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View all search resultsTrump’s $1b levy
While the Prabowo government may seek to avoid economic "punishment" through proximity to the Trump administration, our national dignity and strategic independence are at stake.
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Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar (second right) attends a press conference on Feb. 3 alongside religious leaders after a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta. The meeting discussed Indonesian participation in the Board of Peace. (Antara/Bayu Pratama S)
W
e strongly urge President Prabowo Subianto to reconsider Indonesia’s entry to the nascent Board of Peace and fulfill United States President Donald Trump’s demand for a US$1 billion mandatory contribution.
President Prabowo’s realization of the commitment constitutes a significant departure from Indonesia’s foundational foreign policy. Indonesia, too, is not a nation so wealthy that it can afford to misallocate such a vast sum toward a personal diplomatic initiative with questionable long-term institutional stability.
Participation in the Trump-led board sends a conflicting signal regarding Indonesia’s bebas aktif (independent and active) doctrine. By committing significant capital to an organization governed by a charter that grants "nearly absolute power" to a single foreign leader, Jakarta risks appearing as if it has abandoned its non-aligned stance.
While the Prabowo government may seek to avoid economic "punishment" through proximity to the Trump administration, we must ask: at what cost to national dignity and strategic independence?
The financial obligation required for permanent membership, exceeding $1 billion in cash within the first year, is staggering. Rather than funding a foreign diplomatic experiment, these resources could be directed toward bolstering social safety nets for the millions of Indonesians still living below the poverty line.
Furthermore, such a sum could provide critical infrastructure development in rural provinces or fund significant upgrades to national vocational training and medical facilities. For resource-rich Gulf states that have joined the board, such a levy may be negligible; for Indonesia, it represents a massive diversion of capital from urgent national priorities.
Proponents of joining the board argue that this contribution should not be viewed as a sunk cost, but rather as a strategic investment in Indonesia-US economic relations. In an era of transactional diplomacy, this membership contribution may serve as the necessary "entry fee" to secure favorable terms in ongoing trade negotiations.
