PDIP Reminds of Support for Palestine as Mandate of Asian-African Conference
General Secretary of PDI Perjuangan (PDIP), Hasto Kristiyanto, has reminded that support for Palestine constitutes a mandate of the constitution and international law from the 1955 Asian-African Conference (KAA).
This was stated by Hasto at the commemoration of the 71st anniversary of the 1955 Asian-African Conference at the PDIP Party School in South Jakarta on Saturday (18/4).
Hasto emphasised that siding with Palestine is not merely an emotional political stance. He said that in 1955, leaders from 29 countries signed a political communiqué that specifically supported the rights of the Arab nation over Palestine.
This commitment later became a historical milestone when Asian-African nations boldly united to voice justice without interference from Western powers.
“It is clearly stated that the tension in the Middle East due to the Palestinian issue is a danger to world peace. The KAA called for the implementation of UN resolutions and a peaceful settlement,” he said.
Furthermore, Hasto assessed that Indonesia’s position must remain firm as an example in defending humanity and rejecting all forms of exploitation among nations.
He then highlighted the current global geopolitical situation, which tends towards violence. According to him, without a strong historical anchor, Indonesia’s diplomacy will appear hesitant.
Therefore, PDIP continues to promote the narrative of liberation for oppressed nations as the core of active independent foreign policy.
Hasto added that the geopolitical thinking of the first President, Soekarno, namely Progressive Geopolitical Co-existence, is highly relevant to mitigating today’s global conflicts.
This concept, he said, emphasises peaceful coexistence but remains progressive in fighting for social justice for the entire world. Hasto then encouraged that the existing history can serve as a basis for formulating foreign policy.
On the same occasion, PDIP DPP Chairman Ahmad Basarah said that Bung Karno in the KAA had also affirmed that independence and peace are two inseparable things.
“Peace is a prerequisite for independence, because without peace, independence will lose its meaning and value,” he stated.
Basarah reminded that colonialism has not fully ended at present, but has transformed into neo-colonialism in the form of economic domination, technological dependency, and geopolitical pressure.
This condition, he said, is reflected in global crises such as armed conflicts, US-China rivalry, the Russia-Ukraine war, US-Israel military aggression against Iran, the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and the US blockade against Cuba.
“The collapse of old colonialism does not mean the end of imperialism. Imperialism will continue to change faces, change strategies, and change instruments,” he concluded.