Safe strait, stable world<\/p>\n
The parade of 17 warships from Indonesia, Malaysia and
\nSingapore in the Strait of Malacca on Tuesday was more than a
\nshow of force to enhance the security and safety of commercial
\nships sailing through the narrow waters between Sumatra and the
\nMalaysian peninsula. The three littoral states were also
\ndemonstrating to the world their determination to live up to
\ntheir responsibility: To fight pirates, and more seriously, the
\nthreat of terrorism, whether real or perceived.<\/p>\n
The Malsindo coordinated patrol between the three countries is
\nparticularly important to Indonesia. All eyes have been trained
\non Jakarta these past few years because, according to the
\nInternational Maritime Bureau, most of the 28 pirate attacks that
\noccurred in the 600-kilometer stretch of water in 2003 took place
\non Indonesian territory. The growing piracy problem in the strait
\nwas largely perceived as Indonesia's failure to live up to its
\nresponsibility to the international community.<\/p>\n
The Strait of Malacca, which connects the Indian Ocean with
\nthe South China Sea, is one of the world's busiest shipping
\nlanes. More than 50,000 ships pass through the strait annually,
\ncarrying one-third of the global shipping trade and one-half of
\nthe entire world's crude oil shipment.<\/p>\n
Its importance to the global economy cannot be emphasized
\nstrongly enough. Japan relies entirely on crude oil shipments
\nthat pass through the Strait of Malacca. China and South Korea
\nare also heavily dependent on the safety of the strait to secure
\ntheir booming economy. The strait facilitates trade between East
\nAsia on the one hand, and the Middle East and Europe on the
\nother. The two closest alternative sailing routes are the Sunda
\nand Lombok straits, both are also controlled by Indonesia. The
\nnext alternative, through Australian waters, would be impractical
\nand prohibitively costly.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, as the country that controls these international
\nsea lanes, must bear chief responsibility for the safety and
\nsecurity of ships that pass through its waters. Given the
\nchallenge that Indonesia faces in dealing with the growing
\nsecurity threat in the Strait of Malacca, it is appropriate that
\nthe Navy has sought ways to improve its own performance.<\/p>\n
The ability of the Navy to do its job ultimately depends upon
\nhow much money the government allocates to it. Starved of funding
\ndue to Indonesia's long-running economic crisis, the Navy's
\narmada today desperately needs to be upgraded. The Navy even has
\nto fight to secure enough funding for its operations.<\/p>\n
The decision to coordinate with the two other littoral states
\nwould seem a natural one to make, given the capability of the
\nNavy and the mounting pressure upon it. Let's not forget, the
\nNavy has a vast territory to cover and the Strait of Malacca is a
\nrelatively tiny -- albeit important -- area. Whether the
\noperation with Singapore and Malaysia is sufficient to deter
\npirates or prevent a possible terrorist attack, only time will
\ntell.<\/p>\n
The threat of terrorism cannot be lightly dismissed. The
\nOctober 2002 attack on the French oil tanker Limber in Yemeni
\nwaters, and the deadly strike on USS Cole in Aden port two years
\nearlier, are warnings of the possibility of a \"9\/11 at sea\". A
\nterrorist attack on a slow-moving giant crude oil tanker or a
\nvessel carrying chemicals in the Strait of Malacca would be
\nabsolutely devastating. If that were to occur, shipping in the
\nstrait would be crippled and the impact felt in Japan, China,
\nSouth Korea, Europe, the Middle East and the United States.<\/p>\n
This raises a question, regarding sharing the burden to secure
\nglobal shipping through the strait. The threat of terrorism has
\ncertainly made the challenge of securing the strait much more
\ncomplex than simply dealing with small-time pirates that operate
\nfrom the shore.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's Military Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, in
\nlaunching the coordinated patrol on Tuesday, said Indonesia,
\nMalaysia and Singapore welcome assistance and support from other
\ncountries in helping to patrol the Strait of Malacca. The three
\nstates would also consider the involvement of other countries.<\/p>\n
It is time for other countries that have a stake in greater
\nsecurity for ships passing through the strait to take part. The
\nultimate responsibility for international ships sailing through
\nIndonesian waters remains in our hands, but it would be nice if
\nother countries -- who would benefit from a safer strait -- also
\nchipped in, to ease the burden of the Indonesian people.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/safe-strait-stable-world-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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