Since the 1950s, Indonesia has participated in various peacekeeping missions under the United Nations. The Indonesian peacekeeping force was later called the Garuda Contingent.

There was a period when the Garuda Contingent was not deployed in war-affected zones until Indonesia joined the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in 2006.

With the strategic vision of having 4,000 peacekeepers deployed all over the world, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration has continued a policy adopted by his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Under Yudhoyono, Indonesia established a world-class Peacekeeping Center, which has trained peacekeepers from across the region.

The ongoing deployment of peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, known as the Rapidly Deployable Battalion, evinces Indonesia’s continuous efforts in exercising its peacekeeping contribution and military diplomacy. While the environment there is robust and hostile, the Indonesian peacekeepers have also taken on additional responsibilities by supervising the general election.

Thanks to the community engagement adopted from the TNI’s territorial management principle, the peacekeeping force has been handed more and more weapons from militias who want to reintegrate back into society.

Not only has peacekeeping allowed the TNI to showcase its military professionalism, it is also promoting Indonesian culture as well as building networks with the locals and international peers. Furthermore, the peacekeeping mission contributes to strengthening Indonesia’s overall public and defence diplomacy.

Now that Indonesia has a seat on the UN Security Council as a nonpermanent member for the 2019 and 2020 period, the country and the TNI have more of an opportunity to contribute to maintaining world peace. However, the process of aligning peacekeeping with Indonesia’s military diplomacy is not easy.

There are challenges standing between the Indonesian peacekeepers and their vision. First is the limited number of Indonesian military representatives at the UN’s headquarters.

Despite Indonesia’s significant engagement in peacekeeping missions, it is important to have representation there, particularly in the Department of Peace Operations (DPO).

Currently, there are no TNI personnel working as seconded officers at the DPO due to the rigorous selection process. The last TNI officer deployed to this department completed his term several years ago, but nobody has succeeded him.

Representation in this department is critical, especially with Indonesia’s current status as a nonpermanent member of the Security Council.

TNI representation will help Indonesia conduct its military diplomacy to support its peacekeeping contributions.

Second is the introduction of the UN Peacekeeping Readiness System, which may take a long time to appoint the troop contributing countries for a mission. The deployment of peacekeepers now relies on the readiness of countries in providing and preparing their peacekeepers. The new system may have limitations if it is not managed properly.

The TNI should take more concrete action to deal with those challenges. Preparing the best officers for immediate appointments at the DPO needs more attention. Those who have been deployed on UN missions will have an advantage. Nonetheless, this criterion should not restrict opportunities for those who have no experience working with the UN, especially if they have earned related postgraduate degrees at Master’s or PhD levels.

Indonesia also needs to adjust its preparation scheme with the new system adopted by the UN.

Indonesia’s peacekeeping contribution and military diplomacy will always correlate to TNI doctrine and strategy.

Hence, the TNI should develop a comprehensive design for its military diplomacy through peacekeeping contributions, which will require collaboration with other stakeholders like the Foreign Ministry.

It is our fervent hope to see more Indonesian peacekeepers deployed in the coming years to fulfil the strategic vision adopted by both Jokowi and Yudhoyono.

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Frega Ferdinand Wenas Inkiriwang is a lecturer at the Indonesian Defence University, PhD candidate at the London School of Economics and Political Science . Felix Lumban Tobing is a graduate of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.

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