When the U.S. State Department Spokesman, Robert Wood, announced at aWashington press conference last week his boss Hillary Clinton’s four-nation foray into Asia, a journalist asked him, “Robert, why Indonesia, why Indonesia?”
It is not just American journos who are puzzled by Indonesia; our own media has so little time for this large nation, with whom we share a maritime boundary, lots of history and living culture.
That Indonesia?despite being the world’s largest Muslim nation, third biggest democracy, and fourth most populous country?has had an extremely low international profile is one of the major paradoxes of international relations of our time. That paradox may soon dissolve as the United States prepares to launch a major strategic initiative towards Indonesia.
It will be tempting to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s decision to include Jakarta in her first visit abroad as a sentimental bow to the fact that President Barack Obama had spent his childhood in Indonesia.
There is no doubt that Washington wants to take full advantage of President Obama’s Indonesian connection. But the American political question of Jakarta becoming a subaltern for Washington. As in New Delhi, so in Jakarta, the commitment to an independent foreign policy is absolute.
India, which unveiled plans for building a strategic partnership with Indonesia during President Susilo Yudhoyono’s visit to New Delhi in November 2005, should welcome the new engagement between Washington and Jakarta and its principal consequence?the creation of a multipolar Asia.
As Indonesia and India go to polls shortly, there is no room now for a major diplomatic initiative between the two countries. But deepening the ties with a rising Indonesia and bringing it into such forums as IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) should be among the major priorities of the next government in New Delhi.
The author is a Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore