By Prashanth Parameswaran
Jakarta will conduct its largest public sinking of foreign vessels under Jokowi to date.
The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) plans to blow up 70 foreign ships when the country celebrates the 70th year of Indonesian independence August 17, the country’s navy chief said August 7.
Speaking following a base inauguration in Pontianak, TNI Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Ade Supandi said the foreign ships to be sunk were ones caught poaching in Indonesian waters by the nation’s authorities.
The act itself will come as little surprise to most Indonesia watchers. As I’ve written previously, Indonesia under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has launched a tough crackdown on illegal fishing in Indonesian waters, which he says causes the country to suffer annual losses of over $20 billion (See: “Explaining Indonesia’s ‘Sink the Vessels’ Policy Under Jokowi”). That has resulted in a series of highly public sinking of boats from neighboring countries over the past year – part of what Jokowi has described as a “shock therapy” approach in spite of concerns among some of Indonesia’s neighbors (See: “Is Indonesia Turning Away From ASEAN Under Jokowi?”). While the practice of sinking vessels itself is not new, it has been conducted in a more high-profile and expansive manner as part of Jokowi’s broader vision of turning the country into a “global maritime fulcrum” between the Indian and Pacific Oceans (See: “The Trouble With Indonesia’s Foreign Policy Priorities Under Jokowi”).
Read the full story at The Diplomat