Overseas Think Tank for Indonesia

Sumber gambar: voices.washingtonpost.com

Oleh Dr. Beni Bevly, San Francisco

Dari semua kunjungan kepala negara ke Indonesia, agaknya kunjungan Barack Obama, Presiden Amerika Serika (AS) pada 9 November 2010 mendapat tanggapan yang paling gegap gempita dari dalam negeri Indonesia. Tanggapan ini berkisar dari sentimental primordial, seperti agama hingga berlatar belakang ekonomi dan politik. Terlepas dari semua ini, susungguhnya apakah agenda Obama ke Indonesia dan negara-negara Asia lainnya?

Dari sisi Indonesia, kunjungan ini banyak menimbulkan nostalgia, harapan dan bahkan protes. Read the rest of this entry »

Oleh Dr. Beni Bevly, San Francisco

Banyak para ahli yang memprediksikan kemunduran Amerika Serikat (AS) dari posisi nomor satu kekuatan ekonomi dunia dan munculnya kekuatan ekonomi baru. Bagaimana kemungkinan hal ini akan terjadi? Di manakah posisi Indonesia dalam tatanan perkonomian dunia pasca Amerika Serikat?

Perdebatan menurunnya kejayaan perekonomian AS akhirnya bermuara di sekitar opini mengenai munculnya atau akan munculnya kekuatan ekonomi tandingan AS dari kelompok negara BRIC dan MAVINS. Opini mengenai kemunculan BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, dan China) sebagai kekuatan ekonomi yang akan menebas AS, pertama kali diperkenalkan oleh Jim O’Neill, global economist dari Goldman Sachs, sedangkan MAVINS (Mexico, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nigeria, and South Africa) sebagai kekuatan ekonomi dunia layer ke dua yang juga akan menjadi pesaing AS dipopulerkan awal tahun ini oleh Vincent Fernando dan Joe Weisenthal dari Business Insider. Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan A. Laksmana

The recent announcement by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that the US will begin “a gradual, limited program of security cooperation activities” with the Indonesian Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) sparked an immediate controversy.

While the ban restricting the Kopassus from training on US soil or receive funding for lethal combat training is still likely to be in place for a while, the symbolic statement of opening formal lines of communications — beginning with “staff level discussions”— speaks louder than the actual deed. Read the rest of this entry »

Image source: qualityartprints.co.uk

By Jennie S. Bev, San Francisco

The world is both rational and irrational. Specifically, the world of politics is full of irrationality throughout the history of mankind. Thus, it might attest that men are intrinsically irrational, or at least those with power are.

In Laws, Plato said, “Peace is only a name; in reality, every city is in a natural state of war with every other.” Peace is the rational choice, yet those in politics have been deliberately choosing violence in the name of security and maintaining power status quo. Read the rest of this entry »

Image source: travel.nationalgeographic.com

by Evan A. Laksmana

With all the bombast surrounding the 60th anniversary of China-Indonesia relations in the last few months, many seem unaware of recent developments in the South China Sea. In the last fortnight, details have emerged regarding the Chinese Navy’s growing assertiveness and naval projection capability in the region.

According to a recent report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a flotilla of six ships from the North Sea Fleet sailed on March 18 on a “long-distance training exercise” in the vicinity of the Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands — and reportedly near the Malacca Strait as well. Read the rest of this entry »

by Evan Laksmana

THE issue of Myanmar and its future political development came up once again during the 16th Summit of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) in Hanoi earlier this month.

And according to the local press in Jakarta, there now appears more expectation for Indonesia to play a bigger, more decisive role in pushing the matter forward.

In fact, with Indonesia set to take over the Asean Chair next year – following an unusual swap with Brunei – some are speculating whether Jakarta might use the opportunity to launch a new bilateral or regional initiative to press on for more meaningful change in Myanmar. Read the rest of this entry »

Image source: commons.wikimedia.org

By Evan A. Laksmana

The recent debate regarding the expansion of the East Asia Community (EAS) by allowing Russia to join the ASEAN-driven grouping highlights the continued search for a better, more integrated regional architecture.

In fact, if one looks at the discourse within the last few years, crafting a new “regional architecture” has been somewhat the watchword of both government officials and scholars alike. Read the rest of this entry »

by Evan A. Laksmana

Many Indonesians were disappointed when United States President Barack Obama cancelled his long-awaited “homecoming” trip to Jakarta last week. He was, after all, the only American President Indonesians could boast about being “one of their own”.

But pundits quickly point out that the country should move on and be more excited instead to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Chinese-Indonesian diplomatic relations next month, during which Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is expected to visit Jakarta. Read the rest of this entry »

Image source: World Politics Review
by Evan A. Laksmana

Before U.S. President Barack Obama’s scheduled visit to Indonesia this week was postponed, expectations in both Washington and Jakarta were running at a fever pitch, especially in anticipation of the possible signing of a “Comprehensive Partnership” between the two countries.

On one side, Washington is eager to strengthen relations with Southeast Asia’s largest democracy in the face of growing Chinese influence. Read the rest of this entry »

by Evan A. Laksmana

Ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit to Jakarta next month, pundits have been debating the nature and future direction of Indonesia’s foreign policy.

Given the strategic importance of the upcoming United States-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership – set to deepen ties in defence, economic, health, and education sectors – some are asking whether this visit could jump-start Indonesia’s “post-Asean” foreign policy. Read the rest of this entry »

(Below is a letter from The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) that warned President Barack Obama against renewing any U.S. training for Indonesia’s notorious special forces and urged to sign a petition)

Contact: John M. Miller, East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), +1-718-596-7668; 917-690-4391, etan@etan.org

U.S. Training of Kopassus: A Bad Idea Whose Time Has Not Come

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) warned President Barack Obama against renewing any U.S. training for Indonesia’s notorious special forces. Read the rest of this entry »

Image Source: javno.com

By Evan A. Laksmana and Hazelia Margaretha

They say Indonesia is the most important country that the United States knows very little about. Cynics recited this clich* when airing their disappointment as President Barack Obama went on his big Asia tour recently, skipping Jakarta.

After all, Obama supposedly has deep, long-standing ties with Indonesia, going way back to his childhood. In fact, “Barry” – as President Obama is popularly known by Indonesians – has become something of an icon in Indonesian politics in the past year.

As such, some have been tempted to argue that perhaps Indonesia’s role in the American grand strategy is not so pivotal after all. Upon a closer look, however, Obama skipping Indonesia was perhaps not such a bad thing for both countries. Read the rest of this entry »

Image source: kesbangpapua.com

by Evan A. Laksmana

Is Indonesia rising in global politics? Many seem to think so, especially considering its democratic success story, continued economic growth and increasing global profile and influence in a wide range of issues, from human rights to trade and climate change.

Most recently, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was at the G20 Leaders Summit in Pittsburgh this week to voice not just Indonesia’s interests, but also the concerns of the Muslim world and developing nations.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s standing in Southeast Asia also appears unshaken. In fact, when the US signed ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in late July, some speculated that the move was meant to support Indonesia’s regional role rather than to benefit the whole region. Read the rest of this entry »

Title: From Golden Bridge to Golden Monument: Essays on Humanity, Fairness, and Peace
Author: Jennie Siat Bev
Language: English
Publisher: Afton Asia & Afton Institute
Genre: Anthology
Specification: 221 pages, 6 x 9 inch; soft cover
Price: $21.95 (BUY)

We live in an interesting time.

We could be nearing the end of time but intelligent optimists believe that we are embarking on a new beginning, which is more hopeful and meaningful. After all, everything comes in cycles. In grand epic A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us.” Paradoxes are looming and one has full discretion to stand for anything he or she believes in.

I believe that with conviction and consistency, we can make the world slightly better than yesterday. Thus, we should stand on the side of wisdom, belief, light, hope and abundance rather than on the side of foolishness, incredulity, darkness, despair and nihilism. From time to time, we should remind ourselves to be intelligent optimists, regardless of the current state of the world. Through writing, I believe that I have this option. Read the rest of this entry »

Image Source: cache.daylife.com

By Jennie S. Bev

Both Barack Obama and I once lived and grew up in the Menteng district of Central Jakarta. He went to SD Negeri 1 Menteng, while I went to Saint Theresia. Both schools were within a few minutes drive from each other, but of course unless time was a Mobius strip, we would not have met each other.

Both of us were children without fathers, both of us were raised by strong mothers and grandparent figures, and both of us are aware of our multicultural background. Barack is half Kenyan and half white American and I am an Indonesian of Chinese ancestry. Growing up fatherless, I agree with Barack’s notion on his father’s influences. He said, “My father taught me not by his presence, but rather by his absence.”

Today, I know him through his books Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope. He is also a “rock star” politician, a rising star Democratic senator from Illinois, and now he is an official presidential candidate of my adopted country.

I am proud of him, not just because we shared some commonalities in our upbringing, but because we believe in the promise of the future and that together we have the capacity and the courage to make meaningful changes.

Now let’s land back on earth from the orbit of Planet Barack.

Simple people whose primary interests are giving a good living to their families and making them safe and secure are likely to be moved by his words. While we are so infatuated by Barack’s charming rhetorics and charismatic personality and we have been trying to connect him with ourselves, can we realistically see him within the historical and political context? Because, after all, politics is much more than being a motivator and an inspirator.

There are many other powers simultaneously working both in alignment and in opposition to whatever he and his supporters are fighting for. After all, powers have limits and limits are what we should be aware of from the beginning, so we will not be surprised and disappointed whenever any politician — Barack included — fail to deliver on his promises.

In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, It was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us”. And this epic of 1775 is today’s deja vu.

Assuming he succeeds in the election, his tenure will be the most challenging ever since the beginning of U.S. history, as he would need to, first and foremost, overturn the current world’s perception of “America the oppressor” to “America the hope of the world”.

Second, he would need to fix the broken trickle-down economics with Barack’s version of economic justice, which is bottom up.

Third, he would need to readjust the United States from its current “cruise control” to “manual control” due to leading in a multipolar world where it is no longer the sole source of unshaken power.

In short, Barack would need to lead this mammoth nation into the state of humility and to a higher level of consciousness of considering the well-being and existence of “the others”.

The point is, Barack might need to compromise his idealistic views. After all, according to Andrew J. Bacevich, the author of The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism, there is a gap between U.S. leadership and exercising global leadership. And a U.S. president might have charismatic influence over many people’s opinions — including the world — but he will be directly affected by the administration, because they are the ones who make policies.

Regardless of whoever is elected as the next president, the “national security working groups” consist of baby boomer advisors who are neither innovative nor renaissance-minded. On Barack’s corner are Madeleine Albright, Warren Christopher and Antony Lake. On McCain’s corner are Max Boot, Robert Kagan, Randy Scheunemann and James Woolsey.

In terms of economy, he would need to fight really hard to make Wall Street and Main Street equal counterparts by not succumbing to special interests. This, of course, would require more than strong tenacity, but economic prowess and sophistication. And, apparently, he is inexperienced in this area. Despite his conviction that experience has nothing to do with future performance, his promise of economic justice is the one that hits home the hardest to U.S. voters.

Barack is likely going to be a world-class unifier and the best embodiment of how the so-called “power of one” has the capacity to brighten the world. Now let’s pray that his promises come true.

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The writer is an author and columnist based in Northern California. This article was publish by the Jakarta Post.