PDI-P Reminds that Colonialism Has Not Ended, Alludes to US-Israel Military Aggression Against Iran

JAKARTA - The Chairman of PDI-P’s Central Executive Board, Ahmad Basarah, reminded that colonialism has not fully ended and has now transformed into neo-colonialism. According to him, this neo-colonialism appears in various forms, from economic dominance to unbalanced geopolitical pressures. “Today, we are faced with the reality that colonialism has not fully ended. It has transformed into neo-colonialism. It appears in the form of economic dominance, technological dependency, information hegemony, and unbalanced geopolitical pressures,” Basarah stated during a seminar commemorating the 71st anniversary of the Asia-Africa Conference at the PDI-P Party School in South Jakarta on Saturday (18/4/2026). “The global geopolitical crises we are witnessing today, from armed conflicts, major power rivalries between the United States and China, the Russia-Ukraine war, US-Israel military aggression against Iran, the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the US blockade of Cuba, to global inequalities, show that the world is still far from the ideals of justice fought for in the Bandung Spirit,” Basarah continued. Reflecting on these conditions, Basarah said the global situation makes the values of the Asia-Africa Conference held in Bandung in April 1955 remain relevant to address contemporary challenges. Basarah revealed that in that forum, Sukarno emphasised that Asian and African nations have the right to determine their future without colonial and imperialist intervention. Basarah added that this principle became the spirit of the Bandung Ten Principles, which remain relevant to this day as the foundation for just and civilised international relations. “Esteemed colleagues, the Asia-Africa Movement is essentially a moral and political movement to fight colonialism and imperialism in all its forms. It gave birth to global solidarity, awakened collective consciousness, and encouraged the emergence of a large wave of decolonisation in various parts of the world,” he concluded.