PDIP: Colonialism Has Not Ended
Chairman of the Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Ahmad Basarah, believes that colonialism has not ended. Colonialism has transformed into neocolonialism in the form of economic dominance, technological dependency, and geopolitical pressures.
For him, this situation is far from the aspirations of the Dasasila Bandung 1955, which aimed for world peace. “The world is still far from the ideals of justice fought for in the spirit of Bandung,” he said during a speech at the seminar commemorating the 71st Anniversary of the Asia-Africa Conference (KAA) with the theme ‘The Relevance of the Asia-Africa Movement in the Current Geopolitical Crisis’ at the Party School in Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta, on Saturday, 18 April 2026.
Ahmad Basarah highlighted several international issues such as the US-China rivalry, the Russia-Ukraine war, US-Israel military aggression against Iran, the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and the US blockade of Cuba. For him, these situations are far from the aspirations of the Dasasila Bandung.
Ahmad stated that the KAA from 18-24 April 1955 in Bandung is a legacy from the government of the late President Soekarno. The holding of the KAA demonstrated that the nations of Asia and Africa have the right to determine their own future without colonial and imperialist intervention.
Soekarno, according to Ahmad, stated that independence and peace are two inseparable things. Peace is a prerequisite for independence, “Without peace, independence will lose its meaning and value,” he said.
According to Basarah, Soekarno predicted instability due to capitalism and imperialism as early as the 1920s decade.
“The collapse of the old colonialism does not mean the end of imperialism. Imperialism will continue to change faces, change strategies, and change instruments,” said Basarah.
Basarah then linked Soekarno’s thoughts to the situation in Iran. In the memoirs of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who passed away due to US-Israel military aggression on 28 February 2026, it is mentioned that young Khamenei became acquainted with Soekarno’s thoughts in the Shah regime’s prison in the mid-1970s. Basarah stated that Iran’s concept of Resistance Economy aligns with the spirit of self-reliance in Trisakti.
Basarah questioned the commitment of the Indonesian nation today. “If the Iranian nation is able to practice Bung Karno’s Trisakti teachings, what about the current Indonesian government and nation?” said Basarah.
The event was attended by PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto, PDIP Central Executive Board Chairman Ahmad Basarah, Head of the Indonesian PDIP History Agency Bonnie Triyana, as well as speakers such as Prof Hikmahanto (International Relations Expert), Dr Dina Sulaeman (Middle East Expert), Andi Widjayanto (Former Lemhanas Governor), and Heri Akhmadi (former Ambassador to Japan). The event was also attended by members of the PDIP Faction in the DPR and several activists, including Director of Amnesty International Indonesia Usman Hamid.