The ending of Soeharto Regime has implicated to alteration in Indonesia Foreign Politics on ASEAN. In the New Order, the military institution had a prominent position in the government particularly in term of politics and security. It had created the domestic stability by defusing the opponent groups who disagreed with the government policy. The stability had contagiously effected on ASEAN as a region that deemed to be vulnerable region in conflict. That's why Soeharto became the prominent figure contributing regional stability in ASEAN. But now, the Reform Order has shown that Indonesia as a state could not be monopolized by the Governing Parties or House of Representatives. The spirit of democracy has widely opened the way for people to involve in decision making process.
The stability change after Soeharto could also be observed in the case of Sipadan and Ligitan islands in 2002 that geographically are included in Indonesia territorial but then claimed as Malaysia’s islands and legitimized by the International Court of Justice. It indicated the meaningless of regionalism in ASEAN on the one side and the powerless Indonesia in international sphere on the other side. It is not only in the case of territory, but also in the case of crime conspiracy in Singapore. Some Indonesian corrupters run away to Singapore considered as the most conducive country to hide because of the country law and the government policy. Singapore takes gains from this case on the side of banking and investment. That's why the recent agreement on Extradition Treaty between two countries has been quite difficult to conclude.
After Soeharto, domestic destabilization of RI and lack of international figures resulted in the gradual decreasing of the country's credibility and influence on ASEAN. B.J. Habibie mandated to replace Soeharto had only governed for one year and five months because of large opposition viewing him as a part of the New Order and his policy on East Timor. Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur who was ‘elected and impeached’ by the Special Session of Indonesia General Assembly had also governed in one year and nine months because his several controversial policies.
Subsequently, Megawati stepped up from the second to the first position spending the rest of five-year presidential period. In her period, precisely in 2001, the bombing action on World Trade Center in New York allegedly conducted by Osamah Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda organization marked the new era of global war named with war against terrorism. This issue, like or dislike, agree or disagree, had significantly influenced almost all countries relations, including Indonesia. Moreover, several bombing actions took place in Indonesia during Megawati’s period increasingly pressured Indonesia to prioritize the security agenda. Indonesia viewed that war against terrorism was not a simple homework that could be overcome alone. Therefore, Megawati attempted to use diplomacy as a way to build regional networking on war against terrorism. As a result, in the Ninth ASEAN Summit in Tampak Siring Palace, Bali, Megawati and ASEAN leaders concluded an agreement to integrate ASEAN countries on the basis of three pillars, ASEAN Security, Economic, and Socio-cultural Community. Despite, at this point, Indonesia actually will only have much more gains in the field of security and socio-cultural than in the field of economic. In fact of economic situation, Indonesia is still weak in the term of competitiveness.
After Megawati, the first Indonesia direct General Election in 2004 has carried Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to the presidential position. In his period, RI has promoted the efforts to bring down ASEAN to ‘earth’ as written in the goals of ASEAN Community. It is not only in the context of community development, but also in the context of organization development in which Indonesia has promoted to strengthen the ASEAN institutional role by participating in formulating the ASEAN Charter. But until now, there are still no many people aware of ASEAN existence and its relation with Indonesia. Because, it remains a question what the significant gains of community development that implemented by ASEAN on Indonesian people economic welfare while there are still many people starving and unemployed. It was also a reason why RI’s House of Representative has refused to ratify ASEAN Charter. Furthermore, the reality showed us that regional economic development of ASEAN has no significant effect on Indonesian economic. Today, in the term of income per capita, Singapore almost reached US$ 25.000, Malaysia US$ 5.000, Thailand US$ 3.000, while Indonesia only US$ 1.500. It is not only in income per capita, but also in other sectors such as technology and education.
Therefore, principle of RI’s foreign policy renowned as independent-active is ideally not only articulated as ceremonial, but also in the historical meaning of the principle. Initially, the idea was constructed to articulate the national interest of RI in which Indonesia as a new independent country needed to strengthen her sovereignty by promoting collective movement against colonialism-imperialism. In relation with ASEAN, today, there are several agenda that should be prioritized by the government in the near future are, firstly, how to promote the ASEAN Free Trade Area that contribute much more domestic gains, secondly, how to conclude the Extradition Treaty (ET) with Singapore in order to capture the corruptors and to bring back the country’s fund in spite of friction in the other agreement named the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), and thirdly, the country borders security.
Andi Kurniawan
Alumnus-International Relations study
Jember University
The stability change after Soeharto could also be observed in the case of Sipadan and Ligitan islands in 2002 that geographically are included in Indonesia territorial but then claimed as Malaysia’s islands and legitimized by the International Court of Justice. It indicated the meaningless of regionalism in ASEAN on the one side and the powerless Indonesia in international sphere on the other side. It is not only in the case of territory, but also in the case of crime conspiracy in Singapore. Some Indonesian corrupters run away to Singapore considered as the most conducive country to hide because of the country law and the government policy. Singapore takes gains from this case on the side of banking and investment. That's why the recent agreement on Extradition Treaty between two countries has been quite difficult to conclude.
After Soeharto, domestic destabilization of RI and lack of international figures resulted in the gradual decreasing of the country's credibility and influence on ASEAN. B.J. Habibie mandated to replace Soeharto had only governed for one year and five months because of large opposition viewing him as a part of the New Order and his policy on East Timor. Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur who was ‘elected and impeached’ by the Special Session of Indonesia General Assembly had also governed in one year and nine months because his several controversial policies.
Subsequently, Megawati stepped up from the second to the first position spending the rest of five-year presidential period. In her period, precisely in 2001, the bombing action on World Trade Center in New York allegedly conducted by Osamah Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda organization marked the new era of global war named with war against terrorism. This issue, like or dislike, agree or disagree, had significantly influenced almost all countries relations, including Indonesia. Moreover, several bombing actions took place in Indonesia during Megawati’s period increasingly pressured Indonesia to prioritize the security agenda. Indonesia viewed that war against terrorism was not a simple homework that could be overcome alone. Therefore, Megawati attempted to use diplomacy as a way to build regional networking on war against terrorism. As a result, in the Ninth ASEAN Summit in Tampak Siring Palace, Bali, Megawati and ASEAN leaders concluded an agreement to integrate ASEAN countries on the basis of three pillars, ASEAN Security, Economic, and Socio-cultural Community. Despite, at this point, Indonesia actually will only have much more gains in the field of security and socio-cultural than in the field of economic. In fact of economic situation, Indonesia is still weak in the term of competitiveness.
After Megawati, the first Indonesia direct General Election in 2004 has carried Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to the presidential position. In his period, RI has promoted the efforts to bring down ASEAN to ‘earth’ as written in the goals of ASEAN Community. It is not only in the context of community development, but also in the context of organization development in which Indonesia has promoted to strengthen the ASEAN institutional role by participating in formulating the ASEAN Charter. But until now, there are still no many people aware of ASEAN existence and its relation with Indonesia. Because, it remains a question what the significant gains of community development that implemented by ASEAN on Indonesian people economic welfare while there are still many people starving and unemployed. It was also a reason why RI’s House of Representative has refused to ratify ASEAN Charter. Furthermore, the reality showed us that regional economic development of ASEAN has no significant effect on Indonesian economic. Today, in the term of income per capita, Singapore almost reached US$ 25.000, Malaysia US$ 5.000, Thailand US$ 3.000, while Indonesia only US$ 1.500. It is not only in income per capita, but also in other sectors such as technology and education.
Therefore, principle of RI’s foreign policy renowned as independent-active is ideally not only articulated as ceremonial, but also in the historical meaning of the principle. Initially, the idea was constructed to articulate the national interest of RI in which Indonesia as a new independent country needed to strengthen her sovereignty by promoting collective movement against colonialism-imperialism. In relation with ASEAN, today, there are several agenda that should be prioritized by the government in the near future are, firstly, how to promote the ASEAN Free Trade Area that contribute much more domestic gains, secondly, how to conclude the Extradition Treaty (ET) with Singapore in order to capture the corruptors and to bring back the country’s fund in spite of friction in the other agreement named the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), and thirdly, the country borders security.
Andi Kurniawan
Alumnus-International Relations study
Jember University
