31-8-2023 (JAKARTA) Anies Baswedan, a former Indonesian minister and presidential hopeful, has criticized the government’s “transactional” foreign policy, saying that it has compromised the country’s values and interests. Baswedan pledged to adopt a values-based approach to foreign policy if elected as the country’s next president.
Baswedan, who served as the Minister of Education and Culture under President Joko Widodo’s administration, said that Indonesia’s foreign policy has been reduced to a series of transactions, where the government prioritizes economic interests over the country’s values and principles.
“For too long, we have been too transactional in our foreign policy. We have sacrificed our values and principles for the sake of economic interests,” Baswedan said. “We need to return to a values-based approach, where we prioritize our national interests and values, and not just economic gains.”
Baswedan pointed out that Indonesia’s foreign policy has been largely shaped by its economic interests, particularly under the current administration. He cited the government’s decision to restore diplomatic relations with Israel, which had been severed for more than 50 years, as an example of a transactional approach to foreign policy.
“The decision to restore diplomatic relations with Israel was a transactional one, driven by economic interests. We sacrificed our principles and values for the sake of economic gains,” Baswedan said. “This is not the right approach. We need to prioritize our values and principles in our foreign policy.”
Baswedan also criticized the government’s handling of the human rights issue in Indonesia’s easternmost region of Papua. He said that the government’s response to the human rights abuses in Papua has been inadequate and that it has failed to address the root causes of the conflict.
“The government’s response to the human rights abuses in Papua has been inadequate. They have failed to address the root causes of the conflict, which is the marginalization of the Papuan people,” Baswedan said. “We need to take a values-based approach to address the conflict in Papua, where we prioritize human rights and justice.”
Baswedan pledged that, if elected, he would adopt a values-based approach to foreign policy, which would prioritize Indonesia’s national interests and values. He said that this approach would be reflected in the country’s relations with all nations, including the United States, China, and Japan.
“We will prioritize our national interests and values in our foreign policy. We will not sacrifice our principles and values for the sake of economic interests,” Baswedan said. “We will work closely with nations that share our values and principles, and we will not be afraid to speak out against nations that violate human rights and international law.”
Baswedan’s criticism of the government’s foreign policy comes as Indonesia prepares for its presidential election in 2024. Baswedan is one of several candidates vying for the presidency, and his critique of the government’s foreign policy is seen as a bid to differentiate himself from the incumbent administration.
The former minister’s comments also come as Indonesia faces growing pressure to take a stronger stance on global issues, such as climate change and human rights. Baswedan’s pledge to adopt a values-based approach to foreign policy is seen as a response to this pressure, as well as a reflection of the growing demand for more principled leadership in Indonesia.
