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A foreign policy posture to move Indonesia forward
The public’s emotional outburst against all things Malaysian seems not to be an expression of nationalism or outrage over cultural heritage so much as an inflammation of a raw nerve occasionally touched by our neighboring country
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he public’s emotional outburst against all things Malaysian seems not to be an expression of nationalism or outrage over cultural heritage so much as an inflammation of a raw nerve occasionally touched by our neighboring country. Endless commentary has been published in the media and in private blogs, Facebook and mailing lists that have aggravated sentiments of pride and patriotism.
But I would say please, cool down the Malaysia-bashing. It is too reminiscent of the “back-to-the 60s” narrow nationalistic confrontation.
The biggest difference is that in the days of confrontation, Sukarno was the leading rouser of nationalist sentiment. Today we have a cool president who wants a levelheaded society. Misguided nationalism is best quelled by a sound foreign-policy posture. Our foreign service is mandated to do more than just manage diplomats. Foreign affairs should be seen as the spearhead of the nation’s offensive to counteract a defensive state of mind that incubates an inferiority complex. For a nation that feels inferior, the only recourse is belligerence. We must be aware of these implications.
Malaysia-bashing is a folly of narrow nationalism. When I was in high school in the early 1960s, President Sukarno raised a frenzy about Malaysia, the creation of “nekolim”, which was the acronym of the Indonesian words for neo-colonialism, colonialism and imperialism. Sukarno’s foreign policy was designed to distract people from daily worries due to economic mismanagement. As the acrimony turned into battle, thousands of military people and civilian volunteers were mobilized. Confrontation was announced on Jan. 20, 1963, and ended with a peace treaty on Aug. 11, 1966, a few months after Sukarno transferred power to Soeharto.
By the end we suffered more casualties than our adversaries, estimated at 590 killed, 222 wounded and 771 captured. Indonesia also lost international credibility. Two Indonesian marines who had bombed MacDonald in Singapore were sentenced to death by hanging. President Soeharto appealed to Singapore but he was ignored. This was after the confrontation had ended. Angry students demonstrated in Jakarta and nearly burned down the Singapore Embassy. The world just looked on.
Foreign policy under Sukarno sought to gain respect through the power of threat. Under Soeharto, a successful foreign policy was maintained by the power of exchange, trading the nation’s resources for international respect. Now our foreign policy should transcend both
types of power and present an integrated power of goodness and hope, if you will.
We are a nation with dramatically democratic achievements. We have an Islamic majority that is dominated by moderates. And we have a peacekeeping force that has solved every terrorist bomb case in the country since the emergence of international terrorism here. We deserve respect and it can be gained by a strong foreign policy posture. It must be achieved before elements in our society launch adventurous escapades driven by pettiness, and before other countries treat Indonesia with disrespect.
True respect is gained by positive action. Foreign policy should guide all things from tourist promotion, which must benefit from people with an international outlook, not just pride in local culture. Our trade initiatives must be in tune with international demands. Health cooperation must fit international frameworks. Employment expansion should be streamlined with international human resource facilitation.
The conventional wisdom is that foreign policy attitudes of the public are autonomous, emotional and disorganized, and that government policies must follow political realities resulting from public opinion.
We attempt to negate this notion. We must turn defense into offense by formulating policy initiatives based on a vigorous national posture. This posture should mirror core values now emerging in the international community, parallel to our national values of pluralism, democracy and non-violence.
There is no need to belabor the current issues of cultural piracy because culture by definition must be accessible and imitation is often the best compliment. True world-class culture transcends its origin. People enjoy an enthralling production of the ballet Giselle or the Ramayana dance, without disturbance from French or Indian nationalists who claim cultural piracy.
The French people and the Indian people never felt culturally inferior and their governments never had to be proactive about establishing the cultural facets of their national strength. In Indonesia, the experience of our national history is different. Traumatized by different occupying powers and abused by our own leaders, we have yet to regain our confidence as a people.
We need the government to create a stimulus for building self-confidence. A rigorous foreign policy, powered by both conventional diplomacy and the intelligent use of contemporary instruments of expression, will move the nation forward, to match the historical achievement of the people in this decade of democracy.
The writer is public affairs columnist.
