The Indian Ocean: A Neglected Front Page
The method is not by defeating major powers, but by building rules, coalitions, institutions, and cooperation that ensure Indonesia’s interests are taken into account.
Indonesia calls itself the world’s largest archipelagic nation, but its strategic attention to the sea appears not yet commensurate with the vastness of its waters.
Therefore, a statement by the Director General of Asia Pacific and Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Santo Darmosumarto, at Andalas University, Padang, West Sumatra, on 11 August, is noteworthy and deserves scrutiny.
Speaking before approximately 4,000 students, Santo described Indonesia’s position between the Indian and Pacific Oceans as a strategic potential requiring diplomacy to transform it into a real opportunity. According to him, through the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Indonesia is trying to translate its geographical position into national interests.
The problem is that geographical location never automatically becomes a strength. A map only shows position; it does not guarantee influence. A country can be on the world’s busiest trade route yet remain merely a place for ships to pass. It can possess vast maritime territory but lack a strong marine industry. It can have a long coastline, yet its coastal communities remain impoverished.
In this context, geopolitics becomes crucial—how geographical position can be converted into political, economic, technological, and security capacity.
The Indian Ocean is not an empty space. This region is a major global trade and energy route. Connecting the Persian Gulf, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and East Asia, the Indian Ocean is a vital part of the global economic network.
According to the International Energy Agency, the majority of the world’s oil trade still moves by sea. When global energy and trade are so dependent on maritime routes, the security of the Indian Ocean automatically carries consequences far beyond the countries whose shores face that ocean.
Indonesia is not located in the middle of the Indian Ocean like India or Sri Lanka. However, Indonesia is an archipelagic nation that serves as a bridge between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The Sunda Strait, the Lombok Strait, and several other archipelagic sea lanes give Indonesia a significant position in global maritime connectivity. In geopolitical terminology, such a position is not merely a geographical location. It is strategic leverage, a bargaining power that can be utilised if the country has the capacity to manage it.