Chapter I Introduction

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background

In International Relations, there are several theories that are conceptualized for the sole purpose of explaining on what is going on in the natural world.1 Such theories creates a perspective that are divided into several school of thoughts, such as Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism, etc. the theories that are giving ontological values toward international relations. The author will rely heavily on two theories of International Relations, the Realism and

Constructivism theory in order to explained and criticize the foreign policy of

Indonesia under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, especially his second term that lasted from 2009 – 2014. The Author will mainly describe SBY’s foreign policy through the perspective of Constructivism and then try to build criticism towards it from the perspective of Realism theory of International

Relations in order to truly understand the motivations and weaknesses of

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s foreign policy.

Indonesia, since its birth in 1945 has been very active, arguably aggressive, in conducting their foreign policy, from the “pursuit of legitimacy” and “non-alignment” era of the old order under Soekarno, the “rebuilding and

1 Viotti, Paul R., and Mark V. Kauppi. 1. International Relations Theory. 4th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. P. 2-3. Print. economic restructuring” of the new order under Soeharto2, until the recent self- promoting and democratic foreign policy of the reform era under various

Presidents. Indonesia’s foreign policy is conceptualized and executed under its own principle of “Independent and Active”3 which was the term that is coined by

Mohammad Hatta, the first Vice-President of Indonesia. In a sense, the principle emphasize on the neutrality of Indonesia, Mohammad Hatta in his essay (1953) emphasized that “By Practicing her independent and Active policy, Indonesia endeavors to seek friendship with all nations – whatever their ideology or form of government – upon a basis of mutual respect.”4 Such foreign policy has been continued until today that it is already a part of Indonesia’s identity in its foreign policy, a principle that is rooted on old practice and mindset that is set upon by

Indonesia’s forefathers.5

Fast forward to the Reform era, it can be seen that Indonesia foreign policies are beginning to take a more democratic approach, mainly during Susilo

Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) governance. SBY is the first democratically elected

President of Indonesia, in which his entire two period, that lasted for about 10 years, arguably has managed to bring stabilization to Indonesia and also encourages economic growth6 while having a good approach in its foreign policy,

2 Vatikiotis, Michael R. J. Indonesian Politics under Suharto: The Rise and Fall of the New Order. 3rd ed. London: Routledge, 1998. P. 179-82. Print. 3 Hatta, Mohammad. Indonesia's Foreign Policy. S.l: Author, 1953. P. 444. Web. 4 Hatta, Mohammad. Indonesia Between the Power Blocs, Foreign Affairs, 1958. Web. 5 Sukma, Rizal. The Evolution of Indonesia's Foreign Policy: An Indonesian View. Asian Survey 35.3 (1995): 304-15. Web. 6 Acharya, Amitav. "Chapter 2: DEMOCRACY, DEVELOPMENT AND STABILTY Creating a Virtuous Cycle." Indonesia Matters: Asia's Emerging Democratic Power. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 19-43. Print. sticking to the non-alignment and neutrality principle that Indonesia maintained since its conception.7

In International Relations, the influence of a country can determine the role of that country in the international community, thus increasing international influence plays crucial role in the foreign policy of a country that aspire to be great. If one country has a better influence, it will gain more leverage and an advantage in bargaining with other countries. In gaining that position of influence,

Indonesia, in its foreign policy focuses more on the increase of its own national image to become a country that dependent on its neutrality and non-alignment, to gain relative benefits through multilateral and bilateral cooperation with every country. Such policy can build a perception of Indonesia as a country that has

“Thousand friends, Zero enemies”8.

Indonesia is aware of its rising prominence in the world. Its new status has been a recurring theme in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s governance, especially on his second term that lasts from 2009 until 2014. SBY’s motivation of increasing the national image of Indonesia as a country that is not only a rising power but also true to his foreign policy concept of “Thousand Friends, Zero

Enemy” identity can be seen in his address to the nation each year to mark the country’s Independence Day. In 2011, Yudhoyono gave a speech on Indonesia’s

Independence day, by telling the nation that it had shaken off its 60 year old tag as

7 Hatta, Mohammad. Indonesia's Foreign Policy. S.l: Author, 1953. Web. 8 Puspitasari, Irfa. Indonesia’s New Foreign Policy – “Thousand Friends, Zero Enemy”, New Delhi: IDSA Brief. 2. a third world country to become an emerging economy.9 The world increasingly frequently asks, “What does Indonesia think?” on global problems, the president said to Indonesians in 2012.10 “Indonesia resolves to always be part of the solution to global problems”, he remarked in his 2013 speech.11 Those speeches proves that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is trying to assert the foreign policy identity of Indonesia’s foreign policy of a friendly and good willed country in order to gain influence in international relations.

In the same context, the Indonesian public now expects Indonesia to have an influence not only in its region but also other corners of the globe. Twenty per cent of Indonesians nominated Indonesia as one of the ten most influential countries in the world in polling conducted by the Lowy Institute in 2011.12

Therefore, Indonesia’s foreign policy under President Susilo Bambang

Yudhoyono put an emphasis in building foreign policy identity that is reflected such aspiring concept (Thousand friends, Zero enemies), which is an identity that

Indonesia is a country that have a good willed nature with other country and have a principal value of making good relations with countries. The foreign policy identity building is important, in regards with Indonesian foreign policy, it helps building the influence needed in order to have a bigger part in international relations.

9 Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono “Pidato Kenegaraan Presiden RI Dalam Rangka HUT Ke-66 Proklamasi Kemerdekaan RI di Depan Sidang Bersama DPD dan DPR RI,” [speech, Jakarta, 16 August 2011]. 10 Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono “Pidato Kenegaraan HUT Ke-67 Proklamasi Kemerdekaan RI di Depan Sidang Bersama DPR dan DPD RI,” speech, Jakarta, 16 August 2012. 11 Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono “Pidato Kenegaraan dalam rangka HUT ke-68 Proklamasi Kemerdekaan RI,” speech, Jakarta, 16 August 2013. 12 Fergus Hanson, Shattering Stereotypes: Public Opinion and Foreign Policy. Sydney: Lowy Institute. 2012. P. 22. Yet, the importance afforded to Indonesia as much reflects its anticipated future influence as it does its current power. Currently, even in relative terms

Indonesia is not a great military or economic power, a fact that Indonesian officials readily admit. “In terms of military and economic muscle ... Jakarta must rely mostly on projecting soft power”, said Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a vice- presidential advisor in her article on Europe’s World, although she writing in her private capacity.13

As the focus of this research, we can see that Indonesia’s foreign policy, under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, have evolved to a more engaging kind, the kind that tries not only redefining its position and relevancy, but also asserting it.

Such approach was largely thanks to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono policy of foreign policy identity building, in which he is focusing on building the image of

Indonesia as a tool of increasing and gaining influence in international relations.

Gaining international influence means a lot for Indonesia, especially after battling for legitimacy since its freedom from the Dutch and surviving the cold- war by remaining neutral, thus foreign policy is one of its most important agenda.

Today, as we are nearing the end of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (SBY) second- term, Indonesia’s future once more will be determined collectively as we soon embarking on the journey to democratically elect the new President of the

Republic of Indonesia.

13 Anwar, Dewi Fortuna, Indonesia’s wary thinking on foreign policy. Europe’s World. 2013. http://europesworld.org/2013/06/01/indonesias-wary-thinking-on-foreign- policy/#.VFiUvYcu4Xw. Web. This landmark not only very important to the domestic audience but also the international audience too, where the new President of Indonesia have the full and legal power to alter the fate of Indonesia’s foreign policy or continuing on the foundations that already been laid upon during SBY’s tenure.

In this topic, those foreign policy “foundations” that already being laid by

SBY, which is the “Thousand Friends, Zero Enemy” Foreign Policy Identity, arguably give Indonesia a position of influence that it craves. The main focus of this research will mainly about the events that have happened during SBY’s second terms of Presidency and the progress he already made. Thus the author will focuses on several policies that Indonesia has made during SBY’s second term of governance, that mainly revolves around the level of influence Indonesia have in ASEAN, the establishment of Code of Conduct in South China Sea and also Bali Democracy Forum that was seen as a tool for Indonesia to assert its original intention of building a foreign policy identity in order to gain international influence.

However, the author sees that such foreign policy approach, even though it is beneficial for Indonesia, it doesn’t seem to be very impacting in the long run; the author believes that true influence can only be attained if one country has tangible capabilities. Ideas and identity alone is not enough for a country, especially Indonesia to gain the level of influence that it’s aiming for, such has been proven from the failure of Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, where many country sees it as only a formal gesture, and also Indonesia’s failure in trying to solve the Cambodian crisis through the ASEAN conference in Cambodia, where the host country doesn’t even bring such topic to be discussed in the conference.

Thus this research will focus on how Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his administrators trying to build a Foreign Policy Identity that is focuses on gaining influence in international relations through national image building, and somehow neglected he value of building material capabilities such as military power, that aspect will be the author’s criticism toward Indonesian foreign policies of Susilo

Bambang Yudhoyono Presidency.

1.2. Research Questions

The focus of this research is the foreign policies of Indonesia under

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in which the author has several research questions:

1. What is the nature of Indonesia’s Foreign Policy under President Susilo

Bambang Yudhoyono, as a construction of its new identity as a part of a

democratic world?

2. How does such Foreign Policy strengthen Indonesia’s leverage in its external

environment?

1.3. Theoretical purpose of Thesis

Based on the research questions there are several purpose for the author to conduct this research:

1. To understand Indonesia’s current influence in its external environment. 2. To have a deep understanding about Indonesia’s foreign policy, especially

during the second-term of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presidency.

3. To understand the decision-making process of the foreign policies that

already conducted.

4. To identify the criticisms of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s foreign policy.

1.4. Practical Benefit of Thesis

Based on the research questions, the practical benefits of this thesis:

1. To apply learned international relations theories in working environment,

especially in the understanding of Indonesia’s diplomatic practices and

foreign policy;

2. To provide an analysis and research materials any International Relations

students in relation to their research;

3. To give a new perspective on the analysis of Indonesia’s foreign policy

under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

1.5. Framework of Research

The outline of this research will be systematically arranged in order to create a more comprehensive and clear written structure that in order for the author to state and prove his thesis statement. The thesis writing will be arranged as follows:

Chapter I: Background

This chapter consists of the background for this research; it contains the author’s point and thesis statement that will be tested in this research paper.

This chapter also contains the research questions, theoretical purpose, practical benefits and framework of this thesis.

Chapter II: Framework of Thesis

This chapter will contain the review of literary works that will be use as a base and reference for this thesis, the theories that will be used in this research for the analysis. This chapter will cover two of the main theory that the author used in this research, the Realism and Constructivism theory of

International Relations, its basic assumptions and the comparison between the two; the theory of Foreign Policy; Material and Immaterial power both from the Realist and Constructivist perspective; and lastly the Theory of

Foreign Policy Identity to describe the type of Indonesia’s foreign policy.

Chapter III: Research Methods

This chapter laid out the methods of research that the author used in his research, includes the type of data that are gathered, the source of the data, the technique of analysis, and also the challenges and limitations of the research.

Chapter IV: Theory Application and Analysis

Chapter IV will focuses on the theory application and the core analysis of this thesis, it will emphasized on the description and explanation of

Indonesia’s Foreign Policy under the second term of President Susilo

Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) from the constructivism view of International Relations, on how it is proven that President SBY is building foreign policy

identity by shaping the perception of Indonesia from outside nations, to see

itself as a country that is friendly and good willed toward every other nation.

After that, the author will then criticized Indonesia’s Foreign Policy from

the perspective of Realism, in order to prove the author’s point that true

influence can only be attained if one country have tangible capabilities

(material power).

Chapter V: Conclusion and Recommendation

In this chapter, the author will conclude all the data and analysis about

Indonesia’s foreign policy under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,

especially in his second term, to determined whether foreign policy identity

building affects the level of influence of Indonesia’s foreign policy in

International Relations, and whether true influence can really be achieved if

a country possess a significant amount of tangible power.