Indonesia rebuffs China's demand that fishermen be released

Indonesia has refused Chinese demands that it release eight fishermen arrested for illegal fishing in a growing confrontation that analysts say dispels the idea that Indonesia has no stake in South China Sea disputes.

Tensions flared after an Indonesian Fisheries Ministry patrol ship intercepted a Chinese fishing vessel on Saturday off the Natuna islands, which overlap the southernmost reaches of the South China Sea, according to Indonesian officials. A Chinese coast guard vessel collided with the fishing boat, the Kway Fey, as it was being towed, allowing it to escape.

Indonesia has accused China of sharply raising tensions in the region by retrieving the seized boat.

China’s expansive claims to most of the South China Sea have alarmed its Southeast Asian neighbors, especially as China reclaims land on reefs and builds infrastructure in disputed areas. Indonesia has not been involved in the territorial disputes, and Beijing has sought to discourage it from joining other nations in challenging China’s sea claims.

Some analysts believe Indonesia will increasingly be drawn into the fray.

The latest confrontation will likely force Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to increase spending on maritime patrols and will be difficult to play down without risking a nationalist backlash, said Achmad Sukarsono, an analyst at Eurasia Group.