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Indonesia Needs Strong Navy to Fight Piracy
JAKARTA, Sept 11 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, has realized it is lagging behind in both commercial and military naval facilities, its president, Megawati Sukarnoputri, said Monday.
Megawati said that Indonesia needed to develop a strong navy in order to guard the country's territorial waters.
"A strong naval force reflects a nation's dignity, thus [by having one], we can gain the respect of other countries in the world," the President said, while addressing the 50th anniversary of the Navy Academy in Surabaya, East Java, as quoted by the Antara news agency.
Indonesia, she said, also needed a strong commercial fleet so that the country would not be left behind in international trade.
Megawati further underscored the alarming security lapses amid increasing illegal activities in Indonesian waters.
The archipelago of 15,000 islands has an exclusive economic zone that extends from the borders of Australia to that of the Philippines.
Economic activities in Indonesian waters could benefit the country further if it had a proper naval force that could check on illegal activities.
Illegal fishing and piracy have increased and have yet to be kept in check by the Navy, Megawati said.
The president also lamented on damage done to marine resources and coral reefs in Indonesian waters.
She said many fishermen, as well as fishing companies, continue to ignore the preservation of marine resources.
Indonesia does not have sufficient facilities to estimate how much damage has occurred, and the resulting impact on its eco-system, sources said.
"We have to see all these problems as challenges in developing a better future for Indonesia," the President said.
With additional reporting by Kazi Mahmood
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