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.