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[[The countries of Southeast Asia have long maintained a fragile balance between resisting China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea and maintaining good trade ties. But several, including Indonesia, are now standing firm in resisting those claims, as VOA’s Ahadian Utama reports from Jakarta.]]
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptTV South China Sea Drilling
HEADLINE: Indonesia Ignores China Protest in South China Sea
TEASER: Gas drilling project in North Natuna Sea is a source of contention
PUBLISHED AT: 02/21/2023 at 11:35am
BYLINE: Ahadian Utama
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Jakarta
VIDEOGRAPHER: Ahadian Utama, Indra Yoga
VIDEO EDITOR: Ahadian Utama
SCRIPT EDITORS: Kenochs; Holly Franko
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, AP, Reuters, AFP
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:30
VID APPROVED BY: KE
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRO))
[[The countries of Southeast Asia have long maintained a fragile balance between resisting China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea and maintaining good trade ties. But several, including Indonesia, are now standing firm in resisting those claims, as VOA’s Ahadian Utama reports from Jakarta.]]
((NARRATOR))
Indonesia has approved an initial plan for the development of the Tuna Block gas field located in waters off its Natuna Islands.
It’s the same area where drilling in late 2021 led to a protest from China. Jakarta halted exploration then, but it isn’t backing down now.
((Al Araf, Paramadina University Lecturer)) (Male, in Indonesian)
"The gas drilling in the Natuna area by Indonesia is a clear sign that Natuna is Indonesian territory … in my opinion, Indonesia as a sovereign country has the right to do this.”
((NARRATOR))
The Natuna Islands themselves, off the coast of Indonesia’s Borneo, are Indonesian territory. But the waters about 200 miles away, where the Tuna Block is situated in the North Natuna Sea, is a source of contention.
Indonesia considers it also part of its exclusive economic zone, based on the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS.
But China includes it in its expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea, claims largely rejected by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague in 2016.
((Teuku Faizasyah, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson)) (Male, Indonesian)
“Regarding Indonesia's activities in its national sea area, it’s based on the international maritime law, and Indonesia's position is that we do not have a dispute with any country that claims the South China Sea territory.”
((NARRATOR))
The resumption of gas exploration could be seen as an escalation of tensions between Southeast Asia’s largest nation and China.
In December, tensions were already high when Indonesia and Vietnam finalized the boundaries of their exclusive economic zones, prompting Beijing to send its coast guard near the Tuna Block and Vietnam’s nearby Chim Sao gas field.
That move led Indonesia to send a warship to the North Natuna Sea.
((Admiral Muhammad Ali, Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff)) (Male, in Indonesian)
"If they catch fish or carry out exploration or exploitation of marine resources, that is prohibited. It must be licensed by the Indonesian government. If they are just passing by, that's allowed."
((NARRATOR))
The Indonesian Navy has now deployed five warships and a naval patrol plane to monitor the North Natuna Sea,
which like many waters in the Indo Pacific, has also seen fishing activity from Chinese vessels, accompanied by the country’s coast guard.
((From Jakarta, Indonesia, Ahadian Utama, VOA News.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Jakarta
Embargo DateFebruary 21, 2023 19:16 EST
Byline
((From Jakarta, Indonesia, Ahadian Utama, VOA News.))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
