Revitalisasi Maritim Dalam Pemantapan Geopolitik Indonesia

Abstract

History records that the archipelago is an area with more waters than land. This has been realized by the royal leaders in the archipelago. Since the days of the Srivijaya Kingdom, the Singosari Kingdom and the Majapahit Kingdom have made the sea a real force to build a kingdom. Sea or maritime is not only a support for economic power but more than that. Mari- time has become a geopolitical force to unite the archipelago. Geopolitical power has strength- ened the steps of the kingdoms in the archipelago to increase their political bargaining power against countries in the surrounding region and countries in the world. The strengthening of maritime as a geopolitical force will of course have implications for other sectors, especially in the development sector of land transportation and sea transportation. This implication is very well understood by the leaders of this country. But still until now, maritime development must be put forward because the strength and bargaining value of this country rests on maritime affairs. Apart from being a geopolitical power, there is also a very large economic power contained in it. Even though Indonesia was late in realizing this, President Gus Dur had formed a Department of Marine Exploration which is now the Ministry of Maritime Affairs. Indonesia’s maritime geopolitical strength has been identified in three main straits which are used by the international community as a passage for various ships with large weights so that Indonesia must be more closely monitoring these sea lanes. The three straits are the Malacca Strait, the Sunda Strait and the Lombok Strait. Indonesia must be able to regulate international maritime shipping so that it can play a strategic role in the world political arena.