Southeast Asia has been a major hub for international trade and maritime movements since ancient times, mainly due to its strategic location at the intersection of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. All countries in Southeast Asia, except Laos, have access to the sea, which makes it their responsibility to maintain maritime security. Indonesia, being the largest archipelagic country in the world, united by sea, has made maritime security a key priority.
To strengthen regional cooperation in maritime security, the National Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla), which is the leading agency for security, safety, and legal enforcement in Indonesia’s maritime jurisdiction, is chairing the 2023 ASEAN Coast Guard Forum (ACF) in Jakarta. The forum aims to facilitate cooperation among ASEAN countries in addressing common challenges in maintaining maritime security, such as illegal fishing, violation of territorial boundaries, and the smuggling of goods.
Head of Bakamla, Vice Admiral Aan Kurnia, stressed that although respect for sovereignty, territorial boundaries, and laws of each country are necessary, international cooperation is still essential to protect the waters of each country and region. The forum seeks to encourage information sharing, coordination, and joint training among member countries and to build trust among coastguards in the Southeast Asian region.
Representatives from six ASEAN member countries – Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, and Indonesia – are participating in the 2023 ASEAN Coast Guard Forum. Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar are not attending the forum as they are dealing with pressing domestic issues.
In maintaining maritime security and addressing transnational crimes and challenges in Indonesian and Southeast Asian seas, Bakamla is committed to collaborating with domestic and international partners, primarily with ASEAN bloc members. Bakamla is collaborating with the newly established Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, led by Indonesian police, to eradicate human trafficking and its perpetrators.
Kurnia highlighted that perpetrators of cross-border crimes often exploit the vast Southeast Asian maritime area for their criminal activities, and many human trafficking victims die almost every day. According to the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI), 1,990 Indonesian human trafficking victims have died in the last three years. During the same period, the agency also handled the deportation of 94,000 Indonesian workers overseas, of which 90 percent were suspected to have departed illegally.
To prevent human trafficking victims, often disguised as legal migrant workers, from being brought overseas, Bakamla will enhance its monitoring of maritime movements and activities in Indonesian maritime territories. Bakamla has also agreed to collaborate with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) in handling Rohingya refugees that have fled from Myanmar to neighbouring Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.
The Rohingya refugee crisis is a common concern between Indonesia and Malaysia. The Rohingya people, a Muslim ethnic group from Myanmar, have been fleeing since 2017 when the Myanmar military started attacking their settlements. The UNHCR records over 900 thousand Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Rohingya refugees often embark on risky journeys on the sea to seek asylum in other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, but frequently become stranded in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Bakamla is monitoring the issue and coordinating with APMM and other stakeholders to deal with the refugees. Kurnia emphasized that their obligation is to help if the refugees are near the coast or if their boats are damaged, in compliance with humanitarian principles. The acting director-general of the APMM, Vice Admiral Datuk Saiful Lizan bin Ibrahim, expressed optimism for resolving the issue through cooperation with the Indonesian counterpart.
In summary, as Southeast Asia remains a crucial hub for international trade and maritime movements, it is the responsibility of all countries in the region to maintain maritime security. Bakamla identifies regional cooperation as a key strategy to address common challenges in maintaining maritime security, such as illegal fishing, violation of territorial boundaries, and the smuggling of goods, and it is committed to strengthening ties with its domestic and international partners. Bakamla also aims to prevent human trafficking victims from being brought overseas and supports the handling of the Rohingya refugee crisis, working closely with APMM in this regard.
