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Indonesia’s South China Sea dilemmas; re-titled
Topic Started: Mar 3 2014, 05:27 PM (9,104 Views)
Hong Nam
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Bought by China

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Indonesia enters South China Sea strife
Monday, Aug 25, 2014
Reuters

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Indonesia Keeps an Eye on the Natuna Archipelago
Indonesia is growing increasingly wary of Beijing’s intentions for the Natuna Islands.

By Ankit Panda
August 27, 2014

The Indonesian foreign ministry maintains that there is no dispute with China over the Natuna archipelago but has noted that the waters surrounding the archipelago were included in the latest iteration of China’s official maps detailing its dashed line claims. Based on comments made by Indonesian officials earlier this year, it seems that Beijing hasn’t been entirely transparent about its intentions for the Natuna archipelago and if it indeed does see these islands as falling within the scope of its nine-dash claim. Indonesia for its part sought clarifications from the United Nations on what China’s nine dash line means in an international legal sense.

The Natuna islands issue currently sits in a strange sort of limbo. Indonesian officials are wary both of China’s intentions and potentially of losing their privileged leadership position within ASEAN by acting on their suspicions. Beijing, meanwhile, seems content to leave matters as ambiguous as ever, focusing instead on its higher-profile disputes with the Philippines and Vietnam. China has nonetheless stepped up its assertiveness in its near seas in recent years. This suggests that Indonesians officials are right to stay alert regarding China’s intentions for Natuna.

The Diplomat


Edited by Hong Nam, Aug 31 2014, 07:29 PM.

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China-Indonesia Territorial Dispute: Chinese South China Sea Occupation Is A "Real Threat"
By Michelle FlorCruz
September 22 2014


Indonesia has labeled Chinese claims to the hotly disputed South China Sea waters as a "real threat." Vice Admiral Desi Albert Mamahit, who heads Indonesia's Sea Security Coordinating Agency, told a maritime security focus group that the waters surrounding several of the country's islands were in jeopardy from an encroaching Chinese presence.

The Jakarta Post reported the maritime areas surrounding the Natuna Islands on the southern part of the Strait of Malacca technically do not lie within China's proposed territorial claims thus far, but it added China has not clarified its position on Indonesia's exclusive economic maritime zone. The Strait of Malacca is recognized as a prime strategic location, particularly for military observance of the South China waters.



"This is clearly a real threat for Indonesia. This becomes complicated as there are conflicts between fellow ASEAN member countries and China. It will be difficult to speak in one voice, although so far ASEAN solidarity has always been maintained. Indonesia would need to prepare for moves China may make to further expand its claims in the area."
- Vice Admiral Desi Albert Mamahit, dean - Defense University

Indonesia's caution follows faceoffs between China and several Southeast Asian nations involving military ships, fishing boats and oil rigs in disputed waters.


International Business Times




Edited by Hong Nam, Sep 24 2014, 12:01 AM.

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The Next South China Sea Crisis: China vs. Indonesia?
Scott Bentley
September 24, 2014


In comments made earlier this month and published in the local Indonesian press, Jokowi stated that it was necessary to act decisively against foreign fishing vessels in order to prevent the continued theft of Indonesian resources. "If we do not act decisively, our fish will be stolen by foreign ships," Jokowi was quoted as saying.

The issue of illegal fishing by foreign vessels is likely to prove a pivotal challenge for Jokowi's administration, and will almost certainly create tension with another emerging maritime power - China. China is hardly the only country whose fishermen are operating illegally in Indonesian waters. But it's the only one whose fishermen are directly supported if not encouraged by the coercive power of its state security services at sea.

China's expanded presence in disputed areas of the South China Sea is increasingly bringing its fishermen, and its maritime security organizations, into direct contact and often confrontation with those of Indonesia. While the Indonesian foreign ministry continues to maintain there's no dispute between China and Indonesia, China's actions suggest otherwise.

A number of incidents have occurred in the area since 2010, resulting from what ultimately proved to be unsuccessful attempts by Indonesian security forces to prosecute Chinese fishermen operating illegally within Indonesia’s claimed EEZ. Those efforts to assert Indonesian jurisdiction in its claimed EEZ are beginning to form a pattern of persistent failure.

The most recent of those incidents occurred in March of 2013. New details have come to light, including the apparent use of electronic-warfare capabilities by the Chinese Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE) vessel Yuzheng 310. It now appears highly likely that during that incident Yuzheng 310 jammed the communications of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) vessel Hiu Macan 001 in an apparent effort to sever the vessel from its command and control (C2) loop. It appears likely Yuzheng 310 would have been calculating that - in combination with other coercive measures - the action would force the Indonesian captain to release his Chinese prisoners. The suite of measures had the desired effect, but might just as easily have proved dangerously escalatory had the KKP captain instead decided not to acquiesce.

Continued patrols in those areas by what is now the China Coast Guard may confront Jokowi with an early test of his leadership, possibly in a crisis scenario not dissimilar to that from March 2013. It remains to be seen whether or not the new administration is even aware of that potential contingency, let alone prepared to respond effectively.


National Interest



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Is Indonesia Beijing’s Next Target in the South China Sea?
Until recently, Indonesia seemed immune to the maritime disputes. That could be changing.

By Victor Robert Lee
October 02, 2014




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How to connect Beijing’s speculative dashes? The 2013 map is by SinoMaps Press, an arm of the Chinese government (with thanks to Euan Graham for a digital image). Dashes in pink denote Beijing’s claimed “nine-dashed line” (now comprising ten dashes). Superimposed black dashed lines, by the author, show hypothetical ways of connecting the two southernmost dashes in Beijing’s self-proclaimed southern boundary. All three hypotheticals would overlap with Indonesia’s claimed territory around the Natuna Islands, including major natural gas fields.


The Natuna archipelago has been the subject of an Indonesia-China tug-of-war before. Until the 1970s the majority of Natuna residents were ethnic Chinese. Deadly anti-Chinese riots plagued Indonesia in the 1960s, early 1980s, and again in 1998, leading to a decline of the ethnic Chinese population on Natuna from an estimated 5,000-6,000 to somewhere over 1,000 currently. Many ethnic Chinese in the broader region believe to this day that a secret meeting (never publicly confirmed) was held between Deng Xiaoping (China’s premier from 1978 to 1992) and Natuna islanders of Chinese origin, who asked that Deng either back their bid for independence from Indonesia, or bring their island under Chinese suzerainty.

Neither happened, and as part of a nationwide transmigration initiative, the Indonesian government in the 1980s started to relocate ethnically Malay Indonesians to Natuna, for the stated reasons of importing skills and relieving population pressures on the overcrowded main island of Java, and, as perceived by local Chinese Indonesians, for the unstated reason of swamping the ethnic Chinese population with “real Indonesians”; that is, people of Malay ethnicity, who now number approximately 80,000 in the Natuna Islands group.



The Diplomat





Edited by Hong Nam, Oct 5 2014, 02:06 PM.

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Indonesian president joins South China Sea fray in parting move
Staff Reporter 2014-10-15


By deploying its AH-64 attack helicopters to Kepulauan Natuna, about 200 kilometers away from the disputed Spratly islands, Indonesia has become a new potential rival to China in the South China Sea, according to the state-run Global Times.

After a military parade was launched to celebrate the 69th anniversary of the founding of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has clearly decided to make a move before he leaves office later this month.


Want China Times
Edited by Hong Nam, Oct 17 2014, 02:57 AM.

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Even Indonesia: Concerns over China's Reach in the South China Sea
by Felix K. Chang
October 2014


Indonesia has largely stayed out of the fray - so much so that it is rarely listed among the disputants. But it has long been one of them. As an archipelagic state, Indonesia is entitled to an EEZ around its Natuna Islands. In that zone are some of Indonesia's largest offshore natural gas fields. Unfortunately, a portion of that zone (see hatched area on map) also falls within China's "nine-dash line" claim that encloses most of the South China Sea.


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All that has begun to change as China's naval and air power in the South China Sea has grown.

Historically, Indonesia has been content to pursue its foreign policy aims under the rubric of ASEAN. In 2010, Indonesia's concern about its EEZ around the Natuna Islands prompted it to send a letter to the United Nations' Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf "contesting China's position on the South China Sea" and urging it to clarify its claim. China did not.

Unfortunately for Indonesia, the capability of its navy and air force to defend its claims in the South China Sea have not kept up with the growth of Chinese military power in the region. Indeed, the navy and air force have always played second fiddle to the army. Three-quarters of Indonesia's 400,000 active-duty personnel serve in the army. Of the remainder, 20,000 are marines. Only a tiny fraction, 18.5 percent, of its servicemen is in the navy and air force.

Since 2010, Indonesia has taken modest steps to beef up both its naval and air forces. Its 2010 Strategic Defense Plan promised to modernize its military into one better capable of defending the country from external threats. While the army would remain the military's backbone, the navy and air force would receive more funds for military procurement to create a "Minimum Essential Force" by 2025.

That said, Indonesia's military modernization efforts have not been as dramatic as those of the Philippines or Vietnam. Rather, they have remained relatively modest. While the navy will receive three new submarines, the navy would need at least a dozen submarines to adequately protect Indonesia's maritime domain. Most of the navy's ships and submarines have been in service for over a quarter century; and many of them suffer from chronic maintenance problems. Some still worry whether the navy would be able to maintain the size of its fleet, given the rate at which its older ships are approaching the ends of their service lives. The air force's goal remains over 100 fighters short of its goal with only a decade to go.

During his 2014 election campaign, Indonesia's new president, Joko Widodo said that he would increase the country's defense spending to 1.5 percent of the country's GDP, a nearly 70 percent increase over its present level. But Jokowi's pledge was not set in stone. After the election, Jokowi stated that his top priorities were: Indonesia's economy, infrastructure, and social welfare. Defense did not make his first list.

Indonesia may still be reticent about becoming an acknowledged disputant in the South China Sea. But if China's ascent in the region continues as forcefully as it has over the last half decade, it will become harder for Indonesia to stay on the fence. Already, it has begun to lean forward.


FPRI

Edited by Hong Nam, Oct 29 2014, 05:53 PM.

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Indonesia threatens missile attacks against intrusions in South China, Celebes seas
Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - IHS Jane's Navy International
25 November 2014

Tensions near the South China Sea region have been raised a notch after Indonesia indicated that it is considering deploying ship-launched missiles against foreign fishing vessels that intrude into its territorial waters.

The remark was made by Indonesia's newly appointed co-ordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, on 25 November during a press conference at the presidential palace in Jakarta.

(...SNIPPED)

Source: http://www.janes.com/article/46321/indonesia-threatens-missile-attacks-against-intrusions-in-south-china-celebes-seas

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Natuna Is Indonesian, Not Chinese: Jokowi Adviser
A senior adviser to Indonesia’s new president insists the country’s sovereignty is not up for negotiation.

By Prashanth Parameswaran
December 11, 2014


Indonesia will remain firm in protecting its sovereignty on maritime issues ranging from the South China Sea to illegal fishing, a senior adviser to Indonesian president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said Tuesday.

“The sovereignty of Indonesia cannot be negotiated…we are very, very firm on this,” Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, former commander of the Indonesian special forces, told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank based in Washington, D.C.

The Jokowi administration was forced to adopt a hard line in tackling this challenge because previous approaches – which included a mix of dialogue, arresting fishermen and bringing cases to court – had not produced any results.


The Diplomat


Edited by Hong Nam, Dec 12 2014, 06:02 AM.

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Indonesia Sinks First Vessel From China Under Jokowi
Jakarta raises the stakes in its war on illegal fishing.

On May 20, Indonesia destroyed a Chinese vessel caught fishing illegally in Indonesian waters near the South China Sea, the first since President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo declared war on illegal fishing since coming to office late last year.

The Jakarta Post cited Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti as saying that the Gui Xei Yu 12661, a steel-made, 300-gross-ton boat, was sunk on Wednesday in Pontianak, West Kalimantan after it was detonated by the ministry with an explosive device planted on it. The boat was reportedly among 41 vessels simultaneously destroyed to commemorate National Awakening Day, with the others being from neighboring states including the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Indonesian government has been criticized by some in Southeast Asia for its controversial policy of sinking foreign boats from neighboring countries, a practice which Jokowi and his advisers say is necessary since illegal fishing costs the country billions of dollars in lost revenue each year (See: “Explaining Indonesia’s Sink The Vessels Policy Under Jokowi”). According to The Jakarta Post, between October 2014 and March 2015, the ministry and the navy sunk 18 boats from Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

(...SNIPPED)

"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford

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A New Indonesia Military Base Near the South China Sea?
A new plan needs to be put into proper perspective.

By Prashanth Parameswaran
July 17, 2015

On July 10, media reports surfaced that the Indonesian government had announced a plan to construct a new military base to guard border areas near the South China Sea. While the plan is still in its early stages, it is important to keep in mind a few things about what it does and does not mean to avoid misunderstanding what Indonesia may be trying to accomplish.

As it stands now, the plan is better read as part of Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s increasing focus on safeguarding the country’s sovereignty as part of the country’s foreign policy rather than a new departure or hardening of Indonesia’s South China Sea position per se. While defending Indonesia’s borders is hardly a new goal, the Jokowi administration has made it one of its top foreign policy priorities. Indeed, in Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi’s first annual policy statement in Jakarta in January, she indicated that protecting Indonesia’s sovereignty would be accomplished by responding firmly to any intrusions into Indonesian territory and by settling maritime borders (See: “The Trouble With Indonesia’s Foreign Policy Priorities Under Jokowi”). The Jokowi administration’s ‘sink the vessels’ policy within the global maritime fulcrum concept is yet another manifestation of this (See: “Explaining Indonesia’s ‘Sink the Vessels’ Policy Under Jokowi”). Given this background, it is not surprising that Indonesia would announce a plan to build more military posts in border areas to safeguard its territorial integrity.

(...SNIPPED)

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"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."
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