Signing New Presidential Decree, Jokowi Sets Defense Strategy In The Natuna Sea

President Jokowi (doc. BMI Setpres)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has issued Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 41 of 2022 concerning the Zoning Plan for the Natuna and North Natuna Sea Inter-regional Areas. The Presidential Decree, which was signed on March 17, 2022, regulates the strategy in the defense and security zone to support regional stability.

Quoting the Antara report, in article 13 paragraph 1 of the regulation it is stated that policies in the context of realizing a defense and security zone to support regional security and defense stability include:

a. management of Defense Areas in an effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly manner; andb. improvement of infrastructure and facilities for state defense and security to support sovereignty and security of state boundaries.

The scope of the regulation on the zoning plan for the Natuna-North Natuna Sea Inter-regional Area itself includes waters and jurisdictional areas in the Natuna-North Natuna Sea located in the provinces of Riau, Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung, South Sumatra, Jambi and West Kalimantan as regulated in article 2 and Article 3 of the regulation.

Furthermore, in Article 13 paragraph 2, an effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly defense strategy includes:

a. increase the effectiveness of activities in the defense area by taking into account the use of other spaces in the Public Utilization Area and Marine Conservation Area; b. controlling environmental impacts in the Defense Area in the form of a military training area; c. carry out defense and security dynamically; and D. increase the capacity, effectiveness, and reach of defense and security management in the waters according to the distribution of the work area of the organizational unit or defense and security unit.

The strategy for improving infrastructure and facilities for state defense and security to support sovereignty and safeguarding state borders as referred to in paragraph (l) letter b includes:

a. develop border security posts according to regional characteristics and potential vulnerabilities in the country's border areas and small infected islands (PPKT); b. placing shipping navigational aids in accordance with the needs of state defense and security as well as to ensure the safety of shipping; danc. develop a surveillance system against activities that threaten and disrupt national defense and stability.

There is also a military training area as regulated in article 54 paragraph 2 which includes:

a. zone U18-1 which is located in part of the waters to the south and north of the Anambas Islands, Anambas Islands Regency, Riau Islands Province; b. zone U18-2 which is located in part of the waters west of the Natuna Islands, Natuna Regency, Riau Islands Province; danc. zone U18-3 which is located in part of the waters northeast of the Natuna Islands, Natuna Regency, Riau Islands Province.

In Zone U18, only the following activities are allowed (article 76)1. Military activities; 2. Testing of military equipment and weapons; and/or3. Other uses that support the function of the U18 zone.