Yudhoyono' s foreign policy is all about image

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 10/19/2006 10:36 AM | Opinion

Bantarto Bandoro, Jakarta

This is the fifth in a series of articles The Jakarta Post is publishing to mark President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's second anniversary in office on Oct. 20.

In the presidential election two years ago, many here predicted that Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would be the country's next and ""much better"" president.

Embodied in this prediction is the distinction between judging the government's actions as good or bad on the basis of its intentions, and judging the government according to its effectiveness in getting results. The public here seemed to be talking about the latter, since that is the area in which one can make empirical claims about whether the government's policies have resulted in particular outcomes.

So, on the occasion of the second anniversary of Yudhoyono's presidency on Oct. 20, people are now deciding whether the government has actually done what it promised to do. One field worth considering is foreign policy.

We remember quite well that throughout the campaign, Yudhoyono touted foreign policy as an extension of domestic policy. Key domestic policies such as fighting corruption, invigorating job creation, fixing the education system, and stabilizing the distribution of public goods, among other things, were expressed in foreign policy terms, such as attracting greater foreign direct investment, making Indonesia more competitive, promoting trade, and participating in multilateral forums.

If Yudhoyono really believes foreign policy is an extension of domestic policy -- if he is at least consistent -- one can then judge whether his foreign policy has helped fulfill the Medium Term Development Plan his government established on assuming office. That plan included creating a safe and peaceful Indonesia, as well as one that is just and democratic, and improving the people's welfare.

The past two years saw a great deal of action in foreign policy, both bilateral and multilateral. But the first two years are only the beginning of a very long process, not only to fulfill the goals outlined above, but to make the country more prosperous.

Achieving those goals would bolster the country's diplomacy, its international position and its credibility, while also serving domestic needs. Thus, foreign policy is in a sense part of the mainstream of our national policy. The government must always manage external relations in a way that supports domestic prosperity and stability.

The question to ask is whether the government's foreign policy initiatives have supported domestic needs, when they seem more aimed at building ""prestige"" than touching on the real domestic concerns of the country.

This is shown by, among other things, Yudhoyono's desire to restore Indonesia's dignity overseas. The country has also chased after global recognition and enhanced status in the international arena.

Thus, our foreign policy initiatives have really only been meant to improve the country's image abroad.

There is no doubt that Yudhoyono has a full grasp of our international issues as well as a full and proper understanding of our foreign policy. The way he has conducted Indonesian foreign policy has so far led the country into becoming a potential mediator for crucial international security issues, such as the Middle East and North Korea. His new metaphor, ""navigating a turbulent ocean"", to describe the challenges faced by Indonesian foreign policy, has pushed Indonesia much deeper into the realm of regional and global politics.

Following Indonesia's success in becoming a non-permanent UNSC member, Yudhoyono said Indonesia would have much greater opportunities to contribute to world peace and stability.

But we are not quite sure, particularly if Yudhoyono is consistent with his stand that foreign policy is extension of domestic policy.

One critical view is that the country's extensive ""navigation"" has been conducted not on the basis of current and future domestic needs, but on the basis of the need to improve the country's image abroad. It cannot be like this forever if Yudhoyono is to survive the next presidential election.

It is true that Yudhoyono's foreign policy initiatives seem to reflect the government's attempt to emphasize the democratic outlook in a way that has never been done before. But such image building and projection will be useless unless the government recognizes the fact that there is indeed a true linkage between international exposure and solving our economic, social and domestic security problems. Yudhoyono should make the most of those linkages.

The writer is chief editor of The Indonesian Quarterly and director of scientific infrastructure at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. He is also a lecturer in the International Relations Postgraduate Studies Program at the University of Indonesia's School of Social and Political Sciences. He can be contacted at bandoro@csis.or.id.

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