Second province buys patrol boat to secure territory

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Following in the footstep of its neighbor, Bangka Belitung province has decided to purchase a patrol boat to support the Indonesian Navy in securing the province's maritime territory.

Bangka Belitung Council Speaker Emron Pangkapi said on Tuesday that the boat would be jointly operated by the administration and Navy.

"We have ordered the ship, which is currently at the local shipbuilders, and are paying for it out of the province's budget," Emron said after meeting Vice President Hamzah Haz.

Riau signed a memorandum of understanding with the Navy's Western Fleet early last week, under which the province pledged to buy a warship to be operated by the Navy in securing its maritime territory.

A home affairs ministry official said on Monday that his office was still examining the matter and would nullify it should it be proven to have violated existing regulations, especially the regional autonomy and national defense legislation.

Law No. 22/1999 on regional administration, also known as the regional autonomy law, stipulates that security affairs are solely the responsibility of the central government, and that regional administrations have to channel their donations to the military through the central government.

The national defense law, on the other hand, stipulates that any procurement of military weaponry should be carried out by the defense ministry.

Emron emphasized that with the geographical situation of the province, of which 79 percent is maritime territory, the Navy needed extra boats to curb illegal fishing by foreign fishermen.

He said the province had allocated up to Rp 20 billion (US$2.4 million) for the patrol boat from this year's provincial budget.

"We have to increase our capability against illegal fishermen and improve security around the maritime areas," the councillor said.

According to Emron, almost 50 percent of Thai fishermen in the area were poaching around the province, but the Indonesian Navy could not apprehend their ships due to a shortage of patrol boats.

The purchase of military equipment has become a new trend among rich provinces in the country, which now have greater freedom to manage their budgets following the implementation of regional autonomy in 2001.

However, critics have said that regional administration plans to buy military equipment contradicted the autonomy law, which underlined that defense matters were the sole responsibility of the central government.

Aside from Bangka Belitung and Riau provinces, Emron said several provinces in Kalimantan were also hoping to do the same thing.

"We could then cooperate with other provinces in securing the maritime territory around us," the councillor remarked.

Meanwhile, in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province, Eastern fleet Sea Security Commander Rear Adm. Didik Setiadi said he had asked the newly inaugurated governor to provide a patrol boat for the navy.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with NTB Governor Lalu Serinata, Didik said that the Navy did not have enough ships to secure the area, which is also an international sea lane.

"We do not have enough patrol boats to secure the sea, and we asked the governor to supply more boats," the Navy officer was quoted by Antara as saying.

He said the province needed at least five boats to provide an adequate sea patrol.