Mabuti pa sila oh, tayo kaya? # Jakarta . In a move that could have serious repercussions for the security situation in the South China Sea, Indonesian officials on Wednesday acknowledged that China was claiming part of Indonesia’s Riau Islands province as its own territory. The Indonesian Military’s (TNI) Air Commodore Fahru Zaini, who is a member of the defense strategy unit at the office of the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said that China had included parts of the Natuna Islands within its so- called nine-dash line. This line indicates the border of China’s maritime claims, comprising almost the entire South China Sea. An image depicting the nine-dash line was also included in newly issued Chinese passports. “What China has done affects the Unitary State of Indonesia,” Fahru said in Natuna on Wednesday. “As such, we have come to Natuna to see firsthand the strategic position of the TNI, especially in its ability, strength and its deployment of troops, just in case anything should happen in this region.” Indonesia is not the only country whose territory China has laid claim to, with # Vietnam , # Malaysia , # Brunei , the # Philippines and Taiwan all experiencing similar problems in the South China Sea. Fahru emphasized that in order to protect Indonesian territorial integrity, it was important to strengthen social cohesion in the country’s outlying areas, like the district of Natuna. “[In] border areas such as Natuna, the unity of people across all ethnicities needs to be strengthened — unity needs to be prioritized so that it will not be easily influenced by other countries,” he said, adding that Indonesia was strategically located, with foreign boats and aircraft passing by on a daily basis. “This strategic location can be an advantage, but there are some downsides. It all depends on how we implement it as a state,” Fahru said. Gen. Moeldoko, the TNI chief, last week flew to China to attend a meeting with his Chinese counterpart to affirm Indonesia’s commitment to stabilizing the volatile South China Sea area. Returning from his trip, Moeldoko said he had plans to further strengthen Indonesia’s presence in the Natuna Islands, because of their strategic location. “We have to continue monitoring the developments in the South China Sea cautiously,” Moeldoko told reporters last week, as quoted by Tempo.co. He emphasized that any negative events taking place in the area could have a dangerous impact on Indonesia, saying that he had asked the heads of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force to put together a formula to strengthen the military force in Natuna. He also added that the military would be adding at least one Army battalion in addition to strengthening its existing naval base in Natuna. “We will also prepare fighter aircraft in the area,” he said.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 08:27:14 +0000
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