SOUTH CHINA SEA: INDONESIAN ROLE OVER THE CONTESTED ISLANDS (2009 - 2012)

Abstract

South China Sea dispute is involving six countries from different region. Four of the claimants are ASEAN member states: Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines; two of the claimants are non-ASEAN member states: China and Taiwan. Those claimants are contested Spratly and Paracel Islands located in the South China Sea. The two islands are being contested because rich of oil and gas which can be used for each claimants' interests. Indonesia played a crucial role in ensuring peace and stability in the ASEAN region. Indonesia became a facilitator between the claimants through many ways. Indonesia has been conducting "Workshop on Managing Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea" annually since 1990. The initiative of this workshop is the Ambassador Dr. Hasjim Djalal. Indonesia has also been succeeded in conducting "shuttle diplomacy" to the consolidate claimants. This thesis is using qualitative method and descriptive research. The writer is using case study strategy to analyze the South China Sea dispute. The data was conducted as primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are the data comes from speeches or official documents related to the issue. While secondary sources are the data which conducted from newspapers, magazines, and websites related to the issue. This thesis aims to learn the Indonesian ways in conducting diplomacy to other country. Besides in this thesis, we can also know that Indonesia is succeed in maintaining ASEAN regional stability through become a facilitator between all the claimants.