Chinese Coast Guard Don’t Want to Leave from Indonesian ZEE in North Natuna Sea

North Natuna Sea, MINA – The KN Nipah-321 ship belonging to the Indonesian Coaat Guard (Bakamla) on Saturday expelled a Chinese Coast Guard ship that was caught roaming the Indonesian Economic Exclusive Zone (ZEEI) North Natuna Sea which is the jurisdiction area. Indonesia.

According to the Indonesian Bakamla press statement received by MINA, the Chinese Coast Guard Ship (CCG) with hull number 5204 was detected at around 10.00 p.m on radar and the KN Nipah automatic identification system (AIS) at a distance of 9.35 Nautical Mile (Nm).

KN Nipah, then increased his speed and changed course to carry out the intercept up to a distance of 1 Nm.

KN Nipah via VHF channel 16 radio asked about the CCG ship’s activities. After communicating via radio and being asked the purpose of the ship’s presence in the area, the ship insisted that they were patrolling the nine dash line area, which is China’s territory.

KN personnel conveyed that based on UNCLOS 1982 there is no acknowledgment of the existence of the nine dash line, and CCG 5204 is currently in the ZEEI area. Asked CCG 5204 to immediately leave the jurisdiction of Indonesia.

The North Natuna Sea is the jurisdiction of Indonesia and has sovereign rights over natural resources in the water column. Foreign ships are allowed to cross on the condition that they do not carry out other activities that are contrary to national law.

Until now, the two ships were still shadowing each other. KN Nipah 321 continues to strive to drive CCG 5204 out of ZEEI. Bakamla is coordinating with Kemenkopolhukam and Kemenlu in this regard.

KN Nipah 321 is one of the elements of Bakamla RI which is carrying out the 2020 preventive operation in the western maritime zone of Bakamla. The operation, which was released on September 4, 2020 at the JICT Tanjung Priok pier by the Head of Indonesian National Armed Forces, Laksdya TNI Aan Kurnia, is planned to last until the end of November this year. (R / RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)