Vita A.D. Busyra & Ezra Sihite, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa has emphasized that Indonesia has no claims to disputed territory in the South China Sea, despite remarks to the contrary by presidential contender Prabowo Subianto during a nationally televised debate on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday, Marty said that while other member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had rival claims with each other and with China over parts of the oil- and gas-rich territory, Indonesia was not one of the claimants and saw itself more as an advocate for defusing tensions in the area. "Of course, it should be measured and realistic if we can succeed," he said.
This remarks came a day after Prabowo and rival candidate Joko Widodo sparred in their third of five debates, this time on the theme of foreign policy.
Prabowo claimed that the biggest external threat faced by Indonesia was a claim to its territory in the South China Sea by "a certain country," in an apparent reference to China, which is also embroiled with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei – all four of which are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – in separate disputes over territory in the region.
Joko, however, refuted that Indonesia had overlapping claims in the area. "We're not involved in any dispute there," he said, adding that Indonesia should instead continue its role of advocating for a de-escalation of tensions and a peaceful resolution to the disputes involving the other countries.
"If we can play a role and benefit our Asean friends, we will [get involved]," Joko said. "But if we can't provide a solution, it's best not to be involved because nothing will come out of our diplomacy."
Marty welcomed Joko's pledge to keep diplomacy at the spearhead of Indonesia's growing regional prominence, in a continuation of the policies of the outgoing administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. "Joko has said that diplomacy will be at the forefront, and we have done just that and we will continue to do so," he said.
Supporters of Prabowo, however, insist that China has made claims to Indonesian maritime territory.
"The fact is that Indonesia is one of the countries that is involved in a dispute with China over its maritime borders," Romahurmuziy, a member of Prabowo's campaign team and secretary general of the United Development Party (PPP), said as quoted by republika.co.id. "The disputed [waters] that I refer to are the ones surrounding the islands of Natuna. How could Joko say that we [Indonesia] are not involved?"
An Indonesian Navy official earlier this year claimed the country was seeking clarification from Beijing over a map appearing to show part of the Natuna waters falling inside China's so-called nine-dash line, which China says shows the maximum extent of its claims, but that the international community has denounced as violating established maritime borders.
China's Foreign Ministry issued a statement in April saying Beijing had no dispute with Jakarta over the Natuna Islands in response to some reports that a row might be brewing.
That was a view backed by Marty in an interview with Reuters: "It must be made crystal clear that between Indonesia and China there are no outstanding or overlapping maritime territorial disputes," he said a day after the statement from Beijing.
He later told Bloomberg News that there needed to be greater clarity over a map outlining China's assertions in the South China Sea that appears on the nation's passports.
"What needs to be better communicated is the intent behind these steps so that they don't become inadvertently a new source of problem and challenge," the minister said.
Foreign policy observers have also played down the perceived Natuna claim as a non-issue. "The only action the government needs to take is to increase its presence and activities on the Natuna Islands," Makmur Keliat, an international relations expert from University of Indonesia, told the Jakarta Globe on Monday.
"There's no need to talk about the nine-dash line," he said, but added that Joko's call for diplomacy to be maintained was a crucial point. "We're not a disputing party in this," Makmur added.
Teuku Rezasyah, a foreign policy expert whose brother, Teuku Faizasyah, is Yudhoyono's spokesman for international affairs, said Prabowo had played up the Natuna issue unduly.
"Indonesia has indeed neglected some of our territory to which other countries have laid claim, but Prabowo always thinks of the worst," he said. He added that if Prabowo had his way, Indonesia's response to the unlikely claim to the Natunas by China would be military action.
Aleksius Jemadu, the dean of the School of Social and Political Sciences at Pelita Harapan University, said it was paramount that Indonesia advocate for a peaceful solution between its Asean neighbors and China, and try to prevent any military conflict.
"Indonesia's only interest in the matter should be to carry out diplomatic efforts to maintain regional stability, and to thwart all efforts for military mobilization," he told the Globe.
He said that as one of the founding members of Asean, and as the biggest country and economy in the bloc, Indonesia carried a lot of sway in the region. "The other countries really look up to Indonesia as a respected and tolerant partner in bridging gaps between the member states," Aleksius said.
Both Prabowo and Joko have called for a continuation of the Yudhoyono administration's emphasis on diplomacy, although both have also indicated they might break from the historically close engagement with the Asean region to position Indonesia as a more prominent power in its own right not just in Southeast Asia, but in the Asia-Pacific region in general.
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/jakarta-claimant-south-china-sea-prabowo-suggests-marty/