Indonesia: Vulnerabilities and Strengths of a Regional Power

Pankaj Jha
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Pankaj Jha: Associate Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi.

India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs, 2007, vol. 63, issue 1, 111-136

Abstract: Indonesia has slowly evolved as a nation which though afflicted by the internal differences and problems since independence. Also in the recent past it transformed itself into a democracy in 2004 and also managed to survive the financial crisis of 1997. Though many commentators and social scientists have lamented on the fact that there are too many conflict areas in Indonesia to let it emerge from the financial crisis. But the times have changed and now even the superpowers are trying to be at ‘good terms’ with a culturally diversified country like Indonesia. Indonesia has in the recent times has managed to overcome the decades long problems like Aceh and has started to become a major player in the politics of southeast Asia. The importance of Indonesia also gained ground after few of its terror groups were countered and subdued by the active government intervention and the help of religio∗∗∗us leaders in containing terrorism in the country. This is not to undermine the fact that there are still few grey areas where concern and consideration is required like Poso, Ambon and the security architecture of the region which has always shown apprehensions about the rise of the China in the region and the slow yet subtle demise of US presence in the region. The coordinates are more pronounced and the role of emerging countries like Indonesia becomes an important element for understanding the evolving security dynamics of the region. The paper would discuss the variables and also the factors which might create a comprehensive security architecture for the region in general and Indonesia in particular, though there are still quite a number of hot-spots in the region which might create a regional imbalance.

Date: 2007
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