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RI to build military HQ near South China Sea
Indonesia is planning to fortify its borders by setting up three new Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters around its northern and eastern fronts, including one in Riau Islands province to keep a watchful eye on developments in the disputed South China Sea “on a much larger scale”
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Indonesia is planning to fortify its borders by setting up three new Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters around its northern and eastern fronts, including one in Riau Islands province to keep a watchful eye on developments in the disputed South China Sea “on a much larger scale”.
The Riau Islands administration has earmarked a plot of land in the provincial capital of Tanjung Pinang to build a home base for its Joint Defense Area Command I, a senior official has said.
“A total of 40 hectares is being prepped for the command base and for housing. Building will commence next year,” Riau Islands acting governor Isdianto told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
The new joint operations headquarters will further beef up military presence in the area, which is already the site of the Tanjung Pinang and Ranai naval bases. Isdianto recently accompanied Brig. Gen. Gabriel Lema, chief of the 033 WP military regional command (Korem), to survey the plot of land in Tanjung Pinang’s Dompak region where the base will be situated.
The Joint Defense Area Command (Kogabwilhan) is a new command structure in the military specifically set up for border security, and the new headquarters in Tanjung Pinang is expected to oversee operations in the area bordering on Singapore, Malaysia and China. “One of the tasks of the joint military command here involves direct supervision of activities in the South China Sea on a much larger scale,” he said.
The South China Sea, a resource-rich body of water that is also one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes, has for decades been the subject of overlapping territorial claims and is increasingly becoming a flashpoint for countries asserting sovereignty over the disputed waters. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam contest China’s sweeping claims to the sea, which an international tribunal ruling invalidated in 2016.
Indonesia is not a party to any territorial disputes, but China’s claim extended to a patch of sea off the Natuna Islands chain. Tensions with Beijing have led Jakarta to assert its exclusive rights over the waters by renaming it the North Natuna Sea and establishing a maritime industry hub in the vicinity.
Indonesia has also beefed up its military presence in the area. The newly formed commands will be headed by a three-star flag officer, but it is still unclear how large the deployable units will be, Isdianto said.
In addition to the Riau Islands province, the government is also erecting similar units in North Kalimantan (Area Command II) and Papua (Area Command III).
TNI commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto appointed on Sept. 24 Rear Adm. Yudo Margono to helm Kogabwilhan Command I in Tanjung Pinang, Air Rear Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo to lead Area Command II in East Kalimantan's Balikpapan and Maj. Gen. Ganip Warsito as commander of Area Command III Papua's Biak.
It remains unclear whether the Kogabwilhan will merely serve as a coordination office or whether it will also have troops to deploy, with TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Sisriadi declining to comment.
Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Totok Sugiharto also refused to comment.
Defense observer Mufti Makarim said Kogabwilhan was the most reasonable way to improve interbranch coordination.
Before the formation of the joint commands, each branch's regional command had its own separate chains of command, which had hindered coordination for joint military operations.
Mufti said reactions from other countries in the region in regard to Indonesia's Kogabwilhan scheme were expected.
"It depends on our diplomatic strategy," he said, given that diplomats sometimes had a different approach in dealing with potential tensions in the South China Sea.
"It is better for the Foreign Ministry to listen to briefings given by the TNI or Defense Ministry [regarding Kogabwilhan in the South China Sea]," he said. (tjs)
— Kharishar Kahfi and Ina Parlina contributed to the story from Jakarta
