US’ TRAINING AID TO BAKAMLA: HOW FAR CAN IT GO?
The US has finally delivered on its commitment to fully support Indonesia’s Maritime Security Board or Badan Keamanan Laut (Bakamla). In a recent virtual ceremony, the US Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Kim officiated the construction of Bakamla campus in Batam Island and committed to spend US$3.5 million. It will be furnished with classrooms, barracks, and launching pad. The project was initiated by former head of Bakamla Vice Admiral Achmad Taufiqoerrochman in 2019. At that time, he proposed the training center to be developed in Serang, Banten province; but his replacement, Vice Admiral Aan Kurnia, moved the campus’ site to the Island. Despite its potential to improve Indonesia’s maritime law condition by educating all-new officers for Bakamla, the Center faces intrinsic problems arising from existing domestic maritime legal architecture in order to meet such a mission. If it fails, the existence of the training institution will be only deepening the country’s multi-actor maritime la