Maritime Security in South Pacific and the Influence of Big Power Countries

Maritime Security in South Pacific and the Influence of Big Power Countries

 by Ir. Ade Muhammad, M.Han

Introduction

South Pacific is known also as Pacific Islands. It is a sub-region of Asia and consists of 22 political entities of the Pacific Community. They are American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Island, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.[1]

From the 22 political entities only nine which are independent states. They are Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Eight of the 22 are overseas territory of one kind or another belonging to external states. The stability and security in those eight territories is guaranteed by the external states.[2] Further five Islands have free association status with the external powers. The external powers which come to the South Pacific are USA, New Zealand, France, and UK. They also give subsidy to the Islands generously. Moreover the citizen from the entities that have free association status may migrate to USA and New Zealand.

The sub region is politically, ethnically, geographically and economically diverse. More than 2000 different languages are spoken across the region.

As the Pacific Islands, sea or maritime territory becomes an important aspect. Because sea is not only the tool to connect one island to the others, but sea also can give income for the people around it. Maritime territory problem also can give impact toward national, regional, and global territory. Maritime security in South Pacific will be good support for Asia Pacific maritime security and beyond.

Till the beginning of the 90s, we were used to address maritime security, considering the only military threat, and our vital interests and territorial integrity. But after the end of Cold War, globalization has developed, as well as local crises. And globalization brought the sea being the main way of exchanging goods throughout the world.  Then maritime security operations have developed in a way to mainly face non-military threats.

A major concern for the Pacific Islands region is that organized criminals, under increasing pressure elsewhere, may move their operations to regions where they perceive a lack of deterrence capability. That happened in this region potentially disturbing the region stability and even global stability.

Maritime security in South Pacific focuses on transnational crime such as traffic in small arms, illegal movement of people and drug trafficking. Besides that, piracy on the sea and illegal fishing also become common problem. Moreover, transnational crime is susceptible to terrorist activities, so it needs attention too from international community.

In order to solve the maritime security problems in South Pacific, several big countries get involved to give the contribution.  US together with Australia, New Zealand, and France help these island nations build their maritime security.

Problems

How does the South Pacific overcome their maritime security problems?

Why the big countries out of the South Pacific get involved in the solving of maritime security problems?

Conceptual Framework

Security is one of the important issues in the world, because it needed for development. Beside of that, security also becomes the right for human. Security also important because underpin almost everything that people do. Lack of security can have devastating consequences.

There are several definitions of security. One come from Arnold Wolfers who said security is any objective sense, measures the absence of threats to acquire values, in a subjective sense, the absence of fear that such values will be attacked.[3]

In the security studies, there are two points of view, which are traditional view and non-traditional view. The traditional view identifies military security at the level of the state as being central to security studies. It is a narrow conception which sees military conflict as the defining key to security and it was common during the Cold War when issues of high politics dominated national security agendas.[4]

The non-traditional view identifies a range of issues at various levels as being security issues and therefore central to security studies. It is a wide conception which sees issues such as the environment, the management of scarce resources, population growth, disease, transnational organised crime and economic recession as security issues. Originally, these issues were considered low politics, but they rose to prominence on national security agendas during the 1980s and 1990s.[5] Because of the wider field, security becomes more prominent issue.

To solve the security problem, need to understand the condition and the threat. Five dimension analyze from Barry Buzan can be used in order to understand how does the South Pacific solve their maritime security problems.

Barry Buzan argues that the term security consists of five dimensions:[6]

l  Military dimensions: involves the military capability/military build up of one state both conventional and non-conventional, military ideology, personnel etc.

l  Political dimensions: Involves the efforts to preserve political process, political system, and state’s ideology.

l  Economic dimension determines access to resources, market, finances and provide the decisive basis for political influence and military power.

l  Societal dimension including cultural values is less tangible but no less significant for security. It provides the atmosphere in which the values will affect the behavior of one state in the international system.

l  Environmental dimension concerns the maintenance of the planetary biosphere as the essential support system on which all other human enterprises demand.

Level of analyzes can help to analyze how far the issue give impact. By levels, objects for analysis defined by a range of spatial scales, from small to large. Levels are locations where both out comes and sources of explanation can be located. Theories may suggest causal explanation from one level to another or bottom up from human nature to the behavior of human collectivity.[7]

In the International Relation study, the five most frequently used level of analysis are:[8]

1. International system. It is meaning the largest scope of interacting or independent units that have no system level above them.

2. International sub-system. It is meaning groups of units within the international system that can be distinguished from the entire system by the particular nature or intensity of their interactions with or inter dependence on each other. It may be regional scope.

3. Units. It means actor composed of various subgroups or communities which are sufficiently cohesive and independent to be differentiated from others and to have standing at the higher level. It may be states or nations.

4. Subunits, meaning organized groups of individuals within units that are able to affect the behavior of the unit. It may be bureaucracies and lobbies. But in some analyzing, this level often not be used.

5. Individuals, meaning the bottom line of most analysis in the social sciences.

To keep the existence of its nation state in the middle of threats, need to know well about internal and external condition. Analyzing from those conditions will make easier the arrangement of proper strategy for South Pacific. Internal and external conditions could be analyzed by using SWOT.

SWOT technique was introduced for the first time by Albert Humphrey who leads research project in Stanford University in 1960 and 1970. SWOT is an acronym for strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat. Strength is positive tangible and intangible attributes which included internal factor. Weakness means factors that are within an organization’s control that detract from its ability to attain the desired goal. Opportunity is External attractive factors that represent the reason for an organization to exist and develop. Threat is external factors, beyond an organization’s control, which could place the organization mission or operation at risk. The organization may benefit by having contingency plans to address them if they should occur.[9]

After make list of strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat, need to make SWOT matrix in order to know about the correct strategy that may to be taken. There are 4 alternatives of strategy as the result of the matrix. They are SO, WO, ST, and WT.[10]

SWOT Matrix Form

External Internal	Opportunity	Threat
Strength	SO Strategies	ST Strategies
Weakness	WO Strategies	WT Strategies

SO strategy: This is a profitable situation because organization has opportunity and strength to be maximized.

ST strategy: In this situation, organization faces several threats but it remains have internal strength.

WO strategy: in this condition, organization facing big opportunity but also faces some internal weakness.

WT strategies: this is a disadvantage situation because organization has several internal threats and weakness.

Analysis

Maritime security problems not only faced and become responsibility of one country. Because maritime security often linkage with transnational crime, which involved more than one country. Moreover what happened in one country could give effect to the other.

In the case of maritime security problem in South Pacific, the level of analysis will help us to understand well, how far the problem threat.

Level of analysis	Non-military Security				Military Security
	Political	Economical	Social	Environmental
					Military
Individual	X	V	V	X	X
National	V	V	V	V	V
Regional	V	V	V	V	V
International	V	V	V	V	V

Political Dimension

Maritime security problem can threat politically. Internal violence happens in several entities in South Pacific. If maritime security in unsecure condition, it makes weapon smuggling massively. The illegal weapon can support the riot in one country. Directly or indirectly, internal violence which happens in one country can give effect to the others. It can increase conflict escalation, and further decrease national stability.

For example ethnic conflict which happened in late 1990s in Solomon Islands. The villagers on Guadalcanal who felt they were not benefiting from the economic development of the capital, Honiara, attacked and drove out several thousand people from the neighbouring island of Malaita over a period of months.[11] It raises the tension in the regional level.

Traditionally, South Pacific has been considered a safe haven for cruising boats. In recent years a number of incidents have been reported in the area. A small number of these are pirate attacks, where one vessel hijacks another in high seas or coastal waters, while the majority is robberies and armed robberies. If compared with other sub region like South East Asia and South Asia, only small number incident which happen on the sea territory of South Pacific. But it is still an issue in certain parts of the Asia Pacific.

Pirates activity appears because lack of law enforcement. Corruptions in every level of governments give impact and also become the impact of the piracy on the sea. And corruption is a continuing problem, with political leaders often claiming traditional leadership status should exempt them from normal rules on accepting gifts, distributing government funds to their political supporters, or even facing scrutiny on these matters.

South Pacific also known as heaven for transnational crime because decreasing of drug smuggling and arm smuggling. Drug smuggling is rise in Samoa massively. There is a route of drug smuggling in South Pacific. Increasing transnational activities shows that government has less attention to that issue. It contributes to political instability.

Political instability in one country could impact the regional and also international stability.

Economical Dimension

Most of countries in the South Pacific region are developing country. Only Australia and New Zealand which categorized as developed countries. Island states are heavily aid dependent. This creates issues with donor nations, such as Australia, New Zealand, France, and USA. Besides bilateral aid, some multinational organizations such as United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Asia Development Bank (ADB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank (WB) also give some aid. Foreign aid takes a part in the development process of South Pacific states.

Regional economic growth increased to 3.5 percent in 2004. Growth averaged 2.8 percent between 2005 and 2007. Opportunities to work abroad are unevenly spread across the Pacific, but remittances have grown dramatically, with annual average growth of 36 percent from 2000 to reach US$ 425 million in 2005. Most countries are showing good macroeconomic management, but microeconomic performance is mixed.[12]

The GDP increasing in the Pacific in the nineties was at around the rate of population growth, which is 2 to 3 percent per year. After negligible growth in the early years of this decade, growth increased to 3.5 percent in 2004. And growth averaged 2.8 percent between 2005 and 2007.[13] If compared with economic growth in Caribbean and Sub Saharan, Pacific Islands still left behind by progress.

As the maritime region, fishing is an important activity to support life of Pacific people. Fishing becomes a source of government revenue, employment, and export earnings. Half of more than two millions of tuna are caught annually in Pacific tuna fisheries, with a landed value in excess of US$ 3 billion.[14] Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is very serious issue. Actually there are no statistics on global IUU fishing in South Pacific. But if it happens continuously, it must be make countries which depend on fisheries, such as Kiribati, suffer financial loss.

Related with piracy on the sea, it is very bad for business. It gives unimportant added cost for the shipping company, quay facility, producer, distributor, retailer, and customer. Ships which face piracy will be have high cost insurance because the owners loss their ship content because of piracy and should pay higher insurance cost. Moreover the seller should compete with the pirate which sells goods in black market.

High cost economy because of piracy will be obstacle for investment. Unpredictable situation make investor have no willingness to invest. It cause unstable economic condition not only in one state, but also in regional level, and further in international scope.

Social Dimension

Weapon smuggling which happen massively trigger increasing number of people who keep and get access on the weapon. Weapon is not new one tool and the people who use it are increase. The using of weapon can be social culture so it makes conflict getting warm easily.

Social illness also rises because of drug smuggling. People can find prohibited drug easily, so it dangers young generation. Beside of that the number of people with the HIV/AIDS also potentially increases. The risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is higher for seafarers than for many other community groups as a result of patterns of sexual behaviour common among seafarers. When these seafarers return home, their wives and other sexual partners are at high risk of also contracting STIs.[15]

Transnational crime in several forms is increase and spread in more political entities. It means that criminal number also getting higher and often horrific. For instance, weapon smuggling is high in Papua New Guinea. It contributes the higher crime rates in that country, mainly in urban area Port Moresby, Lea, Goroka, and Mount Hagen. Maritime security problem will trigger regional and furthermore global social illness.

Environmental Dimension

Illegal fishing and pirate fishing as one form of maritime security problem usually catch fishes without regard the rule and environment, shortly, they do destructive activities. IUU fishing leaves communities without much needed food and income and the marine environment smashed and empty. It is disturbingly easy to become a fishing pirate and even easier to evade capture.

It is more than an issue of theft. Environmental destruction goes hand in hand with pirate fishing. Because they operate, quite literally, off the radar of any enforcement, the fishing techniques they use are destroying ocean life.

Sometime many ships use long lines baited with thousand hooks lined up in a row and pulled behind the boat. Anything that sees the bait as food is caught. It can catch young fish until big ocean creatures like shark and whale. It is a natural threat for national, regional, and global scope. If this activity did not stop, the natural balancing will be disturbed. Some ocean creatures will be disappearing.

Military Dimension

Traditionally, maritime security problem is viewed from military dimension. Maritime threat usually will be countered by military. That is why maritime states try to strengthen their naval forces.

Transnational crimes in all forms, piracy, and maritime terrorism are threats for military. It is not only become threat and responsibility to overcome for one nation but also the region and global actors. The build of military dimension may establish by 4 other dimensions.

The five dimensions in related one to each others. If one dimension is threatened so the other dimensions also disturbed. For example, political threat is linkage with the economical threat. Political instability triggered economic instability. In other hand, to build social stability need to stabilize the other dimension.

Relations between the dimensions will be rotate and influence one to each other. It may influence the level of analysis, can be individual, nation, regional, or global.

SWOT Analysis

Strength

·         South Pacific is rich of natural resources.

The region is dependent on primary resource extraction for economic development, which are mining, farming, forestry and fishing. 60 Percents of inhabitant from Fiji, Cook Island, Solomon Island, Tonga, Vanuatu, Western Samoa and Papua New Guinea dependent their life to these sectors.  In Papua New Guinea, gold and copper are the main mining. Then nickel can be found in New Caledonia, Fiji, and Solomon Island.

The islanders also develop manufacture industry, mainly in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. International trade also becomes the activity which can support the national income. Most countries export their natural produce like gold, coffee, cocoa, copper, oil palm, forest crop, and some products from coconut. The destination of the export activities are European Union, USA, Japan, and Australia that give financial aid for the islander as the mutual cooperation.[16]

·         Comprises a lot of nation states

In South Pacific there are 22 political entities. Although most of them is small with rare population, but South Pacific regions have important role. Each of South Pacific island nations has a vote at the United Nations because they are members. So this region will not be leaved by the other country in the different region.

Weakness

·         Destabilize political condition

Some countries in the South Pacific region have experience on destabilize political condition. For mention is Fiji. It has military coup history. Ethnic conflict had happened in Solomon. Then people in Tonga remain struggle for democracy. This condition makes the region also instable in many aspects. It is worsening with the corruption in the government.

·         Very dependent to the other country

From the 22 political entities in the South Pacific only nine which are independent states. Eight political entities are overseas territory of one kind or another belonging to external states. Guam, the Northern Marianas, and American Samoa are belonging to the USA. New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis & Futuna are belonging to French. Tokelau is belonging to New Zealand, and Pitcairn is belonging to UK.  Palau, The Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Island enjoy free association status with USA. The Cook Island and Niue have free association status with New Zealand. Developed country play important role in order to give subsidy and take care the stability. It makes this region very dependent on developed country.

Opportunity

·         Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

EEZ increasing the ocean territory up to 200 nautical miles so enabling the South Pacific countries can conduct ocean defence system as the protection layer. It makes enemy ship difficult to attack until land territory.

Water territory can be used as the relationship tool with the other countries regionally or internationally. It implicates toward a country to have role and influence in the international relation. EEZ also give authority for absolute control or command of the sea so the countries freedom to use the sea without intervention from another actor.

·         Geographical Position

South Pacific which contains of some islands that surrounded by ocean make them has wider ocean territory. This condition potentially make this sub region has sea force for projection their power through the sea so they can be important actors in international relationship.

·         Regional Cooperation

There are several regional organizations in South Pacific. There are eight primary regional organizations, which are the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the South Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP), the South Pacific Applied Geosciences Commission (SOPAC), the University of the Pacific (USP), the South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO), and the Pacific Island Development Program (PIDP).

With that several cooperation, it facilitates them to solve their regional problems easier. There are intense communications on the specific issue to overcome the maritime problem. For example, Pacific Community and South Pacific Forum also give attention to the maritime security problem. So regional cooperation which was built gives support to each other in the real activity. This gives opportunity for them to manage maritime security better.

Threat

·         Transnational Crime

Many international crime syndicates in recent years have begun using the South Pacific as a center for their activities. This includes people and small-arms smuggling, drug trafficking, money laundering and other transnational crimes. If transnational crime is neglected the condition of region will be more unstable.

·         Natural Maritime Hazard

Ocean harmonization going to disturbed because of illegal fishing and legal fishing which using destructive way. Two particularly destructive methods are cyanide fishing, where cyanide solution is used to stun fish making them easier to catch and the use of explosives, for example dynamite, to kill fish so they float to the surface and can be easily caught by nets. These are indiscriminate fishing methods that can have devastating impacts on marine species and habitats.[17]

It puts unsustainable pressure on fish stocks, marine wildlife and habitats, subverts labour standards and distorts markets. It may damage fragile marine ecosystems and vulnerable species such as coral reefs, turtles and seabirds.

In the SWOT matrix, we give biggest score for strength and opportunity dimensions so we establish SO strategy. It means that the organization has big opportunity to develop and show its existence. In other hand the organization have internal strength which potentially can support the opportunity.

This strategy can be established by regional organization. There are several regional organizations in South Pacific; one of them is Pacific Community. In order to keep maritime security, Pacific Community has regional maritime program. It is part of the Marine Resources Division, which also includes the Coastal Fisheries Program and the Oceanic Fisheries Program.

Pacific Community understands well about the importance of Pacific region, that is why they give attention to the maritime security issue in South Pacific as the sub region of Asia Pacific. Traditionally, Pacific water becomes an important way for trade and ship traffic. As we know most international trade and commerce are conducted by sea and most goods reach regional and national markets by sea transport.

Moreover most Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) rely on the sea for sustenance fisheries, coastal transportation and employment in shipping or on fishing vessels. Pacific Community has willingness to maximize the internal strength that they have. Because they realize that in small or big number, maritime sector has give economical contribution for the people and state.

In order to give contribution in the building of maritime security regime, Pacific Community through Regional Maritime Program try to strengthen human resource capacity, establish strong professional networks in the Pacific maritime sector, and gain national, regional and international recognition of Pacific maritime needs and priorities.[18] RMP mission is to safe and secure shipping, cleaner seas, and improved social and economic well-being of seafaring communities within the Pacific region.

RMP implement its action through hold several training, seminar, and workshop about maritime issue to the Pacific island countries. Mostly RMP organized port security training and exercise for its members. This is important in order to minimize smuggling through port.

RMP also collaborates with a number of organizations and associations, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Pacific Islands Maritime Association (PacMA), and the Association of Pacific Ports (APP). This program maintains close relationship with Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the New Zealand Maritime Safety Authority. RMP also works with a number of other regional organizations, including the Forum Fisheries Agency, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, and the South Pacific Regional Environment Program.

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[1] Stewart Firth, Security and Stability in The South Pacific: Issues and Responses, http://www.isis.org.my/files/apr/22nd%20APR/21%20James%20A.Veith.pdf, accessed on April 4, 2009.

[2] Ibid.

[3] AA Bayu Perwita, Lecture handout of Security in Asia Pacific for ITB Defence Management Postgraduate.

[4] Tom Maley, Lecture handout of Terrorism   for ITB Defence Management Postgraduate.

[5] Ibid.

[6] AA Bayu Perwita, op cit

[7] Barry Buzan, Ole Waever, and Jaap de Wilde, Security: A New Framework for Analysis, 1989, Colorado: Lynne Riener Publisher, Inc, p.5

[8] Barry Buzan, op cit, p.5-6

[9] SWOT Analysis - Matrix, Tools Templates and Worksheets, http://www.rapidbi.com/created/SWOTanalysis.html, diakses pada Senin 30 Maret 2009.

[10] Rangkuti, Analisis SWOT Teknik Membedah Kasus Bisnis. Cet 12, Jakarta, 2005. Page 19

[11] Centre for Strategic Studies Victoria University of Wellington, “South Pacific Strategic Challenges”, http://www.victoria.ac.nz/css/docs/Strategic_Briefing_Papers/Vol.1%20Dec%201999/Sth%20Pacific.pdf accessed on April 5, 2009.

[12] Pacific Economy Survey; Connecting the Region, http://www.pacificsurvey.org/UserFiles/file/Pacific%20Economic%20Survey08.pdf, accessed on 4 April 2009.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Regional Maritime Program of Secretariat of Pacific Community, Strategic Direction, http://www.spc.int/maritime/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=34, accessed on April 12, 2009.

[16] Pacific Island Economies: Prospects for Development Pacific Island Economies: Prospects for Development, attachment:/1/pacific-island-economies-prospects-development.htm, accessed on 5 April 2009.

[17] Marine Stewardship Council, Environmental Impact,  http://www.msc.org/healthy-oceans/the-oceans-today/environmental-impact, accessed on April 13 2009.

[18] Regional Maritime Program of Secretariat of Pacific Community, Strategic Direction, op cit.