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WHY INDONESIA CLOSED THE STRAITS IN SEPTEMBER 1988

NCJ Number
145196
Journal
Studies in Conflict and Terrorism Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: (1993) Pages: 171-185
Author(s)
B Lowry
Date Published
1993
Length
15 pages
Annotation
A September 1988 incident in which Indonesia closed the Sunda and Lombok Straits to shipping at alternate times reveals Indonesia's perceptions of the evolving Law of the Sea and Indonesia's strategic position astride the trade routes between the Middle East and East Asia.
Abstract
The closures appear to have been authorized either explicitly or implicitly by President Suharto. However, insufficient evidence exists to reach a definitive conclusion regarding the objections of the action or against whom it was directed. The most probable explanation for the nature and timing of the closure relates to Indonesia's desire to establish its interpretation of sovereignty over the straits, including the rights of passage through straits and archipelagic waters, especially for warships and military aircraft. Indonesia was also engaged in an economic dispute with Japan at that time; this dispute may also have been an influence, at least on the timing of the closures. Notes and 22 references (Author abstract modified)

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