Indonesia: Sea patrols launched with Asian neighbours in turbulent area

In order to mark the launch of coordinated patrols, warships form warships from Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia held manoeuvres on Monday, June 19, near a naval base in northern Borneo to increase the security in waters plagued by insurgencies and banditry.

Ministers and army chiefs from the countries attended the ceremonies to launch the patrols, with helicopters and surveillance planes flying overhead. Regional security became the focus after Islamist militants overran a town in the southern Philippines.

Some of the Islamist militants comprising of local insurgent groups who have pledged alliance to the Islamic State and also some foreign fighters, may have fraternised with evacuees in order to slip away during the battle for Marawi City that has raged for almost four weeks, said the Philippine military.

Gatot Nurmantyo, the Indonesian military chief said, "We need to watch out for the 500 to 600 terrorists there, 257 of whom have been killed already. The rest, based on information we are getting, are blending in with refugees to get out." 

The spectacular collapse in security in the southern Philippines has alarmed neighbours such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

Colonel Didik Krisyanto, the head of the Tarakan air base told the state news agency Antara on the weekend that three Sukhoi fighters have been deployed by Indonesia to help with security in case militants try to flee southwards towards the country. 

The defence ministers and army chiefs from the three countries also attended the inauguration of Indonesia's maritime command centre in the naval base of Tarakan, a town in the province of North Kalimantan on Borneo island on June 19. 

Maritime command centres to coordinate the patrols and information sharing have also been determined to be set up in Tawau in Malaysia's Sabah and Bongao in the Philippines.

"We see these (command centres) functioning as a triangle, like a spider's web, where everything inside the triangle will be monitored," said military chief Nurmantyo.

Tarakan, a port town, is just south of the Malaysian side of Borneo and looks out across to Mindanao in the southern Philippines, a sprawling island that has suffered from hostage taking and piracy for decades.

"Maintaining marine security is the duty of ASEAN countries and not other countries," said Indonesian defence minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, referring to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Singapore and Brunei also attended the launch of patrols as observers.

Local people including fishermen in the border areas facing the Philippines were instructed by the Indonesian naval authorities to report any suspicious sightings, Antara reported.

the report also said that a police mobile brigade corp had been sent to the northern areas on Sulawesi island to prevent militants from crossing the border.