Jokowi Wants Military to Pursue More Humanitarian Operations

Jakarta Globe, Eko Prasetyo, April 12, 2016

President Joko Widodo on board Indonesian battleship Frans Kaisiepo-368 during
 the opening of Komodo Exercise 2016, a multi-country naval exercise in Padang,
West Sumatra, Tuesday (12/04). (State Palace Press Photo/Rusman)

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo attended the opening of the five-day multi-country Komodo naval exercise, at the Indonesian Naval Base II in Padang, West Sumatra, on Tuesday (12/04).

In his speech, Joko stressed the importance of military operations other than war (MOOTW), including for humanitarian purposes.

“Improve health services. Build better public facilities. Help out in search and rescue missions. The real battle is to improve our humanity,” Joko said in his statement.

A total of 47 vessels from 16 countries will take part in the exercises until Saturday.

Indonesia Sinks 10 Illegal Fishing Vessels

Jakarta Globe, Alin Almanar, December 31, 2015

Susi Pudjiastuti, the minister for maritime affairs and fisheries, visits impounded
 illegal foreign fishing vessels in Kubu Raya district, West Kalimantan. (Antara
Photo/Jessica Helena Wuysang)

Jakarta. Indonesian authorities on Thursday simultaneously sank ten foreign and local fishing boats caught operating illegally in the archipelago's vast waters, in the government's latest move in its war on illegal fishing.

Among the foreign vessels destroyed that day, two were Philippine-flagged boats carrying 16 and three Filipino fishermen respectively; another two hailed from Malaysia, each with a crew of 22 consisting of Malaysian and Myanmar nationals.

The latter two were caught with a total of 19 tons of fish.

The remaining were Indonesian fishing boats that had employed a crew of 44 Filipinos combined.

The vessels were sunk in four separate locations: six in the waters of Tahuna district off the coast of North Sulawesi; two in Tarakan, North Kalimantan; one in Belawan, North Sumatra; and another in Ranai, Riau.

"We will continue to take firm actions against boats caught fishing illegally in Indonesian waters as per the president's instructions," said First Adm. M. Zainudin, spokesman for the Indonesian Navy.

Upon taking office last October, President Joko Widodo instructed authorities to take drastic measures in tackling illegal and unreported fishing, which lead to dozens of ships from neighboring countries being destroyed.

According to government estimates, illegal fishing is costing the state some Rp 300 trillion ($21.68 billion) annually.

Jokowi, in Rare Tirade, Threatens to Fire Officials Over Cargo Delays at Tanjung Priok

Jakarta Globe, Jun 17, 2015

President Joko Widodo telling officials and reporters what’s what, during a visit to
 Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok Port on Wednesday. The president threatened to fire
 officials responsible for the notorious delays in moving cargo through the port.
(Antara Photo/Widodo S. Jusuf)

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo gave an uncharacteristic outburst during an inspection of Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok Port on Wednesday, threatening to fire officials responsible for the lengthy delays in moving containers through the port.

“The process takes too long because the people handling it don’t want to move fast,” he told an entourage of officials and reporters.

He noted that Tanjung Priok’s dwell time, or the amount of time a container spends at the port before moving on, was an average of 5.5 days – the longest in Asia, he said. He also said some items took up to a month to clear customs and excise.

Joko added he was well aware of the legendary delays at the port, which handles two-thirds of Indonesia’s international trade, from his experience running a furniture export business, and threatened to fire any officials responsible for the problem.

“Let it be known that if things get [even more] difficult, I can fire the director general, the people on the ground, even the minister. If that’s how you work that’s [what will happen],” he said.

He did not specify which director general or minister he was referring to. The director general of customs and excise is Agung Kuswandono, whose office falls under the purview of the Finance Ministry, headed by Bambang Brodjonegoro. The trade and transportation ministries, which also have a hand in operations at the port, are headed respectively by Rachmat Gobel and Jonan Ignasius.

Joko said it was apparent that no one involved in the process – from loading and unloading containers to clearing them through customs – understood their duties or responsibilities, and chastised the officials around him for glossing over the problems.

“Don’t say everything’s fine. The reality is that [Indonesia] is lagging far behind. So who? Customs or trade? Who should I be speaking to?” he said, repeating the question seven more times.

There was no response from any of the officials.

“Which agency takes the longest time [processing] exports and imports?” the president went on. “There’s gotta be one. So I’m asking again, which one? Fess up, and we’ll fix it.”

Again there was no response.

Joko said the average dwell time at Tanjung Priok should be brought down to 4.7 days if Indonesia was to be competitive with Singapore and Malaysia.

“I want this port to be faster, more efficient, to give the best import and export services, because our business is the service business,” he said.

Thailand Tells Indonesia It Will Tackle Illegal Fishing

Jakarta Globe,  Apr 23, 2015

Three Vietnamese fishing vessels were scuttled in the Natuna Sea near Anambas
 in Riau Islands, on Dec. 5, 2014, after allegedly being caught poaching. (Antara
Photo/Joko Sulistyo)

Jakarta. Joko Widodo and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha pledged on Thursday to solve the ongoing illegal fishing issues in Indonesian waters.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Sofyan Djalil and Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti were also present during the meeting.

“Thailand says it will solve illegal fishing issues and will sanction the companies conducting illegal fishing,” Susi told the state-run news agency Antara on Thursday.

There has yet to be a written commitment. Thailand did, however, say at the Asian-African Maritime Forum on Monday that it was committed to installing vessel-monitoring systems to track boat movements.

Joko Widodo has made illegal fishing a significant plank of his commitment to reform, emphasizing that Indonesia loses billions of dollars to foreign vessels encroaching on Indonesian waters.

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Joko Praises Minister Susi’s Work on Combating Illegal Fishing

Jakarta Globe, Novy Lumanauw, Apr 07, 2015

A fisherman formerly held in slave-like conditions by a Thai-owned fishing firm in
Benjina, Maluku, shows evidence of abuse. (Antara Foto/Humas Kementerian
Kelautan)

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo on Tuesday expressed support for Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti and called on her to continue tackling illegal fishing in Indonesian waters.

Joko was speaking in response to a year-long Associated Press investigation that revealed the use of slave labor by at least one company operating in Benjina in Maluku’s Aru Islands district. A Thai-owned fishing company based in Benjina was recently discovered to have confined and exploited fishermen, mostly from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, in slavery conditions.

“This is an international issue and I want thorough reporting on it,” Joko said.

Susi said she was disturbed to learn that Pusaka Benjina Resources had been keeping at least 327 slaves in captivity, working under the threat of torture or even death. The ministry has since shut down the company.

The revelation has prompted the ministry to pledge closer monitoring of fishing companies operating throughout Indonesia.

Susi said her office quickly inspected other companies operating in Benjina and found a further 1,185 fishermen living in similar conditions.

The minister said there was evidence other firms in the area were using slave labor — and had been doing so for years.

The director general for monitoring of maritime resources, Asep Burhanuddin, said the ministry had formed a task force with local prosecutors, immigration officials, the Navy and the National Police.

On Friday, days after the story broke, the task force was deployed to Benjina. The workers, some of whom had been enslaved for nine years, were taken to Tual, an island around 100 kilometers west of Aru, from where they were repatriated.

Company officials have been charged with human trafficking and violating the Manpower Law.

Meanwhile, Joko also asked the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to monitor the flow of funds to illegal fishing vessels to aid Susi in her crackdown.

“She’s done good work and the ministry needs to keep it up,” Joko said in a discussion about illegal fishing. “All ministries and the PPATK need to continue working together so we can find out everything about illegal fishing,” he added.

“The Maritime and Fisheries Ministry needs this knowledge so that it can act accordingly and based on the facts.”

Related Article:

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Indonesia Sends Aid to Cyclone-Hit Vanuatu

Jakarta Globe, Apr 05, 2015

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, center, sends off the Indonesian aid
delegation to cyclone-hit Vanuatu. (Antara Foto/Rivan Awal Lingga)

Jakarta. The Indonesian government has sent $2 million worth of aid to Vanuatu, which was smashed by a devastating cyclone last month that left 11 people dead and thousands homeless.

A Garuda Indonesia Airbus 330 and Cardig Boeing 737 left with the relief packages from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Saturday.

“The aid will be a symbol of Indonesian commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Vanuatu in terms of disaster mitigation,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The aid consists of $450,000 in cash, as well as 6,000 packages of nutrition supplements and food, 6,000 packages of ready-to-eat food and 2,000 packages of biscuits.

The shipment also contained 149 carts of baby food, 333 carts of pregnancy food, 500 packages of children’s clothing, 7,500 blankets, 26 carts of solar cells and 200 family tents.

Cyclone Pam affected more than two thirds of the South Pacific island nation, wiping out crops and destroying fishing fleets.

Vanauata’s government is now coordinating an international relief effort.

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Indonesia to Partner With Interpol in Tackling Illegal Fishing

Jakarta Globe, Mar 02, 2015

Susi Pudjiastuti, the minister for maritime affairs and fisheries, visiting a dock
 where impounded illegal foreign fishing vessels are kept, in Kubu Raya
 district, West Kalimantan. (Antara Photo/Jessica Helena Wuysang)

Jakarta. The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is eying a partnership with Interpol to better tackle illegal fishing in Indonesian waters.

“The ministry will partner with Interpol to catch poachers using fake taxpayer numbers, so the ministry will not be alone [in facing this challenge],” Minister Susi Pudjiastuti told reporters on Monday, as quoted by news portal Republika.co.id.

The initiative stems from the seizure of a ship named Kunlun by the Australian government, last week. The Kunlun, which had been operating under at least 10 different names and five flags since 2006, was one of three illegal fishing ships in the Southern Ocean that had been tracked down by Interpol, which facilitates international police cooperation.

Susi stressed that illegal fishing was an international crime. She also noted that the ministry had arrested boat crews that included underage workers and others without proper documentation.

“This kind of crime committed on the oceans can be used for human trafficking,” Susi said. “This is a subject for international investigation.”

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Sinking Poachers’ Boats Doesn’t Float With Environmentalists

Jakarta Globe, Basten Gokkon, Feb 17, 2015

The detonation and sinking of illegal foreign vessels, such as this Thai-flagged
 boat, has proved popular with the public despite the environmental blowback.
(Antara Photo/Joko Sulistyo)

Jakarta. Indonesia’s fisheries minister, Susi Pudjiastuti, has fast become one of the most popular ministers in President Joko Widodo’s cabinet, thanks in large part to her trigger-happy policy of sinking foreign fishing vessels caught poaching in Indonesian waters.

The sinkings began on Dec. 5 when three vessels flying the Vietnamese flag were scuttle off the Riau Islands.

Since then, the minister has been on a crusade, with the Navy behind her, to sink more boats, the most recent being on Feb. 10, when another Vietnamese vessel met a fiery fate in the pristine waters of the Raja Ampat archipelago in Papua.

But while the policy has earned Susi brownie points with the public (a survey last month identified her as the most popular minister in the cabinet), environmentalists are appalled at the gung-ho sinking of vessels, using explosives, in delicate maritime ecosystems.

“The debris of the vessels can end up becoming trash floating around in the sea,” says Arifsyah Nasution, an oceans campaigner at Greenpeace Indonesia.

“The use of explosives to sink the boat disturbs and threatens the fish near the location of the explosion — in a way, it has the same effect as using dynamite to catch fish.”

There is also no indication that the Navy properly cleans out the vessels of their highly polluting diesel and bunker oil before sinking them.

“The bigger the boat, the more oil is left over in the tanks, and that oil will contaminate the sea,” says Anton Wijonarno, the manager of the marine protected area for fisheries program at WWF Indonesia.

Both Arifsyah and Anton conceded that there has been little research on the impact to maritime ecosystems of blowing up wooden boats, but say the explosions need to stop, at least for now.

“There should be a discussion among maritime ecosystem experts on this matter as a precautionary approach before the government carries on sinking more vessels,” Arifsyah says.

Anton says the government must consider several factors to minimize damaging delicate ecosystems, such as Raja Ampat, which is an important habitat for manta rays and other rare marine species that flock to its extensive coral reefs.

“Any explosion should be conducted in an area where the water depth is at least 40 meters, not in shallow areas where coral grows,” Anton says.

He notes that while sunken wrecks can and often do serve as artificial reefs in coastal waters, the “excessive use” of explosives by the Navy can end up “destroying the vessels completely, thus rendering them useless as artificial reefs.”

President Joko claims that destroying illegal foreign fishing vessels has proven an effective deterrent against poachers. There are, however, no statistics available on the proliferation of such boats in Indonesian waters before and after the sinkings began to corroborate this.

For her part, Susi claims the government has, through the new hard-line policy, managed to slash the number of illegal vessels operating in the country’s waters by 90 percent — another figure that cannot be independently verified — and prevented them from “stealing the archipelago’s underwater natural resources.”

Greenpeace’s Arifsyah said that no matter how effective the government made the policy out to be, it should still consider sinking boats in the middle of the sea using explosives as an act of last resort.

“There are two other ways: sinking them without any burning or use of explosives, or towing them back to shore and breaking them up and selling the parts,” he says.

Landmark Education Deal Looks to Maritime Future

Jakarta Globe, Rabab Hannan, Feb 10, 2015

Pelita Harapan University (UPH) rector Jonathan L. Parapak, right, director of the
 Shipping and Transportation College Rotterdam (STC-Group) Albert Bos, center,
 and MCS Internasional manning and training services managing director Johan
Novitrian sign a cooperation agreement as Hajo Provo Kluit from the Netherlands
 Embasy, right, and Humpuss Intermoda Transportasi director Theo Lekatompessy
look on. (ID Photo/Emral)

Jakarta. Hajo Provo Kluit, the deputy head of the economic department of the Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta, has formalized the signing of a maritime educational partnership between Pelita Harapan University (UPH), STC-Group Rotterdam and Humpuss Intermoda Transportasi.

The master’s program opens management opportunities in the field of maritime industry, with practical training and internship collaboration provided by STC and Humpuss Intermoda Transportasi.

Held at the university’s executive education facility in Jakarta on Monday, the signing of the cooperation allows the expansion of human resources in the fields of maritime, logistics and supply chain.

“The ties between Indonesia and Netherlands are very broad. Our embassy processes about 28,000 visa applications a year to travel to the Netherlands. Students are also studying at various institutes in Netherlands,” Provo Kluit said.

“Another area in which the Indonesian government is close to the Netherlands is interest in infrastructure, logistics and water management. I like to think of Indonesia as our gateway to Southeast Asia,” Provo Kluit added on behalf of the economic department of the Netherlands Embassy.

UPH’s key mission is for the specialization of the maritime industry and for senior managers to access port authority, shipping and logistics companies throughout Indonesia.

“I’d like to thank STC and Humpuss to have actually taken part together in this executive program to start something unique in Indonesia,” said UPH rector Jonathan Parapak. “This is a very elite program that will be of interest to many Indonesians. Thank you to the embassy of the Netherlands for supporting this too.”

International faculty members will also teach the program from one of the world’s largest shipping schools — STC Group Rotterdam — offering practical and engaging experiences.

“Hopefully this program can help future executives of the government,” said STC director Captain Albert Bos.

The UPH executive education center was established in 2013 with a mission to provide cutting-edge, results-orientated executive education programs that build managerial and leadership capabilities.

UPH is pushing for an international standard in education, especially in the field of human capital training for maritime services.

“The government is pushing for a maritime industry but I think there is a significant gap in the human capital development in that particular sector,” said UPH senior adviser for executive education Grace Ugut. “Building ports can be done quite quickly — money is there — but building human capital is something that will have to be invested in.”

The uniqueness of this program lies in the integration of shipping, commercial, technological and even maritime law and leadership endeavors.

“Our program will not only open up a classroom, but there is a component of internship, local content and we partner with STC because they are really good in terms of technical assistance but we also invite institutes from the UK and Sweden as they are very strong on the maritime quality and insurance,” Grace said. “We want the best standard but at the same time have all the local content.”

Theo Lekatompessy, president director of new partner Humpuss Intermoda Transportasi, however, revealed the extent of international and regional challenges through inconsistent standards of educational recognition.

“The problem is basically we need a standard in Indonesia; at least the harmonization of education. So when you have a certificate in Jakarta it will reflect the same wherever you go,” Theo said. “Our next issue is how to apply the standard on certifications of the skills [in maritime] with international standards?”

He emphasized the need to overlook international standards in order to find national common ground for Indonesian Maritime education.

“STC is fine-tuning the standards and allowing it to become applicable. UPH will focus on the education and development of the capacity building group.”

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AirAsia, Indonesia and Effective Crisis Management

Jakarta Globe, Bloomberg, Dec 31, 2014

President Joko Widodo on board a Hercules plane taking part in the
search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501, on Tuesday.(Antara Photo/Andika Wahyu)

In his run for president this year, Joko Widodo pledged to bring greater openness and accountability to Indonesia. As his administration faces its first international crisis, the mysterious crash of an AirAsia jet, he’s proving to be a man of his word.

You can tell a lot about a nation from its response to great tragedy, whether it’s Japan’s 2011 Fukushima crisis, Malaysia’s lost Boeing 777 in March or South Korea’s deadly ferry accident in April. So far, Joko has performed admirably.

Since news broke on Sunday that an Airbus A320 flying from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore vanished with 162 people on board, Joko has coordinated search-and-rescue efforts, demanded a review of air safety regulations and called on weather agencies to provide timelier information. His government is giving steady updates, and Joko has sought help from Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Australia and, remarkably, China and the US in finding Flight QZ8501.

In contrast, last spring, Malaysia was widely criticized for the secrecy and paranoia that surrounded its search for a Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared with 239 people aboard. Welcoming US and Chinese military ships into Indonesia’s orbit speaks to Joko’s confidence as a leader.

Let’s hope this is a harbinger of future competence. Joko is the fifth president since dictator Suharto was ousted in 1998 but the first true political outsider to run Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. Because he’s not a member of a dynastic family or the military, he isn’t beholden to vested interests looking to siphon the benefits of Indonesia’s 5 percent growth. That gives him latitude to dismantle the kleptocracy that Suharto built during his 32-year reign and raise Indonesia’s competitiveness.

As governor of Jakarta, starting in 2012, Joko brought a surprising level of transparency. He moved budget procurement and tax collection processes online. He’s now working to make national government services electronic to reduce opportunities for graft and improve efficiency. Opening up the process of granting licenses for developing infrastructure, mines and plantations alone would do much to clean up the nation’s political and business climate.

Indonesia’s aviation industry also has long cried out for greater oversight. Its carriers, air traffic controllers and the skies around the archipelago of 250 million people are notorious for their regulatory laxity. As recently as 2009, state carrier Garuda was banned from European Union airspace. That laxity is a product of decades of cronyism and institutional neglect.

While Joko’s predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made inroads against graft, Indonesia’s still ranks behind Djibouti and Argentina and a sober 22 rungs below India in Transparency International’s latest corruption perceptions index. The daylight Joko wants to shine on the government is needed to attract more foreign investment and ensure that scarce revenues are spent on education, health care and poverty programs.

The openness and assertiveness with which Joko has responded to Flight QZ8501 gives me reason to hope that Indonesia will be prepared for whatever comes its way.

William Pesek is a Bloomberg View columnist based in Tokyo and writes on economics, markets and politics throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

President Joko Widodo, center, talks to the head of Indonesia’s national search
 and rescue agency, Soelistyo, left, and Chief of the Sea Security Coordinating
 Agency, Vice Admiral Desi Albert Mamahit, right, shortly before a news conference
 about missing Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ 8501 in Jakarta, on Dec. 29, 2014.
 (EPA Photo/Bagus Indahono)

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Indonesian Air Force Eying Russian Jet to Combat Illegal Fishing

Jakarta Globe, Dec 22, 2014

A version of the Beriev plane the Indonesian Air Force wants to buy.
(Photo Courtesy of Beriev Aircraft Company)

Jakarta. The Indonesian Air Force says it will buy Russian-designed multipurpose amphibious aircraft to help prevent illegal fishing in the country’s waters.

“This Beriev Be-200 Altair is very reliable to monitor aquatic areas. The amphibious aircraft can land on the sea so it can help us catch illegal fishermen,” Marshall Ida Bagus Putu Dunia, the chief of the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU), told reporters in Jakarta on Monday, as quoted by state-run news agency Antara.

“President Joko Widodo has agreed with the plan to buy the aircraft,” he added.

The Beriev Be-200 is designed by the Beriev Aircraft Company and manufactured by Irkut Corporation, another Russian company. It can be used for firefighting, search and rescue, and maritime patrols. The aircraft is able to drop 12,000 liters of water or transport up to 72 passengers.

It was not immediately clear how many planes would be bought, and how much the deal was worth.

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Fishy Business in Maritime Sector, as Ship Sinking Directive Goes Lax

Jakarta Globe, Ezra Sihite & Nuriy Azizah Susetyo, Dec 19, 2014

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo is questioning the commitment of his staff to protect Indonesia’s maritime resources, ordering officials to be more serious about sinking foreign vessels caught poaching on Indonesian waters.

“Two months ago I gave a direct order: If any [foreign fishing boats] enter our waters, immediately sink it. I have to repeat the same order up to three times before any action is taken,” Joko said in his speech at the National Development Planning Seminar in Jakarta on Thursday.

“I thought to myself, why must I issue the same order three times. They should have taken action the first time I said it.”

Joko’s speech would likely fuel further speculation that Indonesian security officials have been assisting foreign poachers in exchange for bribes.

Several officers have been sanctioned in the past for assisting boats that encroached Indonesian waters as well as those involved in people smuggling.

Joko also questioned why security officials have so far only sunk around 30 trespassing boats, pointing to a government estimate 90 percent of the fishing vessels operating in Indonesia are foreign boats that operate without permits or have little fear of being sanctioned.

According to the government, Indonesia has lost up to Rp 300 trillion ($24 billion) annually from foreign poachers. To address the problem, the government is planning to increase the number of boats to patrol Indonesia’s vast waters.

The National Police’s Marine Security Division has 678 patrol boats, while the Indonesian Navy has 159 ships.

Both agencies have said that they are well-equipped and have adequate human resources but pointed to a lack of funding to buy fuel as the main reason why their patrols have not been effective.

Last month, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Moeldoko proposed a supply of 350,000 kiloliters of fuel per month to patrol Indonesian waters.

Maritime and Fishery Affairs Miniter Susi Pudjiastuti said the government is planning to recruit 100 of the country’s best sailors annually “to take over Indonesian waters, which is usually controlled by foreign boats.”

Susi said the archipelago hosts some of the finest seamen in the world. “We ask [local leaders] to find 100 future sailors a year. We will train them and send them to [naval] schools overseas,” she said.

Joko has made maritime affairs one of his key programs as part of his ambition to turn Indonesia into a “global maritime axis.”

The president has stated that aside from better protection of its maritime resources, Indonesia is also planning to make the sea the country’s main transportation hub both domestically and internationally.

The government has pledged to build 24 seaports and import up to 2,500 boats as part of the plan to connect Indonesia’s major islands and increase the flow of goods and expedite development in underdeveloped regions.

Engelina Pattiasina, the director of maritime think tank Archipelago Solidarity Foundation, said Joko must first increase the competitiveness of the regions themselves or they will be further marginalized by the influx of migrants and goods from more developed Indonesian areas.

If Joko does this right “the [underdeveloped] eastern Indonesian region will have the chance to realize its potential,” she said.

Joko has established a program to build the country’s shipping industries.

But maritime expert Chandra Motik Yusuf noted that Joko has yet to formulate policies to realize this.

Joko is also keen to assist Indonesian fishermen in increasing their production.

On Wednesday, state-controlled firm Telekomunikasi Indonesia said that it has established 11 “digital fishing villages” where fishermen in the areas can get real-time information via the Internet.

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Indonesia Sinks Vietnamese Boats to Stop Illegal Fishing

Yahoo – AFP, Dec 05, 2014

Navy officers stand over the illegal fishing vessel KM Fak-Fak Jaya, which was
 captured by Navy personnel patrolling the the waters of the Aru Islands in Maluku
 on Dec. 4, 2014. AFP reported on Dec. 5 that the government blew up and sank
three empty Vietnamese boats. (Antara Photo/Izaac Mulyawan)

Jakarta. Indonesia blew up and sank three empty Vietnamese boats on Friday, the navy said, as the world’s biggest archipelago nation pushes to stop foreigners from illegally fishing in its waters.

It was the strongest measure yet taken in the campaign launched by new President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, who is seeking to stop a practice he says costs Southeast Asia’s biggest economy billions of dollars in lost revenues.

The navy, working with other government agencies, sank the three boats in the remote Anambas Islands, which lie between Malaysia and the Indonesian part of Borneo island, navy spokesman Manahan Simorangkir told AFP.

“The message we want to convey is no foreigners should steal from Indonesian waters,” he said, adding Indonesians should be able to “benefit from their own waters”.

The Jakarta Post newspaper reported that explosives were attached to the boats before two government vessels fired on them from a distance.

Thirty-three people had been detained and three tons of fish seized from the ships, which were caught last month, it said.

Television pictures showed thick smoke billowing from one of the boats as it sank.

As well as costing the economy billions, authorities say foreigners illegally fishing in Indonesia is partly responsible for massive damage to the environment due to the widespread use of explosives and cyanide.

Jokowi hopes that increased revenues from fishing can help boost economic growth, which has sunk to a five-year low.

Agence France-Presse

Jokowi’s Case for Indonesia’s Ocean Future

Jakarta Globe, Basten Gokkon, Dec 03, 2014

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago, with some 17,000 inhabited
islands. (Antara Photo/Zabur Karuru)

Jakarta. Despite taking on the job of president of Indonesia with minimal foreign policy experience and exposure to the maritime sector, President Joko Widodo has set his first landmark policy that gets people around the globe interested in the country he currently leads: his Global Maritime Fulcrum doctrine.

Joko put the spotlight on himself during his speech at the ninth East Asia Summit in Naypyidaw on Nov. 13, not merely because he gave a presentation equipped with a slide show, but also for the “global launch” of his maritime-based doctrine.

“Indonesia realizes that a substantial transformation is taking place in the 21st century. The center of gravity of the geo-economic and geopolitical world is shifting from West to East. Asian countries are on the rise,” Joko said during the presentation.

Joko added that the sea would play an increasingly important role in Indonesia’s future and that as a maritime country it must posit itself as a force in between two strategic oceans.

At a public forum in Jakarta on Tuesday, Vice President Kalla also stressed the necessity of Joko’s maritime-based doctrine, which would boost “the welfare of the country much better than before.”

“President Jokowi has declared how the maritime will be more useful for the country than before in relations to its functions as a facility as well as resources,” Kalla said. “For Indonesia, the sea is not to separate the island but unite the islands.

“That’s why, our ministers have been criticizing and giving strong comments particularly on how Indonesia’s sea or maritime can create a much better welfare for the country than before.

“Indonesia is a maritime country. The sea is our history. How the sea gives us welfare that will be implemented next in our government but the sea will be not only unity for Indonesia but the unity for Asian the region.”

The advisor explains

At a public forum on Tuesday, Rizal Sukma, a presidential advisor for the foreign policy sector, shared more details on what the president was aiming for with the doctrine which Rizal calls the country’s “agenda of development.”

Tuesday’s public forum, organized by the secretariat of the vice president in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), was also attended by Kalla, former foreign affairs minister Hassan Wirajuda, and Surakiart Sathirathai, the chairman of the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council (APRC).

“So basically what we want to do is to transform Indonesia into the fulcrum of the two seas, the two strategic oceans — the Pacific Ocean on the left and the Indian Ocean on the right,” Rizal said.

“The Global Maritime Fulcrum is basically the place upon which the burdens of the two seas rest.

“In Joko’s speech during [the East Asia] summit, he basically talked about two things.”

“Number one, when we talk about the maritime fulcrum, it means as a vision, as a doctrine and as agenda of development,” Rizal said.

“As an agenda of development, it has five pillars,” he said, adding that the five pillars in general included issues related to economy, security and development.

According to Rizal, the first pillar highlights that the Indonesian government “will strengthen and revisit and also bring back [the nation's] awareness as a maritime country and culture.”

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, with some 17,000 inhabited islands.

The second pillar, Rizal said, the president emphasized the need to prioritize maritime infrastructure and maritime connectivity development by building sea tolls and deep-sea ports while also improving the shipping industry, logistics and maritime tourism.

The third pillar focuses on maritime resources and Joko wants to “put the fishermen as at the center of full supremacy,” according to Rizal who is also the executive director of Jakarta-based think-tank CSIS.

The fourth pillar, highlighting maritime diplomacy, Indonesia needs to “use [the country's] diplomatic instruments to force cooperation around the globe” by promoting regional cooperation to prevent the escalation of maritime conflicts, such as illegal fishing, violations of sovereignty, piracy and marine pollution.

The last pillar, Rizal said, is overseeing and maintaining the sovereignty and safety in the seas by developing Indonesia’s maritime defense.

Who’s who

Rizal, a main instigator of Joko’s maritime plans, currently serves as the executive director of the CSIS in Jakarta.

He is also one of young leaders of Muhammadiyah, serving as the head of the international relations division at the central executive board of Indonesia’s second-largest Muslim organization.

Additionally, he sits as a member of the board of governors of the implementing agency for the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF); a member of the regional editorial board for Australia-based Global Change, Peace and Security.

He is also a member of International editorial board for Studies in Asian Security, Stanford University Press and East West Center.

Rizal, who earned his PhD degree in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, was named one of 100 Global Thinkers by United States-based Foreign Policy magazine in 2009.

Further Coverage

Editorial: Jokowi’s Foreign Policy and Defense Wins

Indonesia Declares War on Illegal Foreign Fishing Boats

Jakarta Globe, Ezra Sihite, Nov 18, 2014

Susi Pudjiastuti, the minister for maritime affairs and fisheries, visits a dock
 where impounded illegal foreign fishing vessels are kept, in Kubu Raya district,
West Kalimantan, on Saturday. (Antara Photo/Jessica Helena Wuysang)

Jakarta. Sink or swim: That’s the message the Indonesian government, backed by the Navy, is sending out to foreign fishing fleets poaching inside the country’s maritime borders.

Poaching costs the world’s biggest archipelagic nation some Rp 300 trillion ($24.7 billion) a year, President Joko Widodo said at the State Palace on Tuesday.

“I said it yesterday: Stop arresting [poachers] already and sink 10 or 20 boats so that they’ll think twice,” the president said as quoted by Detik.com.

“But of course, we have to save the people first,” he added.

Fishing, and developing Indonesia’s vast maritime potential in general, is a central pillar of the new government under Joko, who has laid out a vision for Indonesia to become a “global maritime axis.”

His remarks on Tuesday echoed those on Sunday by Susi Pudjiastuti, the maritime and fisheries minister, who called on local authorities in the Derawan Islands, part of Berau district in East Kalimantan, to burn the foreign fishing vessels caught poaching in the area.

“Go to work, burn those boats so they won’t keep doing this. Don’t burn the people, though; arrest them,” Susi said, following a patrol that netted three Malaysian-flagged vessels suspected of illegal fishing.

“Mr. District Chief, Mr. Police Chief, don’t be afraid. If there are any human rights problem, I’ll take the responsibility. Conduct a joint operation with five boats and armed officers. Once you catch them, confiscate the boats. But if there are many boats, burn one or two. Never give the boats back.”

The Navy has responded in a more restrained manner, saying on Tuesday that it had previously carried out a campaign of sinking foreign vessels found poaching in Indonesian waters, but stressed that due legal process needed to be respected.

Adm. Marsetio, the Navy chief of staff, said in Jakarta that he oversaw the previous campaign when he commanded the Navy’s Eastern Fleet.

“It was effective. There were some protests from the ambassadors from the countries [in which the vessels were registered] but they saw that the boat crews were kept safe,” Marsetio said.

“We also worked together with the embassies to deport the crews. The campaign helped prevent similar acts,” he added.

The Navy chief was quick to point out that they could not do this to all vessels suspected of poaching, saying the legal process had to be respected. However, he said the Navy would sink boats caught red-handed “trying to take Indonesia’s natural resources without any proper documents.”

“There have been several instances where we’ve sunk boats illegally entering our waters. But that depends on their crime,” Marsetio said. “In the case of boats found without the proper documentation, we secure the crews first and then we sink the boats to stop them doing that again.”

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Details on Maritime Vision for Indonesia Are Floated

Holds Water: Jokowi justifies maritime ambitions to neighboring states’ leaders at East Asia Summit

Jakarta Globe, Robertus Wardi, Nov 14, 2014

The administration plans to develop 31 seaports, enhance naval capabilities, and
expand credit access for local fishermen. (Reuters Photo/Darren Whiteside)

Naypyidaw, Myanmar. President Joko Widodo says Indonesia is keen revive its long-abandoned maritime tradition, citing it as the first of his five pillars to transform the archipelago into a “global maritime axis.”

“As a nation of 17,000 islands, Indonesians must realize that its identity, prosperity and future as a nation greatly depends on how we manage the sea,” Joko said in his address on Thursday at the East Asia Summit in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw.

Joko highlighted Indonesia’s history as a seafaring nation, which was lost decades ago as the country’s economy shifted to agriculture and manufacturing.

The president also hinted Indonesia would become more protective of its fishing and maritime resources. “Our maritime resources will be used largely to benefit of our own people,” he said.

However, the third pillar, he said, would be to open up Indonesian waters as major regional and international shipping lanes.

Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto said the administration planned to build 24 ports across Indonesia that would accommodate mid-sized ferries and connect Indonesia’s major islands. There are also plans to add seven sea ports for international cargo ships.

The administration also plans to revitalize and expand existing ports to accommodate more ships.

Andi also said the Joko administration aimed to empower local fishermen by easing access to credit and creating fish-processing plants.

The administration’s fourth pillar will be strengthening cooperation with neighboring states to eliminate “potential for conflict like fish poaching, encroachment, border disputes, piracy and pollution,” Andi said.

The fifth pillar consists of Indonesia’s ambition to strengthen its Navy.

“Indonesia will be a force to connect two oceans as a prosperous and sovereign nation,” Andi said. “We need [to develop Indonesia’s Navy] not only to protect our sovereignty and maritime wealth, but also as our responsibility to ensure maritime safety and security.”

Andi said Joko would create an umbrella agency tasked with monitoring and securing Indonesian waters.

The new coordinating agency will combine forces from the Navy, the police forces’ water units and the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry’s patrol unit to perform all sea-related tasks, including search and rescue. “With those forces combined, patrolling the sea should be more frequent and coordinated,” Andi said.