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Miffed Jakarta threatens to take Natuna dispute with Beijing to tribunal

JAKARTA — Indonesia “feels sabotaged” in its efforts to maintain peace in the disputed South China Sea and may take its latest maritime altercation with China to an international court, said a minister yesterday.

Fishing boats decorated for the Lantern Festival in China. Jakarta claims it tried to detain a Chinese boat for fishing illegally in its waters, but was prevented from doing so by the Chinese coast guard. Photo: Reuters

Fishing boats decorated for the Lantern Festival in China. Jakarta claims it tried to detain a Chinese boat for fishing illegally in its waters, but was prevented from doing so by the Chinese coast guard. Photo: Reuters

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JAKARTA — Indonesia “feels sabotaged” in its efforts to maintain peace in the disputed South China Sea and may take its latest maritime altercation with China to an international court, said a minister yesterday.

“We feel interrupted and sabotaged in our efforts,” said the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Susi Pudjiastuti, to reporters in Jakarta after meeting Chinese Embassy officials to discuss an incident on the weekend involving an Indonesian patrol boat, a Chinese coast guard vessel and a fishing boat in what Indonesia said was its waters.

“We may take it to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea,” said Ms Pudjiastuti, adding that the Indonesian patrol boat had fired warning shots in the air when it approached the Chinese trawler.

Ms Pudjiastuti said the eight detained Chinese crew members would be processed in accordance with Indonesian law.

Indonesia’s Deputy Navy Chief Arie Henrycus Sembiring told the news conference that the country’s navy would send bigger vessels to back up its patrol boats in the region.

Earlier yesterday, Indonesia protested to China against what it described as an infringement of its waters by the Chinese coast guard vessel.

“We conveyed our strong protest (over) … the breach by the Chinese coast guard of Indonesia’s sovereign rights,” said Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to reporters after she met Chinese Embassy representatives in Jakarta.

Jakarta said one of its patrol boats on Saturday attempted to detain a Chinese boat fishing illegally in its waters — reportedly just 4.34km off Indonesia’s Natuna Islands, and within Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone. Eight Chinese crew members were detained but the Chinese coast guard prevented Indonesia from confiscating the fishing boat by ramming it back into the South China Sea, the Jakarta Globe reported.

The incident, which occurred in the Natuna Sea — an area between Peninsular Malaysia and the Malaysian province of Sarawak on Borneo island — has angered Jakarta and led to its questioning of its work to promote peace as an “honest broker” in disputes between China and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei over the South China Sea. Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on the disputed waterway.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which about US$5 trillion (S$6.8 trillion) in ship-borne trade passes every year, by the “nine-dash line” it has marked on maps to define historical borders on which it claims sovereignty.

Indonesia is not embroiled in rival claims with China over the waterway, but has raised concerns over China’s inclusion of the resource-rich Natuna Islands in its so-called “nine-dash line”.

Yesterday, at a regular press briefing, China’s Foreign Ministry repeated that the fishing boat was operating in “traditional Chinese fishing grounds”, and again demanded the fishermen be released, adding that the Chinese coast guard vessel did not enter Indonesian waters.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying reiterated that neither Beijing nor Indonesia contests the sovereignty of the Natuna Islands and the seas around them: Both agree they are part of Indonesia.

“The sovereignty of the Natunas belongs to Indonesia. China has no objections to this,” said Ms Hua, adding that any maritime disputes should be resolved by talks. She also said that China also opposes illegal fishing.

While Indonesia and China are not disputing the South China Sea, tensions between them do flare up every now and then, usually over Chinese fishing boats.

In March 2013, armed Chinese vessels confronted an Indonesian fisheries patrol boat and demanded the release of Chinese fishermen who had been apprehended in Natuna waters.

Similarly, in 2010, a Chinese maritime enforcement vessel compelled an Indonesian patrol boat to release another illegal Chinese trawler. AGENCIES

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