Indonesia-Malaysia Cross-Border Cooperation in Managing Mobility of People at Disputed Border Area

This study aims to identify the roles of cross-border cooperation in managing the mobility of people at the disputed border area between Indonesia and Malaysia. The two countries disputed exclusive economic zones in the Sulawesi Sea, which led to political and armed tensions. Nevertheless, local people keep practicing cross-border mobility in the disputed area due to family, cultural, and economic ties. Therefore, Indonesia and Malaysia have initiated cross-border cooperation to manage the mobility of people at the border. Using a qualitative method with a case study approach, this study involves document reviews, interviews, and observation to collect the data. The results show that cross-border cooperation has played hypothetical roles in reducing physical and psychological barriers, enhancing socio-economic well-being, and securing border crossers from transnational crime acts, as well as two novel roles in reducing the criminalization of cross-border fishermen from complex legal procedures and creating a proper condition for the conflict resolution process.