Summary
Highlights
Indonesia, located in Southeast Asia, shares borders with 10 neighboring countries. Its sea borders include Australia, the Philippines, India, Palau, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, while its land borders are with Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and Malaysia.
Borders are a primary manifestation of a country's territorial sovereignty. Law Number 43 of 2008 concerning State Territory provides the legal basis for managing these borders, aiming for systematic, comprehensive, integrative, and accountable management.
National borders encompass not only legal jurisdictions but also national security, sovereignty, and economy. Therefore, border management must be comprehensive and integrated. The National Border Management Agency (BNPP) was formed to organize and develop border areas.
Key government entities involved in border management include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for diplomacy and negotiations, the Ministry of Home Affairs for administrative and territorial matters, and the Ministry of Defense for security and defense. These three ministries largely dominate the policy for state border management.
The acceleration of border area development is a priority for President Joko Widodo, aligning with his third Nawacita (nine-point agenda) to build Indonesia from the periphery. Seven priority border locations are now experiencing significant development.
One key development is the Aruk border post in Sambas Regency, West Kalimantan, which serves as a gateway to Sarawak, Malaysia. President Widodo has also inaugurated three magnificent Cross-Border Posts (PLBNs) in West Kalimantan, including the one in Aruk and Perbatasan.