Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines to discuss Joint-Patrols in May

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security Affairs, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, said that the upcoming meeting between Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines - which is set to happen early in May 2016 - might bring up the possibility of conducting joint-sea patrols in areas prone to hijacking and piracy. "We'll try and see if such patrols are actually possible, so all our ships can safely sail through the waters," said Panjaitan at the Ministry of Politics, Law, and Security Affairs Office in Jakarta on Thursday, April 28, 2016.

The meeting, continued Panjaitan, will take place between the Foreign Affairs Ministers as well as top military figures from each nations. "So our Foreign Affairs Minister will meet with her counterparts from the Philippines - and so will the Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI)," he said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously confirmed that the upcoming meeting will specifically discuss cooperation between all three nations to secure their maritime areas. "The meeting is scheduled for May 5, 2016 at the Pancasila Hall in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building of Indonesia," said the Foreign Affairs Ministry's spokesperson, Arrmanatha Nasir at the Foreign Affairs Ministry's Press Room in Central Jakarta on Thursday morning.

Nasir said that President Joko Widodo instructed Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi and TNI Commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo to arrange the trilateral meeting. "They should meet and discuss whatever it is that could be done to secure the borders of all three nations - especially our maritime territories that are highly prone to hijacking and kidnapping," he said.

The main focus of the meeting, continued Nasir, is to ensure that economic cooperation between three nations could carry on as per usual - undisturbed by any sort of security breaches and threats. The issue become a priority after several Indonesian ships were taken by Abu Sayyaf militant groups, who also took several Indonesian citizens as hostages.

"There will also be discussions about coordinating our armed forces - but the details will only be discussed once the meeting takes place," finished Nasir.

YOHANES PASKALIS