Indonesia’s Maritime Interest, Cooperation and Capacity Building

This book is a compilation of various writings from seminars conducted by Admiral TNI (ret.) Rosihan Arsyad, which discussed various maritime problems in Indonesia, especially the South China Sea issue.

Historically, Indonesia wielded significant influence in Southeast Asia. This was made possible by the formidable maritime forces of the Sriwijaya Kingdom in the 7th century and the Majapahit Kingdom in the 12th century. During their peak, these two kingdoms were able to assert their sovereignty, power, and influence over a vast region that encompassed an area even larger than present-day Indonesia.

Several issues are simmering in the South China Sea, potentially making it another hotspot in Asia, alongside North Korea's nuclear program and the contentious relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan. The South China Sea, a highly strategic maritime area, frequently attracts the attention of major powers vying for control. Lingering overlapping territorial claims further compound the situation, often posing threats to the peace and stability of the region.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) established in 1982 provides clear guidelines for determining a nation's maritime boundaries. However, the introduction of the new concepts of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the Continental Shelf has made it increasingly challenging and complex to accurately define these boundaries, leading to potential ambiguity. This complexity allows for the possibility of multiple interpretations of each country's EEZ and Continental Shelf boundaries.

Two primary issues dominate the South China Sea. Firstly, the issue of overlapping sovereignty claims arose following China's assertion of significant control over the region, claiming it as part of its sovereign territory. Secondly, concerns revolve around maritime security in the South China Sea. One potential scenario involves the disruption of marine traffic, which could escalate into armed conflict due to the overlapping claims. Additionally, there are latent threats to lower-level maritime security in the region.