Govt urged to focus more on remote islands

Govt urged to focus more on remote islands

M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon

The government should learn from its past mistakes, particularly
in reference to Sipadan and Ligitan islands, disputed for years
between Malaysia and Indonesia, and recent tension over the
Ambalat oil and gas blocks, a senior Navy officer says.

The central government should also take steps to secure its
rights to the remote islands of Maluku province said First
Admiral Bambang Supeno, the chief of Ambon's naval base in Ambon.

Based on data from the Maluku Fishery Office in line with the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclose), Maluku
has 812 islands spread across the province.

Of those islands that border directly with Australia and Timor
Leste, 21 of them are determined to be remote islands, eight of
which are located in Aru Islands regency, and 13 in the Western
Southeast Maluku regency.

With 92 remote islands marking the country's outermost
territorial border, 21 of them are located in Maluku and Riau
provinces.

The remote islands' security must be assessed, particularly in
Maluku, as only nine of the 21 islands there are inhabited.
However, the navy has a limited capacity to reach and protect the
archipelago's most remote islands.

Bambang admitted that the Navy had faced difficulties in
observing and protecting the Maluku waters as only five patrol
boats were deployed to oversee Ambon, Southeast Maluku and Aru.
"We are facing a shortage of equipment as there are only five
patrol boats. I think more vessels should be added to the fleet,"
said Bambang after a village chief inauguration ceremony in Siri-
Sori Islam, Saparua district on Saturday.

The Ambon naval command has been provided with the assistance
of an Indonesian Navy vessel dispatched by the Eastern Fleet to
fill the shortage.

Besides protecting the remote islands, the presence of the
naval fleet is intended to curb illegal logging and fish
poaching.

On the same occasion, Maluku public figure Lieut. Gen. (ret.)
Suaidi Marasabessy told The Jakarta Post that there should be
physical presence on the remote islands to avoid the possibility
of them being seized by other countries.

Without physical presence, other countries can claim their
rights to the far-flung islands through the international court,
such as the Sipadan-Ligitan case.

"The government should be committed in handling the matter and
establish their presence on the vacant remote islands, especially
around Timor Leste and Australian territories," said the former
military chief of general staff.

Meanwhile, first assistant secretary of the Maluku provincial
administration Izack Saimima said that steps should be taken to
avoid such a case from occurring in Maluku, for example by
updating data on the islands.

Izack said that the Indonesian Military (TNI) had only shown
their presence on larger islands that were inhabited, like on
Wetar island in Western Southeast Maluku.

"There are no TNI and police personnel manning the remote
outposts on islands that are small and deserted. That is the
problem," said Saimima.