Aristyo Rizka Darmawan
- Foreign Policy Talks
- 4 days ago
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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.
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
Illegal and unfair: Indonesia should not ratify Donald Trump’s tariff deals
Indonesia at Melbourne, University of Melbourne • 23 February 2026
How External Partners Should Engage in the South China Sea
The Diplomat • 28 November 2025
Indonesia unlikely to follow the Philippines’ transparency against China
The Strategist, The Australian Strategic Policy Institute • 13 November 2025
A risky gambit: Should Indonesia host US navy’s MRO operations?
Indonesia at Melbourne, University of Melbourne • 4 September 2025
Joint Development Proposal for Indonesia-Malaysia Ambalat Dispute
Australian Institute of International Affairs • 14 July 2025
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Prabowo’s flawed logic on the Natuna joint development proposal
East Asia Forum • 31 May 2025
Navigating Uncertainty: Why Indonesia Needs a National Maritime Strategy
The Diplomat • 21 March 2025
Has Indonesia fallen into China’s nine-dash line trap?
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 12 November 2024
Assessing Indonesia’s potential presidents’ South China Sea strategies
East Asia Forum • 13 February 2024
The Fix: Explaining Indonesia’s silence in the North Natuna Sea
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 6 September 2023
Jakarta is alert but not alarmed over the US–PNG defence agreement
East Asia Forum • 5 August 2023
Archipelago angst: How Indonesia and the US differ on air routes over sea lanes
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 4 August 2023
Australia’s defence ambitions need Southeast Asian trust
East Asia Forum • 4 July 2023
Beyond Arms Race Concern: Indonesia and Submarine Passage in Archipelagic Waters
IDSS Paper, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU Singapore • 28 March 2023
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
Sustainable catch: better Indonesia-Australia cooperation on fishing
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 10 October 2022
Why Indonesia's engagement with Pacific countries matters
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 13 September 2022
Indonesia-Singapore Defence Cooperation Agreement: A Win Win
Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 30 August 2022
Indonesia-Australia climate change cooperation begins with the ocean
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 27 June 2022
Enforcing Law in Undelimited Maritime Areas: Indonesian Border Experience
The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law • 28 March 2022
Joe Biden’s new Indo-Pacific Strategy: A view from Southeast Asia
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 16 February 2022
Indonesia’s New Army Chief: Nudging the Country Towards the Sea
Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 23 November 2021
Australia-Indonesia: burn the boats
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 10 November 2021
AUKUS adds fuel to the South China Sea dispute
East Asia Forum • 1 November 2021
North Natuna Sea: Indonesia Needs More Than a Military Strategy
Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 14 October 2021
Reformulating ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific
East Asia Forum • 29 September 2021
China’s Recent Foray into the North Natuna Sea is Problematic
Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 22 September 2021
Deliberate ambiguity of China’s new “territorial waters” declaration
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 31 August 2021
Towards a rigorous Code of Conduct for the South China Sea
East Asia Forum • 30 July 2021
Why the New Indonesia-US Maritime Training Centre is Strategically Important
Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 7 July 2021
China and Indonesia: The Limits of Transactionalism
Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 15 June 2021
Resolving Indonesia and Singapore’s UNCLOS dispute
East Asia Forum • 7 April 2021
Toxic reaction to Japan’s Fukushima water dump
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 22 April 2021
International Law Matters in the South China Sea
Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 6 April 2021
The USA and UNCLOS: Time to Ratify
Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 22 February 2021
China’s New Coast Guard Law: Illegal and Escalatory
Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 27 January 2021
Why Indonesia seizing an Iranian tanker is purely over domestic law
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 1 February 2021
Prabowo redeemed in Washington’s eyes amid US-China rivalry
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 20 October 2020
Sovereignty, Security and Prosperity: Indonesia and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 30 August 2022
Indonesia’s maritime law enforcement faces troubled waters
East Asia Forum • 29 August 2020
Jakarta should be wary of Beijing’s South China Sea proposals
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 28 August 2020
International law takes a step towards Asia
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 30 June 2020
Gauging Indonesia’s interests in the South China Sea
East Asia Forum • 26 June 2020
China's claim to traditional fishing rights in the North Natuna Sea does not hold up
East Asia Forum • 22 April 2020
As Jakarta trims defence, Beijing makes waves in the South China Sea
The Interpreter, Lowy Institute • 19 May 2020
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
Ep. 8 — Teaching the Law of the Sea in Indonesia
The Asian Scholar · 27 March 2024
ASEAN-China Policy Lab: “Filling in the Comprehensive Strategic of Partnership”
Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia · 12 October 2022
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