Political openness at home helps RI foreign policy

Political openness at home helps RI foreign policy

JAKARTA (JP): The current drive towards increased political
openness bodes well for Indonesia's foreign policy as they seek
to play a more prominent role in international affairs.

But experts discussing the obstacles and challenges to
Indonesia's foreign policy here on Thursday believed that
something more needs to be done at home if Indonesia wants to
gain the full confidence of the international community.

The government should be more open and policy makers should be
more sensitive and responsive to the people's aspirations, Maj.
Gen. (ret.) Soebijakto Prawirasoebrata told a seminar.

The one-day seminar was organized by the Center for
Information and Development Studies and the Republika daily.

Soebijakto, former governor of the National Resilience
Institute (Lemhanas) accused the government of being
"insensitive" on many domestic issues.

He said Indonesia is still perceived by foreign analysts as a
one-party system in the style of the Kremlin during the era of
the Soviet Union.

Soebijakto, who now chairs the Indonesian Strategic Assessment
Institute, said Indonesia needs to reform its politics "so our
system can be accepted by the world and our national and regional
policies can run unobstructed".

The current system, in which the ruling Golkar party relishes
a comfortable majority, can not effectively accommodate the
people's needs and aspirations, he said.

"The situation causes arrogance and insensitivity in the
government. How can they possibly listen to the people when
bureaucracy, government discipline and planning teaches them to
do otherwise?" he asked.

Weak system

The weak coordination among government agencies in handling or
responding to foreign issues -- often seen between the ministries
of foreign affairs, defense and security -- were not the fault of
the institutions, he said. "The system is to blame."

However, head of the ministry of foreign affairs' research and
development office Soendaroe Rachmad said that the blame did not
rest with the workings of the system but with its size.

"What we have is an oversized government. It has become so big
that it is rigid with no vigor or vitality. It tends to take a
defensive stand in facing any sign of change," Soendaroe said.

This has often posed a dilemma for Indonesia because national
goals pursued through foreign relations were not always
acceptable according to international norms "and sometimes
(Indonesia's goals) even collided with the national interests of
other countries," he said.

Head of foreign relations of the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, Bantarto Bandoro, said that once a
conducive situation was created, Indonesia could easily take
advantage of its membership in and contribute more to
international organizations. "It is an opportunity for Indonesia
to prove that it has the capability to play in important role in
international affairs."

Indonesia is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the
Organization of Islamic Conferences, the United Nations and it
currently chairs the Non-Aligned Movement.

Soebijakto emphasized the urgent need for a change since the
post Cold War situation has opened up opportunities for the
formation of regional blocs.

"International norms must be anticipated and must increasingly
be incorporated into our national strategy," he said.

Therefore, he said, there will be no more room to say that a
certain issue or principle "does not coincide with Indonesia's
culture". (pwn)