SBY, Thaksin, Horta and Anwar to speak at Jakarta forum

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will formally launch in Jakarta today (Tuesday) both the Strategic Review journal and the Strategic Review Forum, which will also host presentations by an array of Asian statesmen.

The inaugural forum on “Peace and Reconciliation in Southeast Asia” features former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, former Timor Leste president Jose Ramos-Horta, and Anwar Ibrahim, opposition leader and former deputy prime minister of Malaysia.

According to the organizers, this is the first time that Thaksin will have given a public address in an ASEAN country since 2008.

The forum compliments the Strategic Review: The Indonesian Journal of Leadership, Policy and World Affairs. Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesia’s former foreign minister is the editor-in-chief of the quarterly publication, which was first published in August 2011.

Recognizing the emerging importance of Indonesia in world affairs, the Review said it was created “to reflect the intellectual and policy fundamentals of Indonesia and its perceptions of the world at large. The journal offers insights into the world of great thinkers, policymakers and many more in Indonesia and abroad, and unique stories, essays and interviews about Asian and global affairs.”