Scholars lament Indonesia's poor diplomatic strength

Scholars lament Indonesia's poor diplomatic strength

JAKARTA (JP): Political analyst Sayidiman Suryohadiprojo
yesterday lamented the current state of Indonesia's diplomacy,
which he says is not commensurate with its position as a middle-
ranking country in the world.

Sayidiman, a retired Army lieutenant general and a former
ambassador to Japan, told a hearing of the House of
Representatives that it was time for Indonesia to pursue its
diplomacy with more vigor and shed the current low-key profile.

Indonesia's international achievements, including the hosting
of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in 1992 and the Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation forum in 1994, have elevated its stature in
international diplomacy, Sayidiman said during a hearing with
Commission I, for foreign affairs.

"We should not underestimate ourselves by maintaining a low
profile. We are now one of the world's middle-power countries,
and we have to show it," he said.

Sayidiman, who once headed the military's think-tank, the
National Defense Institute, said that to meet the demands of
international diplomacy, Indonesia needs to strengthen its
diplomatic corps.

"The problem is that we do not have enough qualified
diplomats, not even when including those supplied by the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs," he said.

Sayidiman said the problem goes back to the question of the
quality of general education, and in this he lamented the small
budget allocated by the government for education.

Education covers less than 8 percent of the whole government
budget this year; in contrast, Malaysia allocates 15 to 21
percent of its budget for education, he noted.

"How can we expect to produce qualified diplomats from such a
small education budget?" he said.

Sayidiman said Indonesia must allocate more funds towards
diplomatic lobbying campaigns abroad, something similar to what
the Jewish community does in the United States.

"It would be effective although expensive," he said.

He stressed that the burden of strengthening Indonesian
diplomacy should not fall entirely on the shoulders of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

There has to be a political will from all parties, including
the government and the House of Representatives, to recognize the
importance of diplomacy for the country, he said.

Another speaker at the hearing, Dewi Fortuna Anwar of the
Center for Information and Development Studies, suggested a
cheaper but more effective way to strengthen diplomacy: By
encouraging diplomats to be more active.

In countries where Indonesia faces strong criticism such as
Australia and the United States, the diplomats should participate
in dialogs with local organizations.

"Our diplomats still tend to shun these activists when they
should be taking part in discussions with them," she said.

Indonesian diplomats should join in with or even sponsor
forums, not only to hear views of other people, but also to
present the government's policies, she said.

Indonesia could also cooperate with student forums abroad to
hold such dialogues, she added. (01)