The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 06/25/2010 5:44 PM
Former coordinating minister for the economy Dorojatun Kuntjoro Jakti said Friday that Indonesian needs a coast guard independent of the military to ensure that its current military resources are used for defense.
"The Navy’s war ships should be used for defense activities, not to capture fishermen," said Dorojatun said after a discussion at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry in Jakarta.
He continued that currently, Indonesia was still using naval war ships to safeguard its waters, including catching foreign or domestic fishermen operating without permits.
"In the United States, the coast guard is separate from the armed forces," he added.
The Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Fadel Muhammad, said that the government was planning to establish an independent coast guard in the near future.
"We have held two meetings to discuss the possibility of establishing the body, and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has appointed the coordinating political, law and security affairs minister to lead the execution of the plan," he told reporters after the discussion. (rdf)
