Member of Commission I DPR RI Christina Aryani encouraged the government to strengthen Bakamla as a coast guard to carry out security duties against offshore drilling activities on the Indonesian Continental Shelf in North Natuna.
This was conveyed by the Golkar politician in response to China’s protests about oil drilling in Natuna.
“I also use this opportunity to encourage the Government to strengthen Bakamla as our coast guard to carry out security tasks against exploration and exploitation activities in the EEZ,” said Christina Aryani to Tribunnews.com, Friday (12/3/2021). Berita politik
The presence of the state in various forms in the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) must be intensified as a deterrent to unilateral claims by other countries.
Moreover, he emphasized, as stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos 1982) that the southern tip of the South China Sea is part of Indonesia’s EEZ which since 2017 Indonesia has named the North Natuna Sea. Berita Terkini
“According to the provisions of Article 56 of Unclos, Indonesia has sovereign rights to carry out exploration, exploitation and management of Natural Resources (SDA) in the region,” he said.
He also emphasized that Indonesia has never acknowledged China’s unilateral claim to the nine dash line and therefore does not need to respond to these protests without legal basis.
“We also believe that the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has and will continue to take measured diplomatic steps to address this,” he said.
This is the response of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Previously, it was reported that China was protesting against oil drilling and the Garuda Shield exercise in the Natuna Sea. Berita hari ini
The protest itself is known to have been sent by China through a protest letter based on Reuters news on Wednesday (1/12/2021) entitled “China Exclusive to protest against Indonesian military drilling and drills”.
Spokesman for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah when confirmed the truth of the protest, said that the written protest was closed.
So he did not confirm further about the protest.
“I can not confirm the news circulating. Diplomatic communications, especially those that are written are closed and according to the new provisions, can be opened to the public after a long period. So I cannot confirm the news and also the reference for the communication in question,” he said when contacted on Thursday (2/12/2021).
Previously, Reuters reported that China asked Indonesia to stop drilling for oil and natural gas in maritime areas that the two countries regard as their own.
An unprecedented, previously unreported request. Vitamin dan Suplemen
Muhammad Farhan, an Indonesian lawmaker on parliament’s national security committee, who was briefed on the letter said a letter from a Chinese diplomat to Indonesia’s foreign ministry clearly told Indonesia to stop drilling on the offshore rig temporarily because it was happening on Chinese territory.
“Our answer is very firm, that we will not stop drilling because it is our sovereign right,” Farhan told Reuters.
Reuters reported that the Chinese embassy in the Indonesian capital Jakarta also did not respond to requests for comment.
Three other people, who claimed to have been briefed on the matter, confirmed the existence of the letter.
Two of the men said China had repeatedly demanded that Indonesia stop drilling.
Southeast Asia’s largest country says the southern tip of the South China Sea is its exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and named the area the North Natuna Sea in 2017.
China objected to the name change and insisted that the waterway falls within its vast territorial claim in the South China Sea which is marked by a U-shaped “nine-dash line”, a boundary found to have no legal basis by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. in 2016.
“(The letter) is a bit threatening because it is the first attempt by Chinese diplomats to push their nine-dash line agenda towards our rights under the Law of the Sea,” Farhan told Reuters.
China is Indonesia’s largest trading partner and second largest source of investment, making it an important part of Indonesia’s ambition to become a top economy.
Indonesian leaders have remained silent on the issue to avoid conflict or a diplomatic spat with China, said Farhan and two others who spoke to Reuters.
Farhan said that China, in a separate letter, also protested against the largely ground-based Garuda Shield military exercise in August, which took place during the standoff.
