Indonesia's diplomacy<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri made a rare and surprising
\ndisplay of her acumen in international diplomacy this weekend
\nwhen she acted as a go-between for the leaders of North Korea and
\nSouth Korea. The occasion was presented as Megawati visited
\nPyongyang and Seoul, which form part of her tour of Asia that
\nalso includes China and India. While these visits are essentially
\nintended to enhance bilateral ties with the host countries, she
\ncould not escape the international demands placed on her to play
\na role in the search for peace in the Korean peninsula.<\/p>\n
For a new leader with little exposure to the complexity of
\ninternational diplomacy, Megawati has more than lived up to
\nexpectation, certainly judging by her performance in North Korea.<\/p>\n
In Pyongyang on Friday, she used friendly persuasion to
\nconvince North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to resume talks with
\nSouth Korean President Kim Dae-Jung on reconciliation and
\nunification of the two Koreas. Knowing the sensitivity of North
\nKorea towards unsolicited interference from outsiders, Megawati
\nrefrained from imposing her views on her host in Pyogyang.
\nInstead, she used a personal rapport that she has enjoyed with
\nthe North Korean leader to effective use.<\/p>\n
The two go back to their childhood days, when they first met
\nin the 1950s as the offspring of two revolutionary leaders:
\nSukarno of Indonesia, and Kim Il-sung of North Korea. Indonesia
\nis also one of the few countries in the world that have managed
\nto foster warm relations with the reclusive North Korea.<\/p>\n
Megawati delivered a message from Seoul, and also reportedly
\none from Washington, which essentially urged Pyongyang to return
\nto the negotiating tables. But without her personal rapport with
\nKim Jong-il, and without Indonesia's long history of friendly
\nties with North Korea, those messages would have fallen flat.<\/p>\n
And she went beyond from simply acting as a messenger, by
\noffering Indonesia's good offices to mediate between the two
\nKoreas. It may seem like a long shot, but since Jakarta enjoys
\ngood relations with both Seoul and Pyongyang, it is well
\npositioned to play the role of a mediator.<\/p>\n
Whether by design or accident, the timing of her visit could
\nnot have been more opportune. It came only a few weeks after U.S.
\nPresident George W. Bush's famous \"axis of evil\" speech, in which
\nhe accused North Korea of building or amassing weapons of mass
\ndestruction. Reconciliation talks between the two Koreas have
\nstalled for the past year, and many had feared that Bush's latest
\nspeech would only push North Korea further into isolation.<\/p>\n
It goes without saying that Indonesia should play an active
\nrole in international diplomacy in promoting international peace.
\nThat, after all, is mandated by our constitution. And, in spite
\nof its own domestic problems, Indonesia has a proven track record
\nin international diplomacy. Its most shining moment came in the
\n1990s when it took the lead in a regional campaign to bring an
\nend to the Cambodian civil wars.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's role in international affairs receded somewhat in
\nthe wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The domestic
\nsituation forced Indonesia to become inward-looking as it dealt
\nwith one crisis after another. As the situation slowly improves
\ntoday, Indonesia should once again reseize the initiatives in
\nforeign affairs, and play a role in international diplomacy
\ncommensurate with its position as the world's fourth most
\npopulous country, and the largest nation in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
Whatever transpires from Megawati's Korean diplomacy --
\nwhether her offer is taken up or rejected by either or both
\nKorean leaders -- Indonesia has done its part in the search for
\npeace in the peninsula. That is not an insignificant
\ncontribution. Most important of all, however, the visit has sent
\nthe clearest signals to the region and the rest of the world, and
\nperhaps more importantly to the domestic audience, that Jakarta
\nhas regained its confidence and is now ready to do its part once
\nagain in world affairs.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesias-diplomacy-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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