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- Intervention by Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the Maritime Cooperation Roundtable
Intervention by Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the Maritime Cooperation Roundtable
1 October 2016
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Esteemed colleagues,
For ASEAN, the seas around us are our lifeblood for local economies and indeed are critical sea lines for global trade, commerce and tourism. Stability from clear rules which all countries adhere to in our maritime domain is essential to ensure that there is no disruption to sea lines of communication (SLOCs). In this context, ASEAN centrality is vital to ensure that the maritime region does not become a proxy ground for contests and inevitably conflict. We need not only the absence of tensions but established platforms to anticipate and defuse problems before they occur.
These clear messages have been articulated by all ASEAN communities repeatedly, in fact ever since its founding. They form the fundamental reason for all dialogue partners to agree to the Treaty of Amity. For the same reason, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea (SCS) was signed by ASEAN and Chinese leaders in 2002, as a key agreement to guide peaceful resolution of disputes and cooperative behaviour in the SCS. We have to admit and recognise that all claimant states and the overall situation in the SCS have fallen short of the hopes and standards set by the DOC. We need to address this problem quickly before it escalates and it is to the interest of ASEAN, China, and indeed global countries to step up momentum on the Code of Conduct (COC). Defence establishments should expand the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, or CUES, to include ADMM-Plus members that are not part of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium, or the WPNS. CUES should also include coast guards and white shipping. In addition, the regional navies could develop a code of conduct for submariners to enhance underwater and submarine operational safety.
Our maritime region also faces other threats such as piracy and illegal smuggling. Singapore, at the fulcrum of many maritime trade routes, recognises it can and must play a stronger role against these threats. The Singapore Navy took the lead in bringing together several local agencies, including our Police Coast Guard, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and the Maritime and Port Authority, to build a shared picture of our waters. Today, the Singapore Maritime Crisis Centre, or the SMCC, is an effective inter-agency structure and information-sharing platform that enhances interoperability and minimises duplication in our operational response.
The Information Fusion Centre, or the IFC, set up in 2009 is the international counterpart to the local SMCC. The IFC currently has partnerships and linkages to more than 60 Operational Centres from 35 countries – other navies, coast guards and maritime agencies to deal with piracy, trafficking, maritime terrorists and other maritime security threats. I thank many of you who are in the IFC for the strong support.
The IFC has supported the Malacca Straits Patrol. A joint effort by Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. For instance, in May this year, the IFC was able to track the hijacked vessel Hai Soon 12. The Indonesian International Liaison Officer stationed at the IFC received this information and initiated the response by the Indonesian Navy to locate and board the vessel, as well as arrest the perpetrators.
As Defence Ministers, we must support efforts to build trust among our navies. Our navies are actively involved in platforms such as the ADMM-Plus and the WPNS. Just last year, the Singapore Navy hosted the multilateral Maritime Information-Sharing Exercise, the 5th WPNS Multilateral Sea Exercise, and co-hosted the 6th WPNS Mine Countermeasure Exercise with the Indonesian Navy. The Singapore and the Republic of Korea navies also co-hosted the second Submarine Operational Safety Conference in June 2016 and proposed the IFC to share information on potential obstacles to submerged navigation. The IFC will do so.
For the past 50 years, we have had peace in our waters and as a result our economies grew and people benefited. Our military establishments can come together, build trust based on clear rules observed by all, to maintain that stability.