Growing calls for Indonesia to withdraw from BoP; Expert: Government must prepare exit plan

JAKARTA — Various civil society groups continue pressing the government for Indonesia to cease being a member of the Council of Peace, or Board of Peace (BoP), established by United States President Donald Trump. This aspiration has intensified following the US-Israel military alliance’s attack on Iran in late February.

Broto Wardoyo, an international relations expert at the University of Indonesia (UI), stated that pressure from the US would almost certainly arise should Indonesia decide to withdraw from the BoP. According to him, such pressure could manifest in various forms, ranging from import tariff policies to diplomatic and security pressure.

“Pressure from the US will certainly emerge. It could take the form of tariffs, or it could use other mechanisms, such as diplomatic or security pressure,” said the associate professor at the UI Faculty of Social and Political Sciences to Republika over the weekend.

Nevertheless, Broto believes that the most important matter is not merely the decision to withdraw from or remain in the BoP, but rather how the government first designs and presents a well-crafted exit strategy (exit plan).

According to him, the exit plan should address the establishment of conditions for Indonesia’s involvement in the International Stabilisation Force (ISF). This concerns rules of engagement (RoE), or guidelines that govern when, where, and how military forces can be deployed in a conflict.

Broto stated that the technical operational aspects within the RoE need to be formulated in detail to ensure at least two critical objectives: protection of Palestinian interests and the safety of Indonesian troops involved.