Maritime security
Maritime security
I find S. Suhaedi's letter Maritime studies published in The
Jakarta Post on Nov. 2, 1999, an exemplary attempt to raise
awareness of Indonesia's maritime potential. However, Mr. Suhaedi
did not elaborate on an important factor related to realizing
such a vision: Indonesia's naval capabilities.
As once noted by Prof. Hasjim Djalal, Jakarta's current
ambassador for Maritime and Law of the Seas issues, Indonesia has
failed to benefit from its geostrategic position. Instead, this
condition has made Indonesia's national security vulnerable.
According to reports from the International Maritime Bureau,
the Indonesian archipelago is the area with the world's highest
rate of piracy and hijackings. Other reports also indicate that
illegal goods are often smuggled through the uncountable small
ports and hidden waterways that dot our vast maritime territory.
In addition to these security concerns, there remains
unsettled jurisdictional disputes between Indonesia and some of
its immediate neighbors. One of the most heated disputes
(although it does not directly involve Indonesian maritime
claims) is that of the Spratly Islands, which many security
analysts view as a possible flash point for an outbreak of
regional conflict.
The establishment of the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas
(of which Indonesia played a crucial role) may have theoretically
increased Indonesia's maritime jurisdiction. However, because
questions regarding solutions to overlapping claims are not
discussed thoroughly in the Convention, the realization of
Indonesia's goals will depend on its ability to secure waters
surrounding its archipelago.
Unlike other navies, such as the Chinese and Japanese, which
have enjoyed increasing shares of revenue from their respective
governments, the Indonesian Navy's development has been hampered
by the military leadership's preference to build land forces.
Of course, it has to be recognized that naval modernization
requires relatively more funds, considering it not only involves
the purchase of new boats, but also the development of maritime
air surveillance as well as the tedious process of integrating
new weapons into the command structure.
The appointment of a naval officer as the Indonesian
Military's chief will increase the Navy's profile among the three
branches of the military. As a result, the Navy might finally
receive its overdue modernization program. This will complement
the government's ambition to further explore Indonesia's maritime
potential.
This argument should not be seen as simply favoring
militarism; instead, it is an attempt to raise awareness of
Indonesia's vulnerability at sea, which results from the growth
of nonmilitary threats (e.g. piracy and smuggling) as well as the
post-cold war's uncertain regional security climate. To fulfill
its potential as a maritime power, the military needs to start
emphasizing naval development in its future force modernization
program.
SANTO DARMOSUMARTO
Pondok Gede
West Java