Aristyo Rizka Darmawan

Aristyo Rizka Darmawan is a lecturer in international law at the Universitas Indonesia and a former Visiting Fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University. Currently he is a Ph.D Scholar at the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University. His research focuses on the intersection between international law of the sea and maritime security in the Asia Pacific.

Aristyo’s articles has appeared in international journals such as the International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law and Asia Pacific Journal of Ocean Law and Policy. He also regularly published a commentary on the contemporary international law issues in international outlets, such as the Lowy Institute the Interpreter, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative CSIS, East Asia Forum (Australian National University), Policy Forum (Australian National University), Asia Global Online (Hongkong University), Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute commentaries, Mongabay, and the Jakarta Post.

Aristyo obtained his Master’s Degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, United States and Bachelor of Law from Universitas Indonesia.

Follow Aristyo's work across platforms to stay current on Indonesia's maritime rights, UNCLOS developments, and Asia-Pacific security. He is among the few Indonesian scholars bringing these issues to both academic and public audiences.

	Aristyo Rizka Darmawan
	@aristioo
	@aristioo

Research & Commentary

Aristyo writes across academic journals and international policy outlets, covering Indonesia's maritime boundaries, archipelagic rights under UNCLOS, and the country's evolving position in the Asia-Pacific security order. Below is a selection of his most notable work.

• China may yet persuade Southeast Asia to support new maritime order

  The Strategist, The Australian Strategic Policy Institute • 23 February 2026

  • https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/china-may-yet-persuade-southeast-asia-to-support-new-maritime-order/

• Illegal and unfair: Indonesia should not ratify Donald Trump’s tariff deals

  Indonesia at Melbourne, University of Melbourne • 23 February 2026

  • https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/illegal-and-unfair-indonesia-should-not-ratify-donald-trumps-tariff-deals/

• How External Partners Should Engage in the South China Sea

  The Diplomat • 28 November 2025

  • https://thediplomat.com/2025/11/how-external-partners-should-engage-in-the-south-china-sea/

• Indonesia unlikely to follow the Philippines’ transparency against China

  The Strategist, The Australian Strategic Policy Institute • 13 November 2025

  • https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/indonesia-unlikely-to-follow-the-philippines-transparency-against-china/

• A risky gambit: Should Indonesia host US navy’s MRO operations?

  Indonesia at Melbourne, University of Melbourne • 4 September 2025

  • https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/a-risky-gambit-should-indonesia-host-us-navys-mro-operations/

• Joint Development Proposal for Indonesia-Malaysia Ambalat Dispute

  Australian Institute of International Affairs • 14 July 2025

  • https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/joint-development-proposal-for-indonesia-malaysia-ambalat-dispute/

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• Prabowo’s flawed logic on the Natuna joint development proposal

  East Asia Forum • 31 May 2025

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2025/05/31/prabowos-flawed-logic-on-the-natuna-joint-development-proposal/

• Navigating Uncertainty: Why Indonesia Needs a National Maritime Strategy

  The Diplomat • 21 March 2025

  • https://thediplomat.com/2025/03/navigating-uncertainty-why-indonesia-needs-a-national-maritime-strategy/

• Has Indonesia fallen into China’s nine-dash line trap?

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 12 November 2024

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/has-indonesia-fallen-china-s-nine-dash-line-trap

• Assessing Indonesia’s potential presidents’ South China Sea strategies

  East Asia Forum • 13 February 2024

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2024/02/13/assessing-indonesias-potential-presidents-south-china-sea-strategies/

• The Fix: Explaining Indonesia’s silence in the North Natuna Sea

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 6 September 2023

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/fix-explaining-indonesia-s-silence-north-natuna-sea

• Jakarta is alert but not alarmed over the US–PNG defence agreement

  East Asia Forum • 5 August 2023

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2023/08/05/jakarta-is-alert-but-not-alarmed-over-the-us-png-defence-agreement/

  
  

• Archipelago angst: How Indonesia and the US differ on air routes over sea lanes

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 4 August 2023

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/archipelago-angst-how-indonesia-us-differ-air-routes-over-sea-lanes

• Australia’s defence ambitions need Southeast Asian trust

  East Asia Forum • 4 July 2023

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2023/07/04/australias-defence-ambitions-need-southeast-asian-trust/

• Beyond Arms Race Concern: Indonesia and Submarine Passage in Archipelagic Waters

  IDSS Paper, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU Singapore • 28 March 2023

  • https://rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/idss/ip23031-beyond-arms-race-concern-indonesia-and-submarine-passage-in-archipelagic-waters/

    
    

• Challenging the Freedom of the Ocean: The U.S. Freedom of Navigation Program in Indonesian Archipelagic Waters

  Moscow Journal of International Law • 12 January 2023

  • https://doi.org/10.24833/0869-0049-2022-4-77-91

• Sustainable catch: better Indonesia-Australia cooperation on fishing

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 10 October 2022

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/sustainable-catch-better-indonesia-australia-cooperation-fishing

    
    

• Why Indonesia's engagement with Pacific countries matters

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 13 September 2022

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/why-indonesia-s-engagement-pacific-countries-matters

• Indonesia-Singapore Defence Cooperation Agreement: A Win Win

  Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 30 August 2022

  • https://fulcrum.sg/indonesia-singapore-defence-cooperation-agreement-a-win-win/

    
    

• Indonesia-Australia climate change cooperation begins with the ocean

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 27 June 2022

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/indonesia-australia-climate-change-cooperation-begins-ocean

    
    

• Enforcing Law in Undelimited Maritime Areas: Indonesian Border Experience

  The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law • 28 March 2022

  • https://doi.org/10.1163/15718085-bja10092

• Joe Biden’s new Indo-Pacific Strategy: A view from Southeast Asia

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 16 February 2022

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/joe-biden-s-new-indo-pacific-strategy-view-southeast-asia

• Indonesia’s New Army Chief: Nudging the Country Towards the Sea

  Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 23 November 2021

  • https://fulcrum.sg/indonesias-new-army-chief-nudging-the-country-towards-the-sea/

• Australia-Indonesia: burn the boats

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 10 November 2021

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australia-indonesia-burn-boats

• AUKUS adds fuel to the South China Sea dispute

  East Asia Forum • 1 November 2021

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2021/11/01/aukus-adds-fuel-to-the-south-china-sea-dispute/

  
  

• North Natuna Sea: Indonesia Needs More Than a Military Strategy

  Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 14 October 2021

  • https://fulcrum.sg/north-natuna-sea-indonesia-needs-more-than-a-military-strategy/

    
    

• Reformulating ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific

  East Asia Forum • 29 September 2021

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2021/09/29/reformulating-aseans-outlook-on-the-indo-pacific/

    
    

• China’s Recent Foray into the North Natuna Sea is Problematic

  Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 22 September 2021

  • https://fulcrum.sg/chinas-recent-foray-into-the-north-natuna-sea-is-problematic/

    
    

• Deliberate ambiguity of China’s new “territorial waters” declaration

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 31 August 2021

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/deliberate-ambiguity-china-s-new-territorial-waters-declaration

• Towards a rigorous Code of Conduct for the South China Sea

  East Asia Forum • 30 July 2021

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2021/07/30/towards-a-rigorous-code-of-conduct-for-the-south-china-sea/

• Why the New Indonesia-US Maritime Training Centre is Strategically Important

  Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 7 July 2021

  • https://fulcrum.sg/why-the-new-indonesia-us-maritime-training-centre-is-strategically-important/

• China and Indonesia: The Limits of Transactionalism

  Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 15 June 2021

  • https://fulcrum.sg/china-and-indonesia-the-limits-of-transactionalism/

• Resolving Indonesia and Singapore’s UNCLOS dispute

  East Asia Forum • 7 April 2021

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2021/04/07/resolving-indonesia-and-singapores-unclos-dispute/

• Toxic reaction to Japan’s Fukushima water dump

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 22 April 2021

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/toxic-reaction-japan-s-fukushima-water-dump

• International Law Matters in the South China Sea

  Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 6 April 2021

  • https://fulcrum.sg/international-law-matters-in-the-south-china-sea/

• The USA and UNCLOS: Time to Ratify

  Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 22 February 2021

  • https://fulcrum.sg/the-usa-and-unclos-time-to-ratify/

    
    

• China’s New Coast Guard Law: Illegal and Escalatory

  Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 27 January 2021

  • https://fulcrum.sg/chinas-new-coast-guard-law-illegal-and-escalatory/

    
    

• Why Indonesia seizing an Iranian tanker is purely over domestic law

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 1 February 2021

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/why-indonesia-seizing-iranian-tanker-purely-over-domestic-law

• Prabowo redeemed in Washington’s eyes amid US-China rivalry

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 20 October 2020

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/prabowo-redeemed-washington-s-eyes-amid-us-china-rivalry

• Sovereignty, Security and Prosperity: Indonesia and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

  Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 30 August 2022

  • https://fulcrum.sg/sovereignty-security-and-prosperity-indonesia-and-the-un-convention-on-the-law-of-the-sea/

• Indonesia’s maritime law enforcement faces troubled waters

  East Asia Forum • 29 August 2020

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2020/08/29/indonesias-maritime-law-enforcement-faces-troubled-waters/

• Jakarta should be wary of Beijing’s South China Sea proposals

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 28 August 2020

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/jakarta-should-be-wary-beijing-s-south-china-sea-proposals

• International law takes a step towards Asia

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 30 June 2020

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/international-law-takes-step-towards-asia

• Gauging Indonesia’s interests in the South China Sea

  East Asia Forum • 26 June 2020

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2020/06/26/gauging-indonesias-interests-in-the-south-china-sea/

    
    

• China's claim to traditional fishing rights in the North Natuna Sea does not hold up

  East Asia Forum • 22 April 2020

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2020/04/22/chinas-claim-to-traditional-fishing-rights-in-the-north-natuna-sea-does-not-hold-up/

• As Jakarta trims defence, Beijing makes waves in the South China Sea

  The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 19 May 2020

  • https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/jakarta-trims-defence-beijing-makes-waves-south-china-sea

Watch & Listen

Aristyo is a regular presence in policy discussions beyond the page — from academic conferences to public forums. Watch and listen to him in conversation on Indonesia's maritime challenges, UNCLOS, and the shifting security dynamics of the Asia-Pacific.

• Why Should We Care About Indonesia's High-Stakes Balancing Act?

  Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific? · 16 August 2025

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmrN_LaWo4Y&t

  
  

• Ep. 8 — Teaching the Law of the Sea in Indonesia

  The Asian Scholar · 27 March 2024

  • https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ASV6l5SAMhY9mqjsetq3X

  
  

• ASEAN-China Policy Lab: “Filling in the Comprehensive Strategic of Partnership”

  Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia · 12 October 2022

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-S_CoELxLg&t=2871s

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Last Updated: 4 April 2026