RI far from leading ASEAN: Analysts<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta<\/p>\n
While it has made some headway in foreign policy, Indonesia still
\nhas a long way to go before it can regain its leadership role in
\nthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), foreign
\npolicy observers say.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot claim right now ASEAN members really look up to us;
\nwe haven't seen a willingness from other member countries to
\naccept our leadership,\" analyst Soedjati Djiwandono told The
\nJakarta Post on Monday.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, under the leadership of former president Soeharto,
\nwas considered one of the most influential members of the
\nassociation but quickly lost much sway after his fall from power
\nin May 1998.<\/p>\n
In her state of the nation address on Monday, President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri said Indonesia was once again able to show
\nleadership internationally.<\/p>\n
\"Our role in various bilateral and multilateral forums
\ncontinues to improve and is increasingly widely accepted again,\"
\nMegawati said before members of the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
\"In ASEAN, which constitutes a priority area where we conduct
\nforeign policy, Indonesia has once again been able to demonstrate
\nits leadership,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, one of the founders of ASEAN, has pressed for the
\nestablishment of an ASEAN security body and economic and socio-
\ncultural communities.<\/p>\n
However, Soedjati said lingering problems between Indonesia
\nand other member countries and their reluctance to accept
\nIndonesia's ASEAN Security Community (ASC) concept proved such
\nclaims of leadership in the body were still far from the truth.<\/p>\n
Thus far, Indonesia had yet to resolve matters of contention
\nwith its neighbors -- the illegal logging of Indonesian timber
\ninvolving Malaysia, the extradition treaty issue with Singapore
\nor the air pollution from open burning, which affected Malaysia
\nand Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"Do we have (effective) leadership when we cannot settle these
\nproblems?,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bantarto Bandoro of the Centre of Strategic and International
\nStudies (CSIS) said Indonesia's efforts to show leadership in
\nASEAN had yet to bear fruit.<\/p>\n
\"Many ideas and concepts such as the ASC are clear plans
\nIndonesia is trying to promote... but we cannot yet claim to be
\nsuccessful,\" Bantarto told the Post.<\/p>\n
Megawati said the Bali Concord II, agreed by ASEAN members
\nduring a summit in Bali last year, \"has strengthened the role,
\ncommitment and leadership of Indonesia within ASEAN.\"<\/p>\n
The concord proposes that ASEAN should work to build economic,
\nsecurity and cultural communities by 2020.<\/p>\n
Bantarto said Indonesia's foreign policy efforts in ASEAN were
\nappreciated but it remained a challenge for the country to regain
\nrespectability in the forum.<\/p>\n
\"Our efforts have been positive, but it will take time to see
\ntheir positive results,\" Bantarto said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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