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)