TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry (Kemenlu) confirmed that a Chinese coast guard boat had trespassed into Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) over the Natuna waters on Monday, December 30.

They also announced that acts of illegal fishing were committed by the said boat during the incident.

“The meeting between state-ministries at the foreign affairs ministry confirmed Indonesia’s EEZ had been violated and includes activities of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing by the Chinese coast guard over Natuna,” said the ministry’s official press release on Tuesday, December 31.

Following the incident, the Indonesian government has officially summoned China’s Ambassador in Jakarta and filed a firm protest against what happened over one of the world’s most disputed sea borders.

“The Chinese ambassador has been notified [about Indonesia's strong protest] and will report back to Beijing,” said the release.

The ministry underlined that Indonesia’s EEZ is asserted in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and that China must respect the treaty. The ministry reiterated its stance that the country is a non-claimant state in the South China Sea and that it has no overlapping jurisdiction with China.

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI