Image Credit: Indonesian Navy Troops via
Shutterstock.com
Indonesia: Playing With
Fire in the South China
Sea
Indonesia’s new president could
jeopardize bilateral relations and
ASEAN unity with his maritime
“shock therapy.”
On December 5 newly installed President
Joko Widodo ordered Indonesian authorities to set fire to and sink three Vietnamese
boats caught fishing illegally in waters near the Anambas Islands. This incident was
covered by the media and given widespread publicity.
The following day Indonesia officially announced its new policy of “shock therapy” for
illegal poachers. President Widodo told Antara News Agency, “We sunk three of them
on Friday to teach them a lesson, so that they will give up poaching in Indonesian
waters.” According to Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal
and Security Affairs, Indonesia intended to demonstrate “stern government action” and
would sink five Thai fishing boats seized near West Kalimantan after President Widodo
announced his get-tough policy.
President Widodo offered a justification for his actions in a series of interviews with the
foreign press. Widodo told The Wall Street Journal, “Every day there [are] around
5,400 [foreign] boats in our ocean and our sea. And 90% of them are illegal. So to give
shock therapy to them, of course, we [are] sinking them.” Government authorities
estimated that Indonesia looses more than $20 billion annually due to illegal fishing.
President Widodo also noted that Vietnam was not being singled out. He claimed that
fishing boats sailing under the flag of any other nation engaged in illegal fishing would
be treated on the same basis. Under legislation adopted in 2009, relevant Indonesian
authorities may impound or sink fishing vessels operating in Indonesian water without
proper permits.
In an interview with the Indonesian language service of the Voice of America, President
Widodo was quoted as stating, “I instructed the ministry, the military commander, that
this [illegal fishing] couldn’t continue. I instructed them three or four weeks ago to sink
ships involved in illegal fishing. Sink them! No more! But thank Allah, last Friday, we
started sinking several ships.”
By Carl Thayer
December 18, 2014
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 1 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
President Widodo also told Agence France Presse, “I asked our foreign minister to
explain that this is a purely criminal issue and has nothing to do with neighborly
relations.”
Susi Pudjiastuti, Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, revealed that a week prior
to the burning of the Vietnamese boats she had alerted the ambassadors from Malaysia,
the Philippines, and Thailand, but apparently not Vietnam, that Indonesia was moving
to impose sanctions and tougher regulations for illegal fishing in its waters.
Five countries are the major source of illegal fishing in Indonesian waters: China,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Within five days of President
Widodo’s announcement of his “shock therapy” policy Indonesia seized 155 foreign
fishing vessels.
Minister Susi Pudjiastuti reported that Indonesia’s shock therapy resulted in a dramatic
drop in foreign boats operating around Natuna Island. 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 about Indonesia’s treatment of its long-time
political and diplomatic ally, Vietnam.
On June 27, 2013 Indonesia and Vietnam publicly announced that they had raised their
bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. Points 10 and 11 of the Joint Statement
announcing the strategic partnership stated:
10. The two leaders observed the progress in the fisheries and aquaculture
cooperation and emphasized the need for both countries to further
implement the MoU on Marine and Fisheries Cooperation (2010) to further
tap the high potentials of cooperation in this area and to address illegal,
unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, including on the arrangement
for returning fishermen caught or arrested due to (IUU) fishing.
11. The two leaders directed the technical team to expedite their discussion
for the early conclusion on delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and,
without prejudice to the final settlement of maritime boundary
delimitation, encouraged both sides to find a temporary solution to
facilitate cooperation in marine and fisheries affairs.
A separate explanatory note issued by Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry stated that the two
sides “agreed… to closely coordinate in dealing with issues relating to fishermen and
fishing boats that encroach each side’s territorial waters on the basis of humanity and
friendship.”
On December 9, Pham Thu Hang, spokesperson for Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, stated that Vietnam had contacted Indonesia about the sinking of Vietnameseflagged
boats and appealed to Indonesia to deal with the fishermen “in accordance with
international laws, based on humane spirit and on the relations between Indonesia and
other countries.”
In the past year an unprecedented number of Chinese fishing boats have been operating
in sensitive waters around Natuna Island. This year foreign analysts reported that
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 2 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
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.
On December 10, Hong Lei, the official spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs issued a written statement that noted officials from both countries were working
to confirm the details of Indonesia’s seizure of Chinese fishing boats. The statement
also called on Indonesian authorities “to ensure the safety and legal rights of Chinese
crews and address this issue properly.” In the two weeks since President Widodo
announced his policy no government spokesperson has ventured to comment on the
fate of 22 Chinese vessels seized in the Arafura Sea for illegal fishing.
Widodo’s new shock therapy policy also raises questions about the extent to which
domestic populism is driving his policy. According to Farish Noor, writing in Malaysia’s
New Straits Times, “what is troubling about the incident (setting fire to and sinking
three Vietnamese fishing boats)… is that it was a demonstration of power in terms that
seem harsh, over-the-top and contrary to the ASEAN spirit of compromise and
dialogue.”
Farish Noor singled out two issues. First, he argued that the publicity given to the
sinking of the Vietnamese boats “gives the impression that Indonesia is the only victim,
when we know this is not true.” He pointed out that Indonesian fishermen were guilty
of fishing illegally in the waters of neighboring countries as well.
Secondly, Farish Noor noted, “in the past, such boats were captured, the crews arrested
and escorted back to their home waters. Illegal fishing is a problem that the whole of
ASEAN faces, and not Indonesia alone.” Noor then asked rhetorically how would
Indonesians feel if other countries retaliated and burned Indonesian fishing boats?
Farish Noor concluded:
“[T]he moves by Indonesia have gone against the spirit of the association
[ASEAN], and can lead to the view that these are populist moves calculated
to satisfy the electorate. But if every country in ASEAN followed the same
path – pandering to populism, burning the ships of neighbor, etc – then
where will ASEAN head to?”
Indonesian legal expert Frans Hendra Winarta concurred. He accused President
Widodo of being careless by burning and sinking foreign fishing boats because this
risked raising political tensions with fellow members of ASEAN on the eve of the
creation of an ASEAN Economic Community.
Winarta described the sinking of the Vietnamese boasts as a show of force and a
political maneuver to win domestic support. He argued, “Sinking poaching boats
should be the last resort and not a primary one. I am concerned with the way our legal
(standing) is heading: showing force but failing to look far ahead.”
President Widodo shows no sign of rethinking his get-tough policy. On December 15 he
journeyed to Kotabaru in South Kalimantan to mark Nusantara Day, when Indonesia
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 3 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
declared itself an archipelagic state on December 13, 1957. In a speech to mark this
occasion Widodo noted that many leaders from neighboring countries called him prior
to the public burning of the Vietnamese fishing boats. Widodo revealed “(They asked)
‘Pak Jokowi, why use dynamite to sink ships?’ I answered that this was only the first
warning. There would be another message and the second warning… Just wait.”
An editorial in Singapore’s The Straits Times called for President Widodo to enlist the
services of “an eloquent point man to put the scope of Indonesia’s nationalism in the
proper perspective.” The editorial concluded:
“It would be in Jakarta’s interests to ensure diplomatic relations with
countries in the region are safeguarded by not neglecting bilateral
approaches to poaching issues and the detention of foreign boats,
including those of Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Such efforts would also
be in step with Jakarta’s avowed intention of continuing to be actively
involved in ASEAN community-building process, with an eye on the
formation of an ASEAN Economic Community.”
During Indonesia’s recent national elections and on inauguration day President
Widodo has propounded the goal of reviving Indonesia’s past grandeur as a seafaring
nation by making modern-day Indonesia a Global Maritime Axis. This vision appears to
have emboldened Widodo to apply his shock therapy policy to resolve the issue of
illegal poaching. This policy will not succeed because it is a regional problem and
Indonesia lacks the resources to implement it effectively.
President Widodo’s reliance on populism to shore up his new government may play
well at home but it has the potential to raise unnecessary friction in long-standing
bilateral relations with neighboring states and undermine the process of ASEAN
community-building. If Indonesia aspires to play a leading role in Southeast Asian
affairs it must drop unilateral measures and exert leadership to craft a multilateral
regional response.
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 4 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
Image Credit: Indonesian Navy Troops via
Shutterstock.com
Indonesia: Playing With
Fire in the South China
Sea
Indonesia’s new president could
jeopardize bilateral relations and
ASEAN unity with his maritime
“shock therapy.”
On December 5 newly installed President
Joko Widodo ordered Indonesian authorities to set fire to and sink three Vietnamese
boats caught fishing illegally in waters near the Anambas Islands. This incident was
covered by the media and given widespread publicity.
The following day Indonesia officially announced its new policy of “shock therapy” for
illegal poachers. President Widodo told Antara News Agency, “We sunk three of them
on Friday to teach them a lesson, so that they will give up poaching in Indonesian
waters.” According to Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal
and Security Affairs, Indonesia intended to demonstrate “stern government action” and
would sink five Thai fishing boats seized near West Kalimantan after President Widodo
announced his get-tough policy.
President Widodo offered a justification for his actions in a series of interviews with the
foreign press. Widodo told The Wall Street Journal, “Every day there [are] around
5,400 [foreign] boats in our ocean and our sea. And 90% of them are illegal. So to give
shock therapy to them, of course, we [are] sinking them.” Government authorities
estimated that Indonesia looses more than $20 billion annually due to illegal fishing.
President Widodo also noted that Vietnam was not being singled out. He claimed that
fishing boats sailing under the flag of any other nation engaged in illegal fishing would
be treated on the same basis. Under legislation adopted in 2009, relevant Indonesian
authorities may impound or sink fishing vessels operating in Indonesian water without
proper permits.
In an interview with the Indonesian language service of the Voice of America, President
Widodo was quoted as stating, “I instructed the ministry, the military commander, that
this [illegal fishing] couldn’t continue. I instructed them three or four weeks ago to sink
ships involved in illegal fishing. Sink them! No more! But thank Allah, last Friday, we
started sinking several ships.”
By Carl Thayer
December 18, 2014
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 1 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
President Widodo also told Agence France Presse, “I asked our foreign minister to
explain that this is a purely criminal issue and has nothing to do with neighborly
relations.”
Susi Pudjiastuti, Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, revealed that a week prior
to the burning of the Vietnamese boats she had alerted the ambassadors from Malaysia,
the Philippines, and Thailand, but apparently not Vietnam, that Indonesia was moving
to impose sanctions and tougher regulations for illegal fishing in its waters.
Five countries are the major source of illegal fishing in Indonesian waters: China,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Within five days of President
Widodo’s announcement of his “shock therapy” policy Indonesia seized 155 foreign
fishing vessels.
Minister Susi Pudjiastuti reported that Indonesia’s shock therapy resulted in a dramatic
drop in foreign boats operating around Natuna Island. 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 about Indonesia’s treatment of its long-time
political and diplomatic ally, Vietnam.
On June 27, 2013 Indonesia and Vietnam publicly announced that they had raised their
bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. Points 10 and 11 of the Joint Statement
announcing the strategic partnership stated:
10. The two leaders observed the progress in the fisheries and aquaculture
cooperation and emphasized the need for both countries to further
implement the MoU on Marine and Fisheries Cooperation (2010) to further
tap the high potentials of cooperation in this area and to address illegal,
unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, including on the arrangement
for returning fishermen caught or arrested due to (IUU) fishing.
11. The two leaders directed the technical team to expedite their discussion
for the early conclusion on delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and,
without prejudice to the final settlement of maritime boundary
delimitation, encouraged both sides to find a temporary solution to
facilitate cooperation in marine and fisheries affairs.
A separate explanatory note issued by Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry stated that the two
sides “agreed… to closely coordinate in dealing with issues relating to fishermen and
fishing boats that encroach each side’s territorial waters on the basis of humanity and
friendship.”
On December 9, Pham Thu Hang, spokesperson for Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, stated that Vietnam had contacted Indonesia about the sinking of Vietnameseflagged
boats and appealed to Indonesia to deal with the fishermen “in accordance with
international laws, based on humane spirit and on the relations between Indonesia and
other countries.”
In the past year an unprecedented number of Chinese fishing boats have been operating
in sensitive waters around Natuna Island. This year foreign analysts reported that
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 2 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
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.
On December 10, Hong Lei, the official spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs issued a written statement that noted officials from both countries were working
to confirm the details of Indonesia’s seizure of Chinese fishing boats. The statement
also called on Indonesian authorities “to ensure the safety and legal rights of Chinese
crews and address this issue properly.” In the two weeks since President Widodo
announced his policy no government spokesperson has ventured to comment on the
fate of 22 Chinese vessels seized in the Arafura Sea for illegal fishing.
Widodo’s new shock therapy policy also raises questions about the extent to which
domestic populism is driving his policy. According to Farish Noor, writing in Malaysia’s
New Straits Times, “what is troubling about the incident (setting fire to and sinking
three Vietnamese fishing boats)… is that it was a demonstration of power in terms that
seem harsh, over-the-top and contrary to the ASEAN spirit of compromise and
dialogue.”
Farish Noor singled out two issues. First, he argued that the publicity given to the
sinking of the Vietnamese boats “gives the impression that Indonesia is the only victim,
when we know this is not true.” He pointed out that Indonesian fishermen were guilty
of fishing illegally in the waters of neighboring countries as well.
Secondly, Farish Noor noted, “in the past, such boats were captured, the crews arrested
and escorted back to their home waters. Illegal fishing is a problem that the whole of
ASEAN faces, and not Indonesia alone.” Noor then asked rhetorically how would
Indonesians feel if other countries retaliated and burned Indonesian fishing boats?
Farish Noor concluded:
“[T]he moves by Indonesia have gone against the spirit of the association
[ASEAN], and can lead to the view that these are populist moves calculated
to satisfy the electorate. But if every country in ASEAN followed the same
path – pandering to populism, burning the ships of neighbor, etc – then
where will ASEAN head to?”
Indonesian legal expert Frans Hendra Winarta concurred. He accused President
Widodo of being careless by burning and sinking foreign fishing boats because this
risked raising political tensions with fellow members of ASEAN on the eve of the
creation of an ASEAN Economic Community.
Winarta described the sinking of the Vietnamese boasts as a show of force and a
political maneuver to win domestic support. He argued, “Sinking poaching boats
should be the last resort and not a primary one. I am concerned with the way our legal
(standing) is heading: showing force but failing to look far ahead.”
President Widodo shows no sign of rethinking his get-tough policy. On December 15 he
journeyed to Kotabaru in South Kalimantan to mark Nusantara Day, when Indonesia
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 3 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
declared itself an archipelagic state on December 13, 1957. In a speech to mark this
occasion Widodo noted that many leaders from neighboring countries called him prior
to the public burning of the Vietnamese fishing boats. Widodo revealed “(They asked)
‘Pak Jokowi, why use dynamite to sink ships?’ I answered that this was only the first
warning. There would be another message and the second warning… Just wait.”
An editorial in Singapore’s The Straits Times called for President Widodo to enlist the
services of “an eloquent point man to put the scope of Indonesia’s nationalism in the
proper perspective.” The editorial concluded:
“It would be in Jakarta’s interests to ensure diplomatic relations with
countries in the region are safeguarded by not neglecting bilateral
approaches to poaching issues and the detention of foreign boats,
including those of Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Such efforts would also
be in step with Jakarta’s avowed intention of continuing to be actively
involved in ASEAN community-building process, with an eye on the
formation of an ASEAN Economic Community.”
During Indonesia’s recent national elections and on inauguration day President
Widodo has propounded the goal of reviving Indonesia’s past grandeur as a seafaring
nation by making modern-day Indonesia a Global Maritime Axis. This vision appears to
have emboldened Widodo to apply his shock therapy policy to resolve the issue of
illegal poaching. This policy will not succeed because it is a regional problem and
Indonesia lacks the resources to implement it effectively.
President Widodo’s reliance on populism to shore up his new government may play
well at home but it has the potential to raise unnecessary friction in long-standing
bilateral relations with neighboring states and undermine the process of ASEAN
community-building. If Indonesia aspires to play a leading role in Southeast Asian
affairs it must drop unilateral measures and exert leadership to craft a multilateral
regional response.
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 4 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
Shutterstock.com
Indonesia: Playing With
Fire in the South China
Sea
Indonesia’s new president could
jeopardize bilateral relations and
ASEAN unity with his maritime
“shock therapy.”
On December 5 newly installed President
Joko Widodo ordered Indonesian authorities to set fire to and sink three Vietnamese
boats caught fishing illegally in waters near the Anambas Islands. This incident was
covered by the media and given widespread publicity.
The following day Indonesia officially announced its new policy of “shock therapy” for
illegal poachers. President Widodo told Antara News Agency, “We sunk three of them
on Friday to teach them a lesson, so that they will give up poaching in Indonesian
waters.” According to Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal
and Security Affairs, Indonesia intended to demonstrate “stern government action” and
would sink five Thai fishing boats seized near West Kalimantan after President Widodo
announced his get-tough policy.
President Widodo offered a justification for his actions in a series of interviews with the
foreign press. Widodo told The Wall Street Journal, “Every day there [are] around
5,400 [foreign] boats in our ocean and our sea. And 90% of them are illegal. So to give
shock therapy to them, of course, we [are] sinking them.” Government authorities
estimated that Indonesia looses more than $20 billion annually due to illegal fishing.
President Widodo also noted that Vietnam was not being singled out. He claimed that
fishing boats sailing under the flag of any other nation engaged in illegal fishing would
be treated on the same basis. Under legislation adopted in 2009, relevant Indonesian
authorities may impound or sink fishing vessels operating in Indonesian water without
proper permits.
In an interview with the Indonesian language service of the Voice of America, President
Widodo was quoted as stating, “I instructed the ministry, the military commander, that
this [illegal fishing] couldn’t continue. I instructed them three or four weeks ago to sink
ships involved in illegal fishing. Sink them! No more! But thank Allah, last Friday, we
started sinking several ships.”
By Carl Thayer
December 18, 2014
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 1 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
President Widodo also told Agence France Presse, “I asked our foreign minister to
explain that this is a purely criminal issue and has nothing to do with neighborly
relations.”
Susi Pudjiastuti, Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, revealed that a week prior
to the burning of the Vietnamese boats she had alerted the ambassadors from Malaysia,
the Philippines, and Thailand, but apparently not Vietnam, that Indonesia was moving
to impose sanctions and tougher regulations for illegal fishing in its waters.
Five countries are the major source of illegal fishing in Indonesian waters: China,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Within five days of President
Widodo’s announcement of his “shock therapy” policy Indonesia seized 155 foreign
fishing vessels.
Minister Susi Pudjiastuti reported that Indonesia’s shock therapy resulted in a dramatic
drop in foreign boats operating around Natuna Island. 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 about Indonesia’s treatment of its long-time
political and diplomatic ally, Vietnam.
On June 27, 2013 Indonesia and Vietnam publicly announced that they had raised their
bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. Points 10 and 11 of the Joint Statement
announcing the strategic partnership stated:
10. The two leaders observed the progress in the fisheries and aquaculture
cooperation and emphasized the need for both countries to further
implement the MoU on Marine and Fisheries Cooperation (2010) to further
tap the high potentials of cooperation in this area and to address illegal,
unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, including on the arrangement
for returning fishermen caught or arrested due to (IUU) fishing.
11. The two leaders directed the technical team to expedite their discussion
for the early conclusion on delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and,
without prejudice to the final settlement of maritime boundary
delimitation, encouraged both sides to find a temporary solution to
facilitate cooperation in marine and fisheries affairs.
A separate explanatory note issued by Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry stated that the two
sides “agreed… to closely coordinate in dealing with issues relating to fishermen and
fishing boats that encroach each side’s territorial waters on the basis of humanity and
friendship.”
On December 9, Pham Thu Hang, spokesperson for Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, stated that Vietnam had contacted Indonesia about the sinking of Vietnameseflagged
boats and appealed to Indonesia to deal with the fishermen “in accordance with
international laws, based on humane spirit and on the relations between Indonesia and
other countries.”
In the past year an unprecedented number of Chinese fishing boats have been operating
in sensitive waters around Natuna Island. This year foreign analysts reported that
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 2 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
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.
On December 10, Hong Lei, the official spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs issued a written statement that noted officials from both countries were working
to confirm the details of Indonesia’s seizure of Chinese fishing boats. The statement
also called on Indonesian authorities “to ensure the safety and legal rights of Chinese
crews and address this issue properly.” In the two weeks since President Widodo
announced his policy no government spokesperson has ventured to comment on the
fate of 22 Chinese vessels seized in the Arafura Sea for illegal fishing.
Widodo’s new shock therapy policy also raises questions about the extent to which
domestic populism is driving his policy. According to Farish Noor, writing in Malaysia’s
New Straits Times, “what is troubling about the incident (setting fire to and sinking
three Vietnamese fishing boats)… is that it was a demonstration of power in terms that
seem harsh, over-the-top and contrary to the ASEAN spirit of compromise and
dialogue.”
Farish Noor singled out two issues. First, he argued that the publicity given to the
sinking of the Vietnamese boats “gives the impression that Indonesia is the only victim,
when we know this is not true.” He pointed out that Indonesian fishermen were guilty
of fishing illegally in the waters of neighboring countries as well.
Secondly, Farish Noor noted, “in the past, such boats were captured, the crews arrested
and escorted back to their home waters. Illegal fishing is a problem that the whole of
ASEAN faces, and not Indonesia alone.” Noor then asked rhetorically how would
Indonesians feel if other countries retaliated and burned Indonesian fishing boats?
Farish Noor concluded:
“[T]he moves by Indonesia have gone against the spirit of the association
[ASEAN], and can lead to the view that these are populist moves calculated
to satisfy the electorate. But if every country in ASEAN followed the same
path – pandering to populism, burning the ships of neighbor, etc – then
where will ASEAN head to?”
Indonesian legal expert Frans Hendra Winarta concurred. He accused President
Widodo of being careless by burning and sinking foreign fishing boats because this
risked raising political tensions with fellow members of ASEAN on the eve of the
creation of an ASEAN Economic Community.
Winarta described the sinking of the Vietnamese boasts as a show of force and a
political maneuver to win domestic support. He argued, “Sinking poaching boats
should be the last resort and not a primary one. I am concerned with the way our legal
(standing) is heading: showing force but failing to look far ahead.”
President Widodo shows no sign of rethinking his get-tough policy. On December 15 he
journeyed to Kotabaru in South Kalimantan to mark Nusantara Day, when Indonesia
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 3 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
declared itself an archipelagic state on December 13, 1957. In a speech to mark this
occasion Widodo noted that many leaders from neighboring countries called him prior
to the public burning of the Vietnamese fishing boats. Widodo revealed “(They asked)
‘Pak Jokowi, why use dynamite to sink ships?’ I answered that this was only the first
warning. There would be another message and the second warning… Just wait.”
An editorial in Singapore’s The Straits Times called for President Widodo to enlist the
services of “an eloquent point man to put the scope of Indonesia’s nationalism in the
proper perspective.” The editorial concluded:
“It would be in Jakarta’s interests to ensure diplomatic relations with
countries in the region are safeguarded by not neglecting bilateral
approaches to poaching issues and the detention of foreign boats,
including those of Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Such efforts would also
be in step with Jakarta’s avowed intention of continuing to be actively
involved in ASEAN community-building process, with an eye on the
formation of an ASEAN Economic Community.”
During Indonesia’s recent national elections and on inauguration day President
Widodo has propounded the goal of reviving Indonesia’s past grandeur as a seafaring
nation by making modern-day Indonesia a Global Maritime Axis. This vision appears to
have emboldened Widodo to apply his shock therapy policy to resolve the issue of
illegal poaching. This policy will not succeed because it is a regional problem and
Indonesia lacks the resources to implement it effectively.
President Widodo’s reliance on populism to shore up his new government may play
well at home but it has the potential to raise unnecessary friction in long-standing
bilateral relations with neighboring states and undermine the process of ASEAN
community-building. If Indonesia aspires to play a leading role in Southeast Asian
affairs it must drop unilateral measures and exert leadership to craft a multilateral
regional response.
Indonesia: Playing With Fire in the South China Sea | The Diplomat Page 4 of 4
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/indonesia-playing-with-fire-in-the-south-china-sea/ 19/12/2014
Image Credit: Indonesian Navy Troops via
Shutterstock.com
Indonesia: Playing With
Fire in the South China
Sea
Indonesia’s new president could
jeopardize bilateral relations and
ASEAN unity with his maritime
“shock therapy.”
On December 5 newly installed President
Joko Widodo ordered Indonesian authorities to set fire to and sink three Vietnamese
boats caught fishing illegally in waters near the Anambas Islands. This incident was
covered by the media and given widespread publicity.
The following day Indonesia officially announced its new policy of “shock therapy” for
illegal poachers. President Widodo told Antara News Agency, “We sunk three of them
on Friday to teach them a lesson, so that they will give up poaching in Indonesian
waters.” According to Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal
and Security Affairs, Indonesia intended to demonstrate “stern government action” and
would sink five Thai fishing boats seized near West Kalimantan after President Widodo
announced his get-tough policy.
President Widodo offered a justification for his actions in a series of interviews with the
foreign press. Widodo told The Wall Street Journal, “Every day there [are] around
5,400 [foreign] boats in our ocean and our sea. And 90% of them are illegal. So to give
shock therapy to them, of course, we [are] sinking them.” Government authorities
estimated that Indonesia looses more than $20 billion annually due to illegal fishing.
President Widodo also noted that Vietnam was not being singled out. He claimed that
fishing boats sailing under the flag of any other nation engaged in illegal fishing would
be treated on the same basis. Under legislation adopted in 2009, relevant Indonesian
authorities may impound or sink fishing vessels operating in Indonesian water without
proper permits.
In an interview with the Indonesian language service of the Voice of America, President
Widodo was quoted as stating, “I instructed the ministry, the military commander, that
this [illegal fishing] couldn’t continue. I instructed them three or four weeks ago to sink
ships involved in illegal fishing. Sink them! No more! But thank Allah, last Friday, we
started sinking several ships.”
By Carl Thayer
December 18, 2014
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President Widodo also told Agence France Presse, “I asked our foreign minister to
explain that this is a purely criminal issue and has nothing to do with neighborly
relations.”
Susi Pudjiastuti, Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, revealed that a week prior
to the burning of the Vietnamese boats she had alerted the ambassadors from Malaysia,
the Philippines, and Thailand, but apparently not Vietnam, that Indonesia was moving
to impose sanctions and tougher regulations for illegal fishing in its waters.
Five countries are the major source of illegal fishing in Indonesian waters: China,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Within five days of President
Widodo’s announcement of his “shock therapy” policy Indonesia seized 155 foreign
fishing vessels.
Minister Susi Pudjiastuti reported that Indonesia’s shock therapy resulted in a dramatic
drop in foreign boats operating around Natuna Island. 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 about Indonesia’s treatment of its long-time
political and diplomatic ally, Vietnam.
On June 27, 2013 Indonesia and Vietnam publicly announced that they had raised their
bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. Points 10 and 11 of the Joint Statement
announcing the strategic partnership stated:
10. The two leaders observed the progress in the fisheries and aquaculture
cooperation and emphasized the need for both countries to further
implement the MoU on Marine and Fisheries Cooperation (2010) to further
tap the high potentials of cooperation in this area and to address illegal,
unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, including on the arrangement
for returning fishermen caught or arrested due to (IUU) fishing.
11. The two leaders directed the technical team to expedite their discussion
for the early conclusion on delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and,
without prejudice to the final settlement of maritime boundary
delimitation, encouraged both sides to find a temporary solution to
facilitate cooperation in marine and fisheries affairs.
A separate explanatory note issued by Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry stated that the two
sides “agreed… to closely coordinate in dealing with issues relating to fishermen and
fishing boats that encroach each side’s territorial waters on the basis of humanity and
friendship.”
On December 9, Pham Thu Hang, spokesperson for Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, stated that Vietnam had contacted Indonesia about the sinking of Vietnameseflagged
boats and appealed to Indonesia to deal with the fishermen “in accordance with
international laws, based on humane spirit and on the relations between Indonesia and
other countries.”
In the past year an unprecedented number of Chinese fishing boats have been operating
in sensitive waters around Natuna Island. This year foreign analysts reported that
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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.
On December 10, Hong Lei, the official spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs issued a written statement that noted officials from both countries were working
to confirm the details of Indonesia’s seizure of Chinese fishing boats. The statement
also called on Indonesian authorities “to ensure the safety and legal rights of Chinese
crews and address this issue properly.” In the two weeks since President Widodo
announced his policy no government spokesperson has ventured to comment on the
fate of 22 Chinese vessels seized in the Arafura Sea for illegal fishing.
Widodo’s new shock therapy policy also raises questions about the extent to which
domestic populism is driving his policy. According to Farish Noor, writing in Malaysia’s
New Straits Times, “what is troubling about the incident (setting fire to and sinking
three Vietnamese fishing boats)… is that it was a demonstration of power in terms that
seem harsh, over-the-top and contrary to the ASEAN spirit of compromise and
dialogue.”
Farish Noor singled out two issues. First, he argued that the publicity given to the
sinking of the Vietnamese boats “gives the impression that Indonesia is the only victim,
when we know this is not true.” He pointed out that Indonesian fishermen were guilty
of fishing illegally in the waters of neighboring countries as well.
Secondly, Farish Noor noted, “in the past, such boats were captured, the crews arrested
and escorted back to their home waters. Illegal fishing is a problem that the whole of
ASEAN faces, and not Indonesia alone.” Noor then asked rhetorically how would
Indonesians feel if other countries retaliated and burned Indonesian fishing boats?
Farish Noor concluded:
“[T]he moves by Indonesia have gone against the spirit of the association
[ASEAN], and can lead to the view that these are populist moves calculated
to satisfy the electorate. But if every country in ASEAN followed the same
path – pandering to populism, burning the ships of neighbor, etc – then
where will ASEAN head to?”
Indonesian legal expert Frans Hendra Winarta concurred. He accused President
Widodo of being careless by burning and sinking foreign fishing boats because this
risked raising political tensions with fellow members of ASEAN on the eve of the
creation of an ASEAN Economic Community.
Winarta described the sinking of the Vietnamese boasts as a show of force and a
political maneuver to win domestic support. He argued, “Sinking poaching boats
should be the last resort and not a primary one. I am concerned with the way our legal
(standing) is heading: showing force but failing to look far ahead.”
President Widodo shows no sign of rethinking his get-tough policy. On December 15 he
journeyed to Kotabaru in South Kalimantan to mark Nusantara Day, when Indonesia
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declared itself an archipelagic state on December 13, 1957. In a speech to mark this
occasion Widodo noted that many leaders from neighboring countries called him prior
to the public burning of the Vietnamese fishing boats. Widodo revealed “(They asked)
‘Pak Jokowi, why use dynamite to sink ships?’ I answered that this was only the first
warning. There would be another message and the second warning… Just wait.”
An editorial in Singapore’s The Straits Times called for President Widodo to enlist the
services of “an eloquent point man to put the scope of Indonesia’s nationalism in the
proper perspective.” The editorial concluded:
“It would be in Jakarta’s interests to ensure diplomatic relations with
countries in the region are safeguarded by not neglecting bilateral
approaches to poaching issues and the detention of foreign boats,
including those of Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Such efforts would also
be in step with Jakarta’s avowed intention of continuing to be actively
involved in ASEAN community-building process, with an eye on the
formation of an ASEAN Economic Community.”
During Indonesia’s recent national elections and on inauguration day President
Widodo has propounded the goal of reviving Indonesia’s past grandeur as a seafaring
nation by making modern-day Indonesia a Global Maritime Axis. This vision appears to
have emboldened Widodo to apply his shock therapy policy to resolve the issue of
illegal poaching. This policy will not succeed because it is a regional problem and
Indonesia lacks the resources to implement it effectively.
President Widodo’s reliance on populism to shore up his new government may play
well at home but it has the potential to raise unnecessary friction in long-standing
bilateral relations with neighboring states and undermine the process of ASEAN
community-building. If Indonesia aspires to play a leading role in Southeast Asian
affairs it must drop unilateral measures and exert leadership to craft a multilateral
regional response.
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