The ongoing territorial disputes between Indonesia and neighboring countries in Southeast Asia are not new issues in international relations, mainly in Southeast Asia. The fact that Indonesia is an archipelago country has made it face 10 other countries to make agreements on defining outer borders of each country’s sovereign areas.
To Indonesia, Sipadan-Ligitan case has given the best lessons to be cautious on its sovereignty, mainly in relation to outer islands of Indonesia. The fact that Indonesia is an archipelago with enormous resources of the sea should be able to push Indonesia to maintain its unity. In addition, the fact of how fragile Indonesia is regarding the illegal migrant workers; the stealing of resources of the sea; piracy; and also threat of terrorism acts with international networking. This is very fragile in areas such as islands around Sangihe and Talaud, North Sulawesi that have borders with Moro Island in South Philippines, an area based for terrorist camps and traffics
There are many things that need to be done to overcome the disputes over territorial matters. Indonesia needs not only comprehensive national development strategy that also counts strategic aspects of the sea and security and the unity of the country but also proactive efforts to increase the people’s awareness on the importance of managing, exploring, and keeping the sea and its surroundings as the source of the people’s welfare.
In this case, there is another significant need apart from raising Indonesian’s flag in inhabited outer islands of Indonesia. There is an urgent need to do follow up maps on Indonesia’s outer islands with all their potentials, regarding sea tourism, mining products, and sea resources as soon as possible. The most important thing is to put deposit laws defining base points or lines of Indonesia’s areas internationally to get international acknowledgement. This diplomatic act will show that Indonesia is able to play beautifully, not provoking, and strengthening arguments based on the 1982 UNCLOS, and other laws regarding Indonesia’s waters.
Proactive diplomacy at both international and bilateral levels through diplomacy of course is not enough. The efforts to keep the unity of Indonesia need to be supported by defense and security undertaken by the Indonesian Navy. It is not a secret anymore that the capacity and capability of our Navy cannot be compared even with neighboring countries, recalling the fact that the limited budget it owns is mostly used for the soldiers’ salaries. The Navy is in need of sufficient equipment and weaponries, to monitor border areas and also maintain sovereignty of Indonesia, through cooperation with other related apparatus, especially the government.
Effective and strategic diplomacy can be done by involving the people. For example: Social Economic Meeting between Malaysia and Indonesia in Pontianak in May last year. The meeting was attended by entrepreneurs from both countries resulted in agreement to build check posts in cross borders between Aruk in West Kalimantan and Biawak in Sarawak. In this case, the Indonesian government should be responsive and ready to increase development in border areas by providing sufficient infrastructures. This is very important to support traffics of people, as well as stuffs between the two countries.
All issues of territorial disputes underline another basic issue, which is sustainable, strategic, and even development, especially in border areas. Local governments, the communities, with supports from the Navy and related government apparatus, such as in the Departments of Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Forestry, Marine and Fishery, Energy and Mineral Resources, Finance, the National Police, etc.
There is a need for synergic efforts in order to identify Indonesia’s border areas, especially the outer islands. This requires coordination and synergic vision and mission in taking real steps, such as in addressing names for the outer islands; identifying potential national resources; providing infrastructures and signs of Indonesia’s sovereign areas; as well as potentials of the community, whom can be relied on to manage related areas.
The need to have such synergic efforts has to be voiced proactively by local governments. This is an advantage that can be used by local governments in using its authorities based on mandated and outlined regional autonomy, mainly related to regional development. For example, the Provincial Government of East Kalimantan that proposed to establish the Border Management Body to reduce suspicion over the move of border signs. The existence of the Body is urgent, recalling the fact that many areas in Indonesia, especially in East Kalimantan have been taken by Malaysia by moving the signs.
This special Body is suggested to be put under the central government. However, to realize synergic efforts, related local governments and all of their apparatus and community must be involved, because they are the ones, who understand the needs for the development in the border area.
These efforts need institutionalized supports from the central government, not only in the form of development of border areas with marine vision, but also sufficient capital to build the areas. In this case, empowerment of the border areas still needs serious attention from the government and the people’s awareness in general.
There is another big task that must be taken seriously by the government, such as strategic development in those outer islands. This is expected to endorse another opportunity, such as wider employment for the community. In other words, there is an alternative for the people instead of searching for jobs abroad.
In this case, there is another implicit pride when an archipelago country, such as Indonesia is able to manage its areas optimally and effectively for the people’s welfare. There is a price to pay when we have to lose another area one by one. If the areas of an archipelago country are managed and empowered maximally and strategically, it would bring additional points not only for Indonesia but also for the people as a whole. Therefore, the development of border areas must become urgent priority without having to wait for other territorial dispute cases with other countries anymore.
