Indonesia stands up to China on Natuna Islands
2015-01-21
By Martin Sieff
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Indonesia military commander: Gen. Moeldoko, seen here at a press conference on the search for AirAsia Flight 8501, says he and other leaders are determined to rebuff any Chinese threat to Indonesian territory in the South China Sea. [AFP]
The Armed Forces of Indonesia [TNI] is boosting its Air Force presence in the South China Sea, the latest sign that new
President Joko Widodo and top generals are determined to stand up to China to maintain sovereignty over the Natuna Islands.
On January 15, TNI commander
Gen. Moeldokospelled out the Armed Forces leadership’s determination to rebuff any Chinese threats to Indonesian territory in the South China Sea. He also explained the expanded role the Indonesian Air Force would play in fulfilling this strategy.
“In the future, I hope the Indonesian Air Force will be able to boost our sovereignty, especially in the South China Sea,” Moeldoko said during the inauguration of Air Force Chief Vice Marshal Agus Supriatna at the Halim Perdanakusuma Military Base in Jakarta, according to the
Jakarta Post.
Moeldoko said competition in the South China Sea is getting tougher and the Air Force must secure Indonesia’s air territory and trading lines in the area, the newspaper reported.
In comments that hinted at closer bilateral security ties with Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, the TNI commander said Indonesia would be looking to boost its security relationships with other major nations in the region.
Moeldoko said boosting air sovereignty in the South China Sea was important to striking security partnerships with neighboring countries and improving the national economy, the
Jakarta Post said.
Moeldoko’s commitment to the use of armed forced, especially air power, to defend Indonesia’s sovereignty will pose a major roadblock and dilemma for China’s ongoing drive to establish full sovereignty over 90 percent of the South China Sea within its
10-dash line.
Indonesia, with 250 million people, is the fourth most populous nation in the world [after China, India and the United States] and has the largest Muslim population. It is a leading nation in the Muslim world and has close security ties with the United States.
Indonesia does not acknowledge China claims
Gordon G. Chang, an expert on Asian security affairs, told the Asia Pacific Defense Forum [APDF] that Beijing met its match when it tried to make its case for sovereignty over the
Natunas.
Indonesia does not acknowledge that China claims the Natunas as its own, even as the Chinese demand that the Indonesians hand them over.
“Indonesia’s bulking up of air assets in the vicinity of the islands is a clear indication that, whatever Jakarta’s diplomats may say in public, the Natunas are one archipelago too far for China,” Chang said.
Gen. Moeldoko also made clear that Indonesia would have to modernize and expand its Air Force to meet the challenge of enforcing its sovereignty and maintaining security over its region of the South China Sea.
Moeldoko said new jet fighters including the T-501 Golden Eagle, Sukhoi, Super Tucano and F-16 would help with surveillance. The Air Force is working on its 2015 strategic plan to purchase jet fighters to replace the 34-year-old F-5 jet fighters, the
Jakarta Post said.
New foreign minister takes hardline approach
TNI’s tough new line on defending Indonesian sovereignty marks a dramatic change from the traditional “non-aligned” and “consensus” diplomacy followed over the past five years by previous
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. He put top priority on maintaining conflict-free relations with China and cautiously seeking consensus among the 10 nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [ASEAN].
However, Natalegawa’s policy was challenged by
ASEAN member states Vietnam and the Philippines, which are locked in territorial disputes with Beijing over regions of the South China Sea. It also angered top TNI generals who feared Natalegawa was compromising the nation’s security.
Widodo surprised many commentators by embracing the generals’ tough line on defending sovereignty in the South China Sea. This tough stand led to a good start with the army commanders, despite his lack of a military background, and has proven popular with the public.
Southeast Asia analyst Carl Thayer warned in
The Diplomat that there were dangers in the new Widodo-Moeldoko policy.
“Indonesia’s new president could jeopardize bilateral relations and ASEAN unity with his maritime ‘shock therapy,’” wrote Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales.
“[Indonesia Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries] Susi Pudjiastuti reported that Indonesia’s shock therapy resulted in a dramatic drop in foreign boats operating around Natuna Islands. She also claimed that no harm was done to Indonesia’s relations with neighboring countries. Still, President Widodo’s policy of shock therapy raises questions,” he wrote.
Within five days of Widodo’s “shock therapy” announcement, Indonesia seized 155 foreign fishing boats. The announcement followed a period of increasing numbers of fishing boats around Natuna Islands.
“In the past year an unprecedented number of Chinese fishing boats have been operating in sensitive waters around Natuna Islands. This year foreign analysts reported that Chinese fishing boats have even entered Indonesia’s territorial waters and in some cases have sailed up estuaries on small islands. This has led some observers to speculate that Widodo’s policy of shock therapy was a signal to China to rein in such activity,” Thayer wrote.
What steps can Indonesia’s military leaders take to maintain sovereignty over the Natuna Islands? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Indonesia stands up to China on Natuna Islands | Asia Pacific Defense Forum in English
