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.
Prabowo government’s strategies for fencing Indonesia’s ocean
Settling maritime boundaries must be a priority for Indonesia in order to strengthen and maintain its sovereignty and sovereign rights.
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!
In hot water: Indonesian Navy seamen prepare to search a fishing boat on Oct. 19, 2024 in the waters bordering the Malacca Strait off Lhokseumawe, Aceh, during a patrol to combat trafficking of goods and people. (Antara/Rahmad)
I
had the pleasure and honor of meeting then-foreign minister Retno Marsudi on one of the last days of her tenure. During the meeting, she reminded us about Indonesia’s journey and challenges in settling its maritime boundaries with its neighbors.
Indonesia has so far settled maritime boundaries, partially or fully, with eight of its 10 neighbors. With two of them, Timor-Leste and Palau, maritime boundaries have yet to be established.
During Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s presidency from 2014-2024, three maritime boundary agreements were signed. One with Vietnam in 2022 and two others with Malaysia (2023).
It is not easy to judge whether the three agreements could justify that maritime diplomacy during the Jokowi administration was a success. Maritime boundary negotiation is by no means easy. The agreement between Indonesia and Vietnam in 2023, for example, took 25-30 years to finalize. The 2023 agreements with Malaysia were both new, following the first one established in 1969.
The Jokowi administration’s performance in this area equaled that of his predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who managed to settle three maritime boundary agreements with Singapore’s west segment (2009), the Philippines (2014) and Singapore’s east segment (2014).
In total, Indonesia has 21 maritime boundary agreements with eight neighbors. While Indonesia can be considered as one of the most productive countries in producing maritime boundary agreements, many segments remain unsettled. Settling those boundaries will be the homework of the new leaders.
Newly installed President Prabowo Subianto has appointed Sugiono, a young Gerindra Party politician, as the new foreign minister. It is intriguing to observe that a politician is now serving as foreign minister, as for the last two decades, Indonesia has always had a career diplomat in this position.
