Indonesia needs new concepts on foreign policy

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia must formulate new concepts in managing its foreign policy to enable the country face the growing challenges and trends in world politics and sustain an active role world diplomacy, leading scholar Juwono Sudarsono said on Saturday.

"In facing the challenges of the new world order, there has to be strategic concepts," Juwono said during a seminar on Indonesia's Foreign Policy in a New World Order

These concepts should cover the political, economic, social, cultural and defense areas which are all aimed at safeguarding national, regional and international stability, said the deputy governor of the National Resilience Institute.

Such concepts would be necessary in maintaining the country's "independent and active" foreign policy as it finds an increasing role in world affairs, which Juwono noted had been accomplished under the principal of "low profile" but "high performance."

The right kind of diplomacy could allay the concerns that have been expressed over America's withdrawal from the region, the increasing military projection in the region by China, Japan and India, he said.

"Indonesian foreign policy should be oriented towards national interest without ignoring the importance of Indonesia in southeast Asia," he added.

The seminar on Saturday was organized by the Indonesian Students Association for International Studies. A photo exhibition depicting the history of Indonesian diplomacy dating back to 1945 was simultaneously held at the IPMI Building.

Indonesia has been an active participant in various multilateral groups and has committed to various diplomatic efforts which have helped enhance security in the region.

Among the concerning trends facing Indonesia is the increasing scrutiny other countries place on its domestic affairs.

"The linkage between foreign affairs and domestic matters will become increasingly closer and unavoidable," Juwono said in his written presentation at the seminar.

He warned that although Indonesia strongly rejects outside interference in its domestic matters, such trends are difficult to just simply disregard.

Apart from human rights, issues such as democratization and environment protection have now come to the foreground in international diplomacy.

Juwono said the universal nature of human rights principles "could give the strong countries an opportunity to intervene" in the domestic affairs of developing countries.

He noted how democracy is being pressed as an integral part of the development process in developing countries, and was becoming a new condition of foreign aid by donor countries.

Despite the preparation of various policies and concepts, Juwono stressed that the best way to meet these challenges would be through continued development and national resilience.

In human rights matters, for instance, "apart from improving human rights practices, Indonesia must also enhance the existence and function of human rights institutions along with its legal instruments," he said.

Legislator Theo Sambuaga in his presentation at the seminar underlined the importance of Indonesia continuing to play a strong role in international affairs.

Theo said that although disputes such as in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Middle East may seem distant to Indonesians, if closely examined, the root cause of international injustice is the very cornerstone on which Indonesia's foreign policy is aimed at fighting.

Theo contended that if conflicts were left unsettled they would interfere in the state of international relations and ultimately "trouble the implementation of our national interests." (mds)