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Natuna conflict pits Prabowo against former allies
Since Prabowo’s surprise appointment as defense minister, his former allies in the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and conservative Muslim 212 Alumni (PA 212) association have begun to criticize Prabowo's moves, including his stance on the Natuna navigation dispute in the Riau Islands.
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Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto salutes journalists before his first working meeting as minister with lawmakers at the House of Representatives. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
D
efense Minister Prabowo Subianto’s careful response to the tension between Indonesia and China over Chinese fishing vessels in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the North Natuna Sea has drawn sharp criticism from some of the Gerindra Party chairman’s former allies.
The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), formerly one of Gerindra’s closest partners, issued a statement criticizing Prabowo’s perceived lack of firmness.
Prabowo had said that the government would handle the situation in a “cool” manner. “We are cool. We are relaxed. We can resolve this amicably. After all, China is a friendly nation,” he said last week.
PKS spokesperson Muhammad Kholid said in the statement that he regretted Prabowo’s “soft attitude” toward China.
“Pak Prabowo, as defense minister, should not take issues of sovereignty lightly. His response should be firm and authoritative. If it is soft and relaxed, this nation will be further degraded by other nations because we do not act with courage,” he said.
By contrast, Kholid praised Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi’s handling of the incident, calling it “assertive”.
In response to the PKS’s statement, Prabowo’s spokesperson Dahnil Simanjuntak issued a statement saying that the PKS seemed to want to “downgrade” Prabowo’s position as defense minister.
