Off the Beaten Track: Reaching Natuna, the Outermost Islands
Natuna, one of the final frontiers of islands in the archipelago, needs more attention beyond physical development.
The first thought that comes to one's mind about the Natuna Islands could be that their remoteness plays a part in their poor infrastructure, bumpy dirt roads and pitch darkness at night due to a lack of electricity. This is almost accurate.
Originally published on paper edition in January 2017, online version:
Main roads are in fact pretty even in the capital city of Ranai, though some areas still have dirt roads. Schools and health facilities are adequately established. An electricity supply generated by diesel-fuel power plants exists although blackouts frequently occur and residents usually avoid traveling at night due to poor street lighting.
Such improvements have increasingly been seen in recent years, particularly after Joko "Jokowi" Widow and Jusuf Kalla took office. the inward vision of strengthening the country's presence in border areas and increasing tensions among claimants of the disputed South China Sea have poured bigger attention onto Natuna.
Last October, joint training of Indonesian military forces was held on the islands. A number of military wagons were still routing the regency's capital city in December.
Natuna regency is an archipelago located in the northernmost part of Indonesia, hundreds of kilometres into the disputed South China Sea. A part of Riau Islands province, the archipelago is actually closer to Ho Chi Minh City than Jakarta.
Commercial flights heading to Natuna use the Raden Sadjad Air Force Base. Two national airlines serve Jakarta-Natuna routes via transit in Batam, but one of them sells tickets on a chartered basis. in order to serve the commercial flights, the Raden Sadjad airport added a new terminal, which was inaugurated in October by President Jokowi. However, its operation remains pending. Meanwhile, cruises from state shipping firm Pelni to the islands are also available, but only on certain dates.
Natuna also offers a natural beauty that is hard to resist. All corners of the archipelago offer different experiences for exploration: from the white sand beaches and giant rock formations on the coastlines to the staggering view from Mount Ranai. If island hopping is on your itinerary, get ready for a holiday extension since the region has 154 islands to choose from, 127 of which are uninhabited.
Despite the existence of a number of accommodation, the tourism industry is not yet developed in the archipelago. Finding rented equipment to enjoy underwater scenery, for example, is still difficult, so it is better for people to bring their own snorkeling or diving gear. Also, expect to come across expensive transportation to reach remote areas of the islands.
Apart from expedition vessels, visits to this archipelago are mostly related to transits to nearby oil and gas fields. Natuna is the closest regency to the hydrocarbon basins estimated to hold abundant oil and gas resources on the offshore islands adjacent to the nine-dash-line territory claimed by the Chinese government.
Currently, four oil and gas blocks are already in production under Indonesian production sharing contracts, namely Udang Block, Kakap Block, Natuna Sea Block A and South Natuna Sea Block B. There are also 11 oil and gas working areas that are currently in exploration stages: Baronang, Cakalang, NE Natuna, East Sokang, North Sokang, South Sokang, Duyung, Pari, Gurita, Sokang and Tuna. The list has yet to include the gas-rich East Natuna Block, previously known as the Natuna D Alpha.
Amid such potential, as well as greater attention from the government related to infrastructure development and security issues in frontier areas, Natuna communities shared their growing concerns on social matters.
"We currently have rising concerns on health issues. To date, we have recorded a number of HIV cases and we are worried that Natuna will be exposed to more cases from neighboring areas such as Batam or other places with high rates of HIV. Although Natuna is quite remote, we have seen an increasing amount of visitors as there are several ongoing development projects," said Dede Muhammad Ramli, an officer with the National AIDS Commission (KPA) in Natuna.
Data from the commission recorded 11 cases of HI and one AIDS case. Two of the HIV cases involved children below 15 years of age. The number might seem small, but the population in Natuna is not big. according to the Natuna Central Statistic Agency (BPS), the regency had a population of 89,312 people in 2014.
Dede said his commission has offered various programs for assessment and prevention, but some of them were frequently postponed due to a limited budget as the administration was in a deficit.
Besides health problems, Natuna also looks to address a number of suicide cases among tens-aged students. Four suicide cases were reported last year.
"We encourage teachers to play active roles, to have the observation ability so they can detect when their students are in a stressful situation and then help them to overcome their problems," said Noven Gisela, a member of the Ruang Berbagi Ilmu volunteer movement, which recently gave training on teen stress management to teachers in Natuna.
These problems show that frontier areas such as Natuna need attention beyond physical development. There can be a new airport, industrial development, or security assurance, but handling social issues, improving the living standard, education and health quality are equally important.
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