Attacked By Vietnamese-Chinese Foreign Ships, Maritime Security Agency: North Natuna Sea Is Safe

Illustration of US and Singapore warships in the South China Sea. (Wikimedia Commons/US Navy photo)

JAKARTA - Head of the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla), Aan Kurnia, confirmed that thousands of foreign vessels from Vietnam and China had entered the North Natuna Waters.

This information was first conveyed by the Main Secretary (Sestama) of Bakamla, Rear Admiral (Laksda) Suprianto Irawan.

This information was then followed up directly by the Commander of the Fleet Command (Pangkoarmada) I, Admiral Arsyad Abdullah, by directly observing the current conditions in North Natuna.

However, during this review, the Indonesian Navy did not find thousands of foreign ships sailing in North Natuna while patrolling the continental shelf boundary.

"What the navy said is true," said Aan at the House of Representatives (DPR) Building, Monday, September 20. However, continued Aan, thousands of foreign ships from China and Vietnam are said to have entered the North Natuna Sea, which is located near the South China Sea.

Aan said that what Sestama Bakamla Suprianto said was an accumulation of the entire North Natuna Sea area, also known as the South China Sea (SCS).

"The accumulation of situations in the North Natuna Sea or SCS. SCS is very wide. It borders on 5 countries. That's a lot," he said.

Therefore, Aan ensures that the situation in the North Natuna Sea is safe. So, he said, there is no need for fishermen to worry about carrying out activities at sea.

"Currently Bakamla guarantees that our brothers, especially fishermen, are safe. Then ESDM is carrying out safe exploration and if there are violations, we will take action," said Aan.

Previously, the Head of Lubuk Lumbang Fisherman, Bandarsyah Sub-district, Natuna Regency, Riau Islands, Herman, revealed that the fishermen felt scared and threatened after seeing a foreign warship, Monday, September 13, in the North Natuna Sea.

He received a report from his members who returned from sea on Thursday, September 16, after seeing five units of foreign warships in the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEEI).

"We feel disturbed and afraid, why suddenly there are foreign warships again?" said Herman Friday, September 17.