Mahfud Md: Indonesia Suffers No Loss if Withdrawing from Board of Peace
Constitutional law expert Mahfud Md has assessed that unprovoked attacks launched by Israel and the United States against Iranian territory present an opportune moment for Indonesia to consider withdrawing from the Board of Peace, an international organisation established by US President Donald Trump with Israel as a member state.
Mahfud highlighted previous statements by President Prabowo Subianto, who indicated readiness to withdraw Indonesia’s membership from the Board of Peace if the organisation offers no tangible benefits. According to Mahfud, Indonesia would suffer no losses whatsoever should it exit the Board of Peace amid the current situation.
“As long as the government carries no hidden political burden and is not held hostage, I believe withdrawal would be straightforward,” Mahfud said on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
Furthermore, calls for Indonesia to withdraw from the Board of Peace have echoed since the country initially decided to join. The former Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security noted that such protests arose due to imbalances inherent in the Board of Peace’s composition.
“Why, when it comes to Palestinian peace, is there no representation from the country in the council? It is impossible to speak of justice without including the party who will be the subject of the council’s decisions,” he stated.
The former vice-presidential candidate said the Board of Peace has also violated the Bandung Principles. The attacks launched by Israel and the United States, combined with Palestine’s absence from the organisation’s membership, constitute breaches of the Bandung Principles.
The violated provision, he said, concerns the prohibition of aggression by one nation against another. “The Bandung Principles contain equality among nations, prohibition of colonialism, prohibition of aggression, and the right to independence for every nation,” Mahfud said.
Mahfud also questioned the legal standing of Trump’s peace organisation. Moreover, he noted, the formation of the Board of Peace lacked a mandate from the United Nations as an international organisation.