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Discourse: Indonesia must avoid conflicts as we cannot afford war
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Gen. Andika Perkasa (center) speaks at a press conference on Aug. 10, 2021, in his capacity as Army chief of staff. He was installed as Indonesian Military (TNI) commander in November 2021 and served until December 2022, when he stepped down after reaching the mandatory retirement age. (Kompas.com/Courtesy of Dispenad)
After retiring from his post as Indonesian Military (TNI) commander, Gen. (ret) Andika Perkasa joined a list of potential figures to lead the campaign of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P) presidential candidate, Ganjar Pranowo.
Below are excerpts from Andika’s interview with Tenggara Strategics’ Philips J Vermonte and The Jakarta Post on Indonesia’s geopolitical issues, security affairs and the 2024 presidential election.
Question: What do you think of Indonesia's stance on the tensions between the United States and China in the South China Sea, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
Answer: The cost of war is vast and we cannot afford it. We do not have the time and energy to get involved in those kinds of problems.
We have just emerged from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are doing a good job of restoring our economy by reducing poverty rates, unemployment and the gap between the poor and the rich. But it could still be better.
In my opinion, our foreign policy, in terms of geopolitics, should avoid conflicts, except if it is a domestic conflict that we cannot avoid.
