UI Professor: The Term 'Maritime' Tends to be Militaristic

University of Indonesia (UI) Faculty of Humanities Professor Melani Budianta has stated that the term ‘maritime’ tends to be militaristic and oriented towards centralised state power. She made the remarks at an international workshop, Doing Critical Island Studies in Southeast Asia, held in Jakarta on Monday (13/7). The event was organised by the National Research and Innovation Agency’s (BRIN) Research Centre for Manuscripts, Literature, and Oral Traditions in collaboration with the UI Faculty of Humanities. Prof. Melani criticised the use of the term ‘maritime’, which she argued is predominantly understood through a state (militaristic) approach that is centralised and power-oriented. As a result, the sea is more often treated as a space to be controlled rather than as a living space for communities. In a discussion titled ‘Nusantara: Maritime Vision and Archipelagic Realities in Indonesia’, Melani offered the concept of ‘Bahari’ as an alternative perspective that places coastal communities as the primary subjects. According to Melani, the sea should be understood as a commons managed democratically by local communities. The two discussion sessions presented complementary perspectives, ranging from a critique of the Nusantara concept to the proposal of a new paradigm in the form of archipelagic thinking.