Foreign-policy agenda for the new president<\/p>\n
Bantarto Bandoro, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is likely to be in charge of the
\ncountry for the next five years following an official
\nannouncement by the General Elections Commission that he won
\nsupport from three-fifths of the voters. Indonesia now stands at
\nanother crossroads; it is another time for leaders to be
\nfarsighted and to bring the country five years of better domestic
\nsecurity and improved prosperity.<\/p>\n
The challenges Susilo will face are huge given that the
\ncountry for the past few years has been beset by series of
\nturbulent events. Often international players have considered
\nIndonesia as either weak structurally or even on the brink of
\ndisintegration. The challenge is to build a \"new century of
\nIndonesia\" by laying new foundations for a better future. But the
\nway these challenges are met or ignored by the next president
\nwill certainly affect the lives of each and every Indonesian and
\nour prospects in the years ahead.<\/p>\n
Since Susilo's victory, public commentaries have been focusing
\nmuch on the domestic challenges he is likely to face during his
\npresidency. Although domestic problems would and should be
\nSusilo's priority -- why he is avoiding foreign trips -- managing
\nexternal challenges is as important as negotiating domestic ones.
\nSo, as we near the end of Megawati's administration, it is
\nperhaps a good time for us to look at the foreign policy agenda
\nand challenges for Susilo's government.<\/p>\n
Consider the world we live in today. In Southeast Asia, we are
\nat the initial stages in building a zone of peace and stability
\nthrough the idea of the ASEAN Community; we are however only
\nhalfway toward building a strong, stable and integrated Asia-
\nPacific community. On a more global level, we are witnessing the
\ncontinual rise of market democracies, bringing hopes of
\nprosperity and new opportunities to many. Yet this promising era
\nis not risk-free. A host of modern threats, from terrorism to
\npeople trafficking and arms smuggling, have also gone global in
\nthat they ignore national borders and thus undermine the
\nwellbeing of our people and the country's security.<\/p>\n
To meet the challenge, Susilo must first understand the nature
\nof the change that surrounds us. He must acknowledge that in a
\nrapidly changing and interdependent world the separation of
\nnational and international affairs is becoming blurred if not
\nproblematic. A more globalized world is bound to cause
\nfragmentation on the one hand and integration on the other,
\neither on a national or an international level. Judging from
\ncurrent developments, fragmentation it could be said, is the
\ndominant trend in today's world politics.<\/p>\n
On the foreign policy issue, Susilo once said that if elected
\nhe would protect national sovereignty, promote an active foreign
\npolicy and ensure that Indonesia would be in the frontline in the
\nfight against terrorism. The essence of such promise is the
\nnational interest because of a considerably close link between
\nthose goals.<\/p>\n
However, following up these objectives is certainly not enough
\nfor our foreign policy. To lead the country effectively, either
\nat the national, regional or global level, Susilo must do two
\nthings at once. First, he must undertake the business of managing
\n\"crises\" as they arise. Whether dealing with the possibility of a
\nnew outbreak of violence in Aceh or Papua, or responding to the
\nfuture threat of terrorist attacks.<\/p>\n
It is all too easy, and sometimes all too tempting, to let
\ncurrent emergencies dictate our foreign policy agenda. But the
\nleadership in foreign policy means more than responding to the
\ncrisis and problems of the day. This leads us to the second
\naspect of Susilo's foreign policy leadership, namely anticipating
\nproblems the country will face down the road, making investments
\nthat will pay greater benefits or prevent greater costs in the
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
It is to say that even as Susilo's government deals with day-
\nto-day events, it must also focus on long-term, strategic foreign
\npolicy goals. Susilo must capitalize on the gains the country has
\nachieved from its international relations to build a much
\nstronger and more respected Indonesia.<\/p>\n
One knows that foreign policy challenges do not arise in neat
\nfive year cycles. Every administration inherits problems it must
\nmanage. Ours is no different. Here are some \"construction
\nprojects\" for Susilo's government for the next five years that
\ntranscend domestic and international interests:<\/p>\n
(1) building an undivided and more democratic Indonesia;<\/p>\n
(2) building a stronger shield against the forces of
\ndestruction;<\/p>\n
(3) building a regional defense mechanism -- not a military
\none -- a platform that would guard and guide the realization of
\nthe ASEAN Community;<\/p>\n
(4) building and expanding international links so as to better
\nand effectively secure our resources abroad;<\/p>\n
(5) building international coalitions to take on challenges
\nthat derive from transnational security issues; and<\/p>\n
(6) promoting forces for multilateralism: This would include
\ntough reforms at the UN forum. Indonesia's desire for a permanent
\nseat on the UN Security Council must be seen within such reforms.<\/p>\n
The peaceful direct presidential election here has given birth
\nto a new president. Susilo is likely to be the central focus here
\nand abroad at least for the next five years. The world,
\nparticularly Southeast Asia, will be anxious to see his foreign
\npolicy goals in action. Though some may appear ambitious, the
\nabove goals are feasible enough -- they could be executed by
\nSusilo's foreign policy team.<\/p>\n
The biggest enemy to success is inaction.<\/p>\n
If Susilo's foreign policy objective is to protect the
\ncountry's interests and to strengthen its international position,
\nthen the country requires active and wider international
\nengagement.<\/p>\n
The writer is the editor of The Indonesian Quarterly of the
\nCentre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a
\nlecturer of the international relations post-graduate studies
\nprogram at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences in the
\nUniversity of Indonesia. He can be contacted at
\nbandoro@csis.or.id.<\/p>",
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