The conference itself was of historic proportions. Indonesia had only gained independence 10 years earlier, still very much impoverished after centuries of exploitation by European powers, but the anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism of the Bandung Spirit inspired many African countries to fight and subsequently gain their independence.

There have been other major diplomatic feats since then, including cofounding the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1961, which drew its inspiration from Bandung, cofounding the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967, and hosting the negotiations for peace in Cambodia in the 1980s. But none matched Bandung, and its legacy lives on as evidenced by the fact that it is still being invoked in discussions on the ideal world order. 

It is therefore sad to note that Indonesia now appears to be abandoning the spirit.

The way the government responded to the recent kidnapping of Venezuela’s president by the United States and its claim to now run that country, may have put the final nail in the Bandung coffin, as far as Indonesia is concerned.

The failure to condemn the act of aggression against a sovereign nation not only violates international laws, it also runs against the Bandung Spirit. Indonesia only went as far as expressing grave concerns and warning that it may have set a dangerous precedent.

Whatever pretext Washington uses for the attack, whether ushering a regime change and democracy,  fighting drug traffickers, controlling Venezuela’s oil wealth or dominating the American hemisphere, it violates almost all the 10 Bandung principles, the most important of which are respect for nations’ sovereignty and territorial integrity and refraining  from the use of threats or aggression, non-interference in other’s domestic affairs and settling disputes peacefully through dialogue rather than force.