SBY Warns of Potential Third World War as International Law No Longer Observed

Jakarta, Kompas.com — Indonesia’s sixth President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has stated that numerous violations of international law are currently being committed by major world powers, prompting him to warn of the potential for a Third World War.

SBY highlighted that such violations have destabilised the international order and threaten global peace.

“International law is no longer being observed and is being ignored. Yet power needs to be controlled. The tool for controlling power is through other power. We all know that power tends to be corrupted or misused,” SBY said at the Tokyo Conference 2026 in front of world leaders’ representatives on Thursday (12 March 2026).

According to him, Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Gulf states in the Middle East also violate international law.

During this conference, SBY called upon nations worldwide to return to the negotiating table with a focus on advancing international interests.

SBY was invited as one of the representatives of Asian leaders, as he is recognised as having sufficient ideas and knowledge regarding democracy, geopolitics and global peace. In addition to SBY, Economic Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto and former Finance Minister Sri Mulyani were also invited to participate in separate sessions as Indonesian representatives and public figures.