Southwest Pacific dialog: New pond for regional cooperation

Southwest Pacific dialog: New pond for regional cooperation

Bantarto Bandoro, Editor, 'The Indonesian Quarterly',
Center for Strategic and International Studies, bandoro@csis.or.id

In Singapore in 2000, then president Abdurrahman Wahid caught
people by surprise with the proposal to set up the Southwest
Pacific Dialog Forum (SwPD). The idea was not welcomed by certain
sectors here, arguing among other things that the idea overlapped
with other regional cooperation forums. But the Yogyakarta
meeting on Oct. 5 of six foreign ministers from Indonesia,
Australia, East Timor, New Zealand, the Philippines and Papua New
Guinea have turned down such arguments. It took almost two years
before the Yogyakarta meeting approved the Forum's establishment.

Now there is another wave of multilateralism and pluralism in
the region. Cooperation is still important despite changes in
regional international relations.

Reflecting the need for an expanded regional cooperation, the
SwPD will serve the following purposes: To provide stability,
prosperity and security of participating countries; to strengthen
and expand their bilateral relations; to provide modalities for
participants in facing more severe global competition; to foster
the once unthinkable kind of interactions and relationship
between participating countries; and to provide a venue for an
expanding regional political and security agenda.

Indeed many problems exist beyond our territorial borders, or
even the region, leading to the need for collaboration. This is
exactly what the SwPD has done. The approval by the Yogyakarta
meeting has given the participating countries another prospective
forum for promoting their national and international interests.

Having originated from Indonesia, perhaps the concept will be
seen here more as an instrument to help promote Indonesia's
domestic as well as external interests. Many, including Foreign
Minister Hassan Wirayuda, have continuously stressed the
importance of our territorial integrity and national unity, and
it is through such a forum that support for our territorial
integrity would be gained.

Multilateral forums have always been used to expand bilateral
contacts and promote national interests. But some SwPD members
once had serious problems and bitter experiences with Indonesia,
as was the case with the establishment of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) where some of its members used to
have problems with Indonesia too.

The Southwest Pacific dialog will perhaps neutralize future
problems, but it will not in itself erase remnants of past
problems. Stability of regional Pacific cooperation might thus be
convulsed by unfinished problems, especially those associated
with Indonesia.

Moreover, this forum would further expose Indonesia's domestic
weaknesses unless it is able to demonstrate its ability and
sincerity in handling, for example, domestic insurgency through a
carrot approach.

Perhaps, it is the issue of separatists that the SwPD will
constantly watch, which might draw the forum into uncooperative
gestures toward Indonesia if the latter's policy on the issue
touches on the sensitivity of other member countries.

Thus, an extra cautious approach toward the forum is needed if
Indonesia is to gain sympathy and respect and to avoid such
issues becoming a ball game.

Indonesia's diplomacy toward the Forum will be tested against
the forum's responses towards the way our domestic problems are
handled. Indonesia attempts to seek support from SwPD for its
integrity and other national and regional interests will be
effective only if Indonesia does and shows the following.

First, Indonesia must be able to maintain stable bilateral and
trilateral relations with members of the Forum, a relation which
is not contaminated by feelings of past hatred. Second, Indonesia
must manage separatist movements in such a way that would not
violate human rights.

Third, because cooperation in the SwPD is quite different from
that of ASEAN, Indonesia must introduce a new concept of
economic, political and security cooperation to enhance the
Forum's credibility.

The framework may be one that might neutralize and deter
whatever problems that may rise.

Four, Indonesia should initiate a fresh approach to solve the
territorial disputes between Indonesia and other SwPD members.
This is important if SwPD is to be freed from unexpected
turbulence and if Indonesia is to be respected by SwPD.

Five, Indonesia should also initiate a double-edged diplomacy:
Current and future policy and diplomacy towards the region must
win the hearts of other members of our domestic foreign policy
community.

Last, because cooperation within the forum will not only focus
on economic and political security matters, but also cultural and
social aspects, an exchange of experiences in the latter is
necessary. Indonesia could take the lead as this would
neutralize, if not eliminate, other political problems.

Now, will participating countries have the time, resources and
energy to translate their policies into regional projects, given
that most are still fighting to get out of the domestic crises?

One critical issue on the forum's agenda may be transnational
crimes. Studies show that some of the forum members are used by
transnational criminals. Recent experiences in handling related
transnational crimes such as people smuggling has led to
frictions in bilateral relations. This would mean that the SwPD
should constantly watch this issue for example by establishing a
sort of regional monitoring mechanism. Indonesia, as a
destination of such crimes, could take the initiative in building
a regional network that would serve as some sort of line of
defense against possible criminal activities.

Now that Indonesia has added SwPD into the list of its Asia
Pacific diplomatic front, in addition to ASEAN and the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), Indonesia should base
its regional diplomacy on rational considerations and in line
with the particular geopolitical interests of the participating
countries.

Our diplomacy in the Southwest Pacific region should not be
pursued at the expense of its interest in ASEAN. Thus, the
success in our diplomacy toward SwPD will be whether we can
balance this diplomacy. Its success will also rely, among others,
on the type of measures Indonesia will initiate to enhance the
confidence of other participating countries. After all, SwPD is a
confidence building-type measure.