The Death of the Young Diplomat of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affair

The Death of the Young Diplomat of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Indonesian diplomacy prioritizes strengthening economic ties, protecting national interests, and maintaining sovereignty, alongside reinforcing diplomatic infrastructure (Manurung, 2021). Indonesia's defense diplomacy bolsters national security by leveraging economic strength and military capabilities (Soegeng, 2021). However, challenges such as inadequate foreign language proficiency among human resources can hinder effective diplomatic activities (Ratih & Halimi, 2020). Diplomacy, as a tool of foreign policy, is traditionally managed by the central government to achieve national interests (Surwandono & Herningtyas, 2019). The government should monitor situations that threaten world peace and regional stability to make constructive decisions (Manurung, 2021). Indonesia strategically employs diplomacy to enhance its regional power and upgrade its national defense system (Manurung, 2021). This approach is crucial for creating a secure environment that promotes stability and reduces potential threats (Eko et al., 2021). Indonesia's defense diplomacy serves as a means of improving relations and preventing conflict with potential adversaries, highlighting its role in maintaining regional harmony (Manurung, 2021) (Soegeng, 2021). By developing a regulatory framework for managing interstate relations, regional cooperation can make a crucial difference in international relations (Manurung, 2021). Diplomacy is a way for a country to achieve its national interests through interactions with other countries or the international community (Indraning, 2020). Indonesia's foreign policy emphasizes regional cooperation, though some perceive ASEAN as an impediment to its global ambitions (Tan, 2015). Indonesia's geostrategic position between the Indian and Pacific Oceans necessitates maritime security to support global economic stability through trade (Wirawan, 2022). This necessitates a robust defense posture capable of detecting and responding to potential threats (Hastri & Utamie, 2022). Indonesia's approach includes hedging strategies to maintain regional stability and foster cooperation, especially amidst tensions between major powers (Mubah, 2019). Indonesia's regional defense diplomacy is a response to geopolitical shifts in the Asia-Pacific, reflecting its susceptibility to threats against its sovereignty and territorial integrity (Szakli, 2019). This is achieved through various initiatives, including multilateral joint exercises and defense partnerships, aimed at enhancing engagement with international partners and promoting regional security (Inkiriwang, 2021) (Anton et al., 2021) (Dewita, 2021). To effectively execute maritime diplomacy, Indonesia needs significant military capabilities, necessitating extensive diplomatic efforts at domestic, regional, and global levels (Setiawan & Paschalina, 2020). Indonesia's foreign policy strategy effectively responds to contemporary dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing the importance of maritime security and economic development (Darwis, 2020) (Syahrin, 2018). Indonesia has taken a leading role within ASEAN to promote regional peace and prosperity, particularly with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (Anwar, 2020). Indonesia's maritime sector is pivotal for international trade and regional security, with the nation actively enhancing its maritime governance to counter threats such as territorial disputes, illegal fishing, piracy, and maritime terrorism (Dao, 2024) (Chairil, 2023). Indonesia's commitment to maritime security is evident in its efforts to improve governance and address maritime threats (Chairil, 2023). The "Global Maritime Fulcrum" vision underscores the importance of maritime culture, resources, infrastructure, diplomacy, and defense for Indonesia's maritime domain (Chairil, 2023). This initiative aims to harness Indonesia's maritime potential and strengthen its role as a key player in the Indo-Pacific region (Rochwulaningsih et al., 2019) (Gopal & Alverdian, 2021). Stable relations with regional powers like China are crucial for Indonesia's strategic development and maritime security (Lestari et al., 2022). Indonesia's maritime security is crucial for its economy and sovereignty, especially considering its archipelagic nature (Chairil, 2023). For instance, Indonesia and China have fostered a comprehensive strategic partnership aimed at sharing prosperity and security, aligning with Indonesia's "Global Maritime Fulcrum" and China's "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" to enhance maritime cooperation and economic development (Pramono et al., 2021). This includes infrastructure development and modernization of shipping routes, ports, and logistics facilities to boost trade efficiency and attract foreign investment (Ridho, 2024). These collaborations are essential for addressing maritime security issues like piracy and illegal fishing, which threaten regional stability and economic growth (Lestari et al., 2022) (Ridho, 2024). Indonesia's maritime doctrine and foreign policy serve as strategic responses to the geopolitical rivalries in Southeast Asia, especially concerning maritime access and dominance in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean (Hasymi, 2020). Indonesia's naval modernization, aligned with the Global Maritime Axis Policy, is crucial for safeguarding its maritime interests and sovereignty in this complex environment (Zulkifli et al., 2020). The nation's maritime safety is integral to its identity and future, requiring the government to ensure maritime education and training to manage and control its vast waters (Irwan, 2020). Ensuring maritime security involves managing the seas to control and safeguard sea-based activities from disruptions and threats, requiring skilled human resources (Ahmadi & Herdiawan, 2019). To achieve this, Indonesia must improve the quality of its Navy personnel through comprehensive analysis and strategic models (Ahmadi & Herdiawan, 2019). President Jokowi's vision emphasizes Indonesia's return to its maritime identity, leveraging its position as the world's largest archipelagic country (Bradford, 2012). This vision acknowledges that Indonesia consists of numerous outer islands, with a significant number inhabited, highlighting the importance of maritime strength for national prosperity (Sitanggang, 2021). This requires ensuring connectivity between islands, developing the shipping and fisheries industries, enhancing marine transportation, and focusing on maritime security (Arto et al., 2021). Indonesia's geographical position necessitates a maritime defense strategy, especially considering China's ambitions in the Asia Pacific region and the increasing potential for conflict (R, 2022). Indonesia's archipelagic state necessitates the development of maritime strength in shipping, naval capabilities, and modern maritime technology (Rochwulaningsih et al., 2019). Indonesia, as the largest economy in Southeast Asia and the world's largest archipelagic nation, relies heavily on maritime transport for trade, necessitating a strong focus on maritime security and economic development (Lubis, 2020). Indonesia's strategic maritime location, geopolitically and geographically, between Asia and Australia and between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, underscores its crucial role in marine affairs and necessitates sustainable marine safeguards (Listiyono et al., 2021). Indonesia's geographical composition as an archipelagic nation necessitates sea transportation to connect islands, bolster economic development, and ensure maritime supervision (Silambi et al., 2022) (Satria & Rohmat, 2018). The country's maritime potential is substantial, yet its management has not been maximized to benefit coastal communities (Wantah et al., 2018). This necessitates the optimization of port performance through enhanced navigation safety assessment to minimize logistical costs and bolster trade, economy, and industry (Ridwan & Sunaryo, 2019). As the largest archipelagic country, Indonesia depends on sea transportation for connectivity across its numerous islands, making port navigation safety crucial for reducing logistical costs and promoting trade and economic growth (Ridwan & Sunaryo, 2019) (Hidayat et al., 2020). This entails a shift towards a pro-maritime transportation policy that leverages both aviation and maritime sectors to connect remote islands and foster economic development (Nugraha, 2016). The Indonesian government has initiated the marine toll program to enhance island connectivity and expedite the distribution of goods (Prasetiawan et al., 2021). This system is crucial for cost-effective and efficient national distribution, thereby fostering economic growth and regional development (Priadi, 2022) (Irwan, 2020). The nation's extensive coastline and abundant marine resources, including fisheries, oil, and natural gas, provide significant opportunities for economic advancement through maritime infrastructure development (Ridho, 2024). Indonesia's abundant marine resources, including 8,500 species of fish, 555 species of seaweed, and 950 types of coral reefs, underscore its potential as a maritime axis, with the fisheries sector alone capable of producing 12.54 million tons per year (Althalet et al., 2021) (Setiawati et al., 2021). As an archipelagic nation with over 17,000 islands, Indonesia faces unique challenges in ensuring equitable development and connectivity, particularly in remote regions like Banggai Laut Regency, which require improved maritime infrastructure (Sunarti, 2018) (Djunarsjah & Putra, 2021).

References

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