IndonesianTalk.com — Indonesia’s Maritime Amnesia: Reclaiming an Archipelagic Nation’s Strategic Destiny Why Indonesia must move beyond raw commodity extraction and build maritime sovereignty through technology, education and sustainable ocean industries. By Dr. Yehu Wangsajaya Indonesia is an archipelagic nation whose greatest strategic asset may also be its most neglected: the sea. For centuries, maritime power shaped the fortunes of the Sriwijaya and Majapahit kingdoms, as well as the sultanates of Gowa-Tallo and Ternate-Tidore. Their influence rested on their ability to navigate trade routes, connect distant communities and harness the economic and political potential of the waters surrounding the archipelago. Yet modern Indonesia faces a paradox. Despite its extraordinary maritime geography, the country has not fully translated its ocean wealth into industrial strength, technological leadership or lasting prosperity for coastal communities. This condition can be described as maritime geopolitical amnesia: a gradual loss of awareness of the sea as a foundation of…
Indonesia’s Maritime Amnesia: Reclaiming an Archipelagic Nation’s Strategic Destiny
IndonesianTalk.com — Indonesia’s Maritime Amnesia: Reclaiming an Archipelagic Nation’s Strategic Destiny Why Indonesia must move beyond raw commodity extraction and build maritime sovereignty through technology, education and sustainable ocean industries. By Dr. Yehu Wangsajaya Indonesia is an archipelagic nation whose greatest strategic asset may also be its most neglected: the sea. For centuries, maritime power shaped the fortunes of the Sriwijaya and Majapahit kingdoms, as well as the sultanates of Gowa-Tallo and Ternate-Tidore. Their influence rested on their ability to navigate trade routes, connect distant communities and harness the economic and political potential of the waters surrounding the archipelago. Yet modern Indonesia faces a paradox. Despite its extraordinary maritime geography, the country has not fully translated its ocean wealth into industrial strength, technological leadership or lasting prosperity for coastal communities. This condition can be described as maritime geopolitical amnesia: a gradual loss of awareness of the sea as a foundation of…


