is certainly rising and Indonesia, consistent with its status as the elder statesman of ASEAN, is also poised to project an image of leadership in the region, while others remain silent, hedging their bets on the new security alliance, depending on their strategic interests.

Up to this time, the Navy has for the most part only talked about incursions by Chinese vessels, but since last week, after it became official that the US has officially entered the game with the AUKUS pact, the superpower nation has also become the target of our attention.

After all, there were worrying aspects about the activities of those naval vessels in the South China Sea, some of which were in close contact, which prompted the Navy to deliver its assessment of the situation.

There was speculation that China appeared to be preparing for a stand-off between the USS Carl Vinson and the Chinese survey vessel Haizhang Dizhi 10, both of which were in positions only 50 nautical miles apart on Sept. 12. It was also during this time that Indonesian fishermen reported sighting six Chinese vessels, including type 052D destroyer Kunming, which has been widely discussed in the media.

In response to this escalation, Indonesia has dispatched four warships, the tanker KRI Bontang and a number of Bakamla (Coast Guard) patrol vessels, which may sound a lot but is in fact modest in comparison with the gravity of the situation.

But Indonesia definitely intends to send a strong signal that it is ready and willing to defend its territorial integrity.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, a populist president backed by a nationalist political party, has made it clear that when it comes to territorial integrity he certainly does not want anyone testing Indonesia’s resolve. In 2016, he held a limited Cabinet meeting on board a warship in Natuna waters. Last year, again Jokowi visited Natuna regency, his fourth outing to the area that abuts the South China Sea while in office. He has also ordered the deployment of troops and military equipment to natural resource-rich Natuna.

It is mandated by the Constitution that the nation must endeavor to bring peace to the world, and Indonesia has no desire to stoke tensions.

Its free-and-active foreign policy has also guided Indonesia to be an honest broker especially in the region, commensurate with its status as a middle power. However, Indonesia can only accomplish this role if it has enough credibility and that will be determined by whether Indonesia can defend its own territorial integrity.

After all, an independent and sovereign Indonesia is key to security and peace in the region.

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