Indonesia’s ‘Bima Suci’ sailing barque makes Sihanoukville stop

Anaval training vessel belonging to the Indonesian navy named the Koarmada Republik Indonesia (KRI) Bima Suci docked Friday at Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) in Cambodia’s Preah Sihanouk province on Friday for a four-day visit through Monday.

The vessel is a tall ship with a total of 281 crew members on board.

Admiral Mean Savoeun, Deputy Chief of Staff at Ream Naval Base, was present to hail the ship’s arrival at the port on Friday along with other Cambodian admirals and naval officials.

The Indonesian naval vessel – named for Bima Suci, a legendary Javanese hero who was a “symbol of force, bravery and righteousness” – is currently under the command of Marine Lieutenant Colonel Hastaria Dwi Prakoso.

The official visit of the Indonesian ship to the Kingdom is scheduled to last for four days. The visit aims to further promote diplomatic relations, friendship, solidarity and cooperation between the two countries navies and governments.

Teguh Adhi Primasanto, First Secretary of Political, Social and Cultural Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh, said yesterday that Bima Suci is a training ship that also serves as a means of goodwill diplomacy for Indonesia.

“The visit of Bima Suci to Cambodia is a significant event, as it is part of the ASEAN Plus Cadet Sail, a journey that will see this magnificent ship travel to seven countries,” he said.

Primasanto said the arrival of the ship also strengthened the military ties between the two countries.

“The arrival of the Bima Suci naval training ship added a special maritime touch to the commemoration of 79 years of Indonesia’s independence and 65 years of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Cambodia,” he said. “It also enhances the spirit of unity and patriotism and a stronger bond between the two countries’ militaries.”

Cambodia and Indonesia have enjoyed friendly relations since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1959 after the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk and former Indonesian president Sukarno held talks on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement Neutrality Conference in Bandung, Indonesia.

The KRI Bima Suci – with a height of over 51 metres and a hull length of over 93 metres – departed from Surabaya, East Java, for a 90-day goodwill mission with an itinerary that includes stops in Russia and several other ports in East Asian countries.

A ceremony for the ship’s departure took place at the Madura Pier of the Indonesian Navy’s (TNI-AL) Second Fleet Command (Koarmada II) in Surabaya on Thursday, August 1. Before its Cambodia stop, the KRI Bima Suci docked at Changi Naval Base in Singapore on Friday August 9.

Following its visit to Sihanoukville, the ship will continue sailing to Hai Phong, Vietnam; Shanghai, China; Busan, South Korea; Vladivostok, Russia; Yokosuka, Japan; and Manila, the Philippines.

KRI Bima Suci is considered the successor to the legendary KRI Dewaruci ship built in 1953. It is a high-mast training sailing vessel of the Barque Class built in the Vigo Freire Shipyard in Spain in 2017.