Many experts both Indonesian and Foreign notably from Australia believe that Indonesia will not become a great power any time soon, maybe only in the distant future. It means Indonesia will not be able to project itself all over the world in a manner equivalent to great powers like for instance the UK, France, the US or Korea and Japan for instance. Some insist that Indonesia lacks credibility due to its major internal problems like corruption, human rights, infrastructure or law enforcement. Others say Indonesia is just too small in terms of military so that even if its economy grows its influence cannot become that great. So Indonesia in their minds will remain a regional leader. And even that is not sure for these experts because other ASEAN countries tend to be worried about Indonesia’s rise and to be allied to greater powers like the Philippines to the US or Cambodia to China. In the end, they just say Indonesia is a middle power without really defining clearly what this means and revealing the limits of their thinking.
Despite the real attention Indonesia is getting globally notably from investors (but not only), I cannot contest that Indonesia is not as influential as it should be. Actually one of the reasons why I loved Indonesia on the spot was due to the contrast I saw between what is said about Indonesia around the world and the realities inside the country. I saw a big challenge there. Indonesia is not all about terrorism, volcano eruptions, earthquakes and poverty. It is about culture, youth, innovation, civil society, democracy and many other positive things.
I do not believe Indonesia cannot become a great power over time. I believe it can and much quicker than it is said. I think Indonesia can project itself all over the world and make its voice heard and count. More than that, Indonesia can be of tremendous influence around the world. I always say “if Korea can, Indonesia can!”. Why? Because Korea has nothing compared to Indonesia’s assets of all type. What Indonesia needs is a strategy. Not just some experts thinking in a closed circuit. Not just inviting civil society to be part of the thinking process but involving and actually giving the leadership to civil society notably the youth. I will come back to that.
First let’s look briefly at Indonesian foreign policy concepts over the years. So many concepts! Usually an expert will say Indonesia’s foreign policy characteristic is that it is free and active (bebas aktif). Indeed that’s what it might look like notably at the start with Sukarno’s internationalist, anti-colonial, anti-imperialist and confrontational (Konfrontasi) foreign projection. Sukarno was putting the Indonesian constitution into practice. Indonesia encourages world peace and humanist values to rise. The Non-Aligned Movement that followed the Bandung Asia-Africa Conference (I live in Bandung!) and the New Power Axis are part of that vision. I am personally a huge fan of Sukarno. I will always remember the emotion of an Algerian friend when I told him I was going to Bandung for the first time. The Algerian Liberation Front was invited to Bandung in 1955 although they were still fighting for Algeria’s independence that only happened in 1962. He told me how respected Sukarno was in Algeria due to his support for Algeria to gain its freedom. Usually it will be said that Sukarno ruined the country due to its overwhelming foreign policy that lacked of focus and did not provide any economic gain. I believe Sukarno gave a prestige to Indonesia that has no value. He had class. You cannot buy that.
Then Suharto is supposed to have brought economic growth and stability through a much more modest foreign policy limited essentially to the region and clearly anti-communist (still free and active?). Another concept will be used of “concentric circles”. So the focus during the New Order (Orde Baru) is first on ASEAN that was created in 1967 in order to secure the immediate surroundings and provide security and stability to enable economic growth. ASEAN “centrality” is still at the heart of Indonesian foreign policy. Then the major Asian powers, Asia in general followed by the wider Pacific. Finally Indonesia will just deal with other powers depending on issues but will not have a comprehensive policy like it might seem to be the case today with the different comprehensive partnerships (that are also not that clear in their results). I believe Indonesia lost its spirit during that period mainly because it was a dictatorship. I mean how can an autocrat be attractive anyway for the global masses? Not the same class as the founding father Sukarno for sure.
After the fall of Suharto Indonesia focused more on internal issues to build its new democracy and also recover economically after a very harsh crisis. The three Presidents before 2004 and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) all had their own foreign policy concepts and positioning. The impact was small to say the least. Who heard their views?
Then comes SBY who is said to have brought back Indonesia on the international scene notably by enabling economic growth, being invited to join the G20 by G. W. Bush, bringing peace to Aceh, mediating in the border crisis between Thailand and Cambodia, supporting the Myanmar democratization process, pushing ASEAN to create an ASEAN Community or promoting democracy, moderate Islam and human rights.
Indonesia’s main focus is still ASEAN at least on paper. One interesting debate that I will just evoke: does ASEAN contain Indonesia and prevent it from rising to become a greater power?
SBY wants Indonesia to exercise an intellectual leadership to try and compensate for its absence of clout in terms of hard power. The famous SBY concepts that are supposed to represent a form of intellectual diplomacy are for instance:
-A million friends, zero enemies (sejutah teman, tanpa musuh). Indonesia has no declared enemy so it will collaborate with everybody based on common interests. Well we saw the results of that policy with the tapping of SBY by Australian intelligence. That concept is completely out of touch with the harsh realities of the world. It also sounds a bit childish. It’s like “I have no ideas” so I though about that.
-Dynamic equilibrium. A more elaborate concept but still quite vague. It probably means if I understand that ASEAN becomes the main engine to ensure stability and security in the Asia-Pacific and by inviting major powers to join the East Asia Summit it does not allow any of those main powers to dominate the region. Everyone is in a way neutralized and has to work together within the platform proposed by ASEAN. Indonesia thanks to its flexibility, neutrality and absence of enemies becomes a sort of peace enabler. What a beautiful world!
-The two previous concepts make Indonesia a sort of deal-maker, a peace-maker or a bridge-builder as you prefer. Indonesia finds solutions to all sorts of issues. The problem is when Indonesia tries to act on the Palestinian issue it is not heard at all by major powers and in the Muslim world Indonesia is considered to be some sort of an exception, not a mainstream country. Indonesian influence is low.
So it is clear that Indonesian foreign policy has followed a lot of different concepts. Some are interesting. Some are naive or out of touch. Both local and international experts and diplomats say that Indonesian influence and global clout is weak. Of course if you want to bring Indonesia to the world it won’t be done through empty concepts, expert views or old style foreign policy and diplomats!
You need to be creative. I believe Indonesia can revolutionize foreign policy, country projection and invent a new model. So what should be done?
First it is about recognizing Indonesian strengths and weaknesses. Everyone seems to recognize the weaknesses and to recognize the wrong strengths or not think about using them in the right way. We have already talked about what is said about Indonesia’s lack of military power or global influence.
So what are the Indonesian assets that can be used to project Indonesia to the world?
Civil society of course and particularly young and creative people. They must become the new diplomats of Indonesia in the world. So it’s not about asking them their opinion to build a foreign policy and surveying them. It is about giving them the keys.
Indonesia must be seen by the world through its young and creative people. They must become the door to Indonesia. I mean look at South Korea. South Korea gains tremendously from the globalization of its pop culture. Korea has become cool. Who would have thought that years ago when South Korea was the poorest country on earth? The gains are tremendous for South Korean brands, Korean tourism or simply South Korea attractiveness in all fields.
Indonesia can do better. It can do more. First because Indonesian youth probably surpasses the whole population of Korea. Then because Indonesia is more diverse and in my opinion has much more to show. Finally because Indonesia does not have North Korea to deal with every day!
Ok so we have the new ambassadors of Indonesia. Now how do they represent Indonesia? Well let me ask how did all the global singers and bands happen to know about Indonesia and come to perform in Jakarta in the first place? They were bombarded by young Indonesian fans on social media! Digital is the new weapon.
Young creative digital ambassadors. The door to Indonesia will be online through young achievers. Then of course reality needs to take over with young achievers being promoted and sent around the world to show the true Indonesia. That’s where the Korean strategy is useful. Many Indonesian companies are expanding or want to expand globally. What better ambassadors for them than young creative Indonesians? Korean artists promote Samsung products around the world.
Indonesia must create a digital army of young people with the face of that army being the young creative achievers. Indonesia is one of the biggest countries for hackers in the world. Why can it not become the first fully digital and youth projected country in the world? There is this big debate about youth wasting its time online with useless activities. Well isn’t promoting and projecting your country to the world something positive?
Youth is the future of Indonesia. Youth will make the future of Indonesia. If the talents among youth are used by Indonesia to grow and project itself to the world Indonesia will be irresistible. Indonesian youth must also take over its own destiny and lead its country. I do not accept the opinion of pessimistic experts who are out of touch with realities and possibilities. I believe in Indonesia. We just need a good vision. Go Indonesia!
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