Indonesia's postcolonial regional imaginary: From a 'neutralist' to an 'all-directions' foreign policy

Abstract

This paper will examine the various ways in which the regional imaginary has been conceptualized and developed in maritime Southeast Asia, primarily focussing on Indonesia. Utilizing the recent debate on the notion of a 'Postcolonial International Relations,' this paper examines the role of imperialism and the colonial experience on the development of Indonesian 'ideas' of region and regionalism. This paper is structured into four sections. First of all, it explores the link between postcolonial theory and regionalism studies. Second, it takes into account early ideas of regionalism in the post-independence era. This includes President Sukarno's 'neutralist' foreign policy culminating in Indonesia's hosting of the Bandung Conference as well as President Suharto's endorsement of ASEAN. The third and final section examines Indonesia's foreign policy orientation and practices in the post-authoritarian period, particularly under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. With its embrace of democracy in the post-New Order era, the concluding discussion suggests that Indonesia appears to be increasingly prepared to expand its regional engagement concentrically beyond the immediate Southeast Asian region. The question of the 'imperial' role of the US -which has its own foreign policy ambitions in the region -is instrumental in this regard, and can be usefully understood from a postcolonial framework.