Abstract
US President Barack Obama’s election was watched particularly closely in Indonesia, where Obama had spent formative years of his childhood. For some scholars and policymakers, the election of the first US-Indonesian president in Washington, combined with a government in Jakarta interested in boosting Indonesia’s regional and global influence, offered a rare chance to transcend lingering and fundamentally transform the bilateral relationship.
Obama’s two terms proved that accomplishing this was a much more difficult goal than was initially forecast. Indonesian public and elite opinion were both characterized by what one might call “sustained ambivalence” during the Obama era: with some increased confidence in America’s image and regional presence; but lingering uncertainty about its policies in the region and its future geopolitical position. And even as the Obama administration did advance the bilateral relationship in many ways, familiar challenges—from history to policy implementation—continued to limit its success.
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Notes
- 1.
Ernest Z. Bower, “Great, But Unfocused: Indonesian Assessments of US Power,” Center for Strategic and International Studies, 17 June 2011. Accessed January 22, 2017. https://www.csis.org/analysis/great-unfocused-indonesian-assessments-us-power
- 2.
Prashanth Parameswaran, “Between Aspiration and Reality: Indonesian Foreign Policy After the 2014 Elections,” The Washington Quarterly, 1 November 2014.
- 3.
For an elaboration of this point from and Indonesian perspective as it applies to the war on terrorism during the Bush years as well as the Obama years, see: “Atu Yudhistira Indarto, Reflection of the US Public Diplomacy in Indonesia Post 9/11: A Case of Concerted Muslim Outreach. Public Diplomacy Council, 2011.”
- 4.
Ernest Z. Bower, “Great, But Unfocused: Indonesian Assessments of US Power,” Center for Strategic and International Studies, 17 June 2011. Accessed January 22, 2017. https://www.csis.org/analysis/great-unfocused-indonesian-assessments-us-power
- 5.
Baskara T. Wardaya, “Cold War Shadow: United States Policy Towards Indonesia: 1953–1963” (PUSDEP, 2007).
- 6.
Daniel Novotny, “Torn Between America and China: Elite Perceptions and Indonesian Foreign Policy” (ISEAS, Singapore 2010).
- 7.
During the Bush years, though negative perceptions about the United States did persist, they also did fluctuate much more than is often appreciated. One notable example Pew pointed to was the big increase in positive views of the United States after US aid following the December 2004 tsunami, albeit from a very low point. See: Richard Wike, “Does Humanitarian Aid Improve America’s Image?” Pew Research Center, 6 March 2012. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://www.pewglobal.org/2012/03/06/does-humanitarian-aid-improve-americas-image/
- 8.
Richard Wike and Kathleen Holzwart Sprehe, “Indonesia: The Obama Effect,” Pew Research Center, 18 March 2010. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://www.pewglobal.org/2010/03/18/indonesia-the-obama-effect/
- 9.
See, for instance, Jarno S. Lang, Foreign Policy and the Media: The US in the Eyes of the Indonesian Press (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), p. 86.
- 10.
Calculated by the author using data from: Global Indicators Database, “Opinions of the United States,” Pew Research Center. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://www.pewglobal.org/database/indicator/1/survey/all/. Pew data indicates Indonesian perceptions of the United States did record some jumps under Bush, but the US image did not go back to pre-Iraq War levels until the Obama era.
- 11.
Center for Strategic and International Studies, “US Alliances and Emerging Partnerships in Southeast Asia: Out of the Shadows,” Washington, DC July 2009.
- 12.
Calculated by the author using data from various years of: Gallup, “The US-Global Leadership Report.” Note: The numbers declined for most but not all years—in 2013, for example, there was a nine percentage point increase from 2012 from 23 percent to 32 percent, before it dropped again to 29 percent in 2014. Gallup also noted the high percentage who recorded did not know responses, which hovered in the 40 percent range for several years.
- 13.
Dewi Fortuna Anwar, “An Indonesian Perspective on the US Rebalancing Effort Toward Asia,” The National Bureau of Asian Research, 26 February 2013. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://www.nbr.org/research/activity.aspx?id=320
- 14.
For an example, see: Prashanth Parameswaran, “The New US-Indonesia Strategic Partnership After Jokowi’s Visit: Problems and Prospects,” The Brookings Institution, 8 December 2015. Accessed January 22, 2017. https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/the-new-u-s-indonesia-strategic-partnership-after-jokowis-visit-problems-and-prospects/
- 15.
Brookings Institution, “Indonesia in the Changing World: A Conversation with President Joko Widodo of Indonesia,” Washington, DC, 27 October 2015. Accessed January 22, 2017. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/20151027_indonesia_widodo_transcript.pdf
- 16.
Daniel Moss, “Indonesia Calls US, China to Restrain Themselves, Lashes US ‘Power Projection After Spratly Sail-By,” South China Morning Post, 28 October 2015. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1873456/indonesia-calls-us-china-restrain-themselves-lashes-us
- 17.
Rizal Sukma, “Indonesia and the Emerging Sino-US Rivalry in Southeast Asia,” IDEAS, The London School of Economics. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://www.lse.ac.uk/IDEAS/publications/reports/pdf/SR015/SR015-SEAsia-Sukma-.pdf
- 18.
Ibid.
- 19.
Luhut B. Pandjaitan, “The US and Indonesia: Time for a Special Relationship,” The Straits Times, 23 October 2015.
- 20.
Michael J. Green and Nicholas Szechenyi, “Power and Order in Asia: A Survey of Regional Expectations,” The Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, July 2014.
- 21.
Hillary Clinton, “A Conversation with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,” Council on Foreign Relations, 15 July 2009. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://www.cfr.org/diplomacy-and-statecraft/conversation-us-secretary-state-hillary-rodham-clinton/p34589
- 22.
Author interview with Indonesian official, Jakarta, 2015.
- 23.
Prashanth Parameswaran, “Explaining US Strategic Partnerships in the Asia-Pacific Region: Origins, Developments and Prospects,” Contemporary Southeast Asia, Volume 36, No. 2, August 2014, pp. 262–289.
- 24.
The White House, “Joint Declaration on the Comprehensive Partnership between the United States of America and the Republic of Indonesia,” 9 November 2010. Department of State, “US-Indonesia Joint Commission and Bilateral Meeting,” 17 September 2010.
- 25.
Conversation with US diplomat, Washington, DC, May 30, 2014.
- 26.
Ibid.
- 27.
Dino Patti Djalal, Speech at US-Indonesia Society (USINDO) Welcoming Dinner, September 2010. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://www.usindo.org/_mailpress_mailing_list_uncategorized/transcript-of-speech-by-ambassador-dino-patti-djalal-at-usindo-welcoming-dinner-2/
- 28.
Kurt Campbell, “Remarks Delivered at The Singapore Conference at CSIS,” Center for Strategic and International Studies, 8 February 2012.
- 29.
For an elaboration of this argument, see: Thomas B. Pepinsky, “Politics, Public Opinion, and the US-Indonesian Comprehensive Partnership,” NBR Special Report #25, November 2010. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://s3.amazonaws.com/zanran_storage/www.nbr.org/ContentPages/110817199.pdf
- 30.
White House, “Indonesia President Joko Widodo at the White House,” 26 October 2015.
- 31.
For an overview of the issues involved, see: Karin Fischer, “Obama Begins Rebuilding Academic Ties to Indonesia,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 11 July 2010. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://www.chronicle.com/article/A-New-Start-for-US-and/66224/. For an official perspective on what the administration aimed to pursue, see: Arne Duncan, “Secretary Duncan’s Remarks at the US-Indonesia Higher Education Summit,” Department of Education, 31 October 2011. Accessed January 22, 2017. https://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/secretary-duncans-remarks-us-indonesia-higher-education-summit
- 32.
Rizal Sukma, “Indonesia and the Emerging Sino-US Rivalry in Southeast Asia,” IDEAS, The London School of Economics. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://www.lse.ac.uk/IDEAS/publications/reports/pdf/SR015/SR015-SEAsia-Sukma-.pdf
- 33.
Author interview, Jakarta, March 2017.
- 34.
Jon Emont, “Indonesia Savored Its Ties to Obama. Now It Prepares to Say Goodbye.” The Washington Post, 6 December 2016. Accessed January 22, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/indonesia-savored-its-ties-to-obama-now-it-prepares-to-say-goodbye/2016/12/05/bb9fd552-b5b1-11e6-959c-172c82123976_story.html?utm_term=.d5ef0c1a9f7d
- 35.
The idea of a strategic partnership was first broached by Yudhoyono during a speech at the United States—Indonesia Society (USINDO) luncheon in Washington, DC in November 2008. But the Indonesian foreign ministry eventually conveyed to its US counterparts that the term comprehensive partnership—a less ambitious variant—would be more in line with the relationship at that point in time. Author conversation with Southeast Asia diplomat, May 2014.
- 36.
Agence France-Presse, “Indonesia Warns of ‘Distrust’ Over US Troop Deal,” Asia One News, 17 November 2011. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest/percent2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20111117-311120.html
- 37.
Prashanth Parameswaran, “US, Malaysia, and the War Against the Islamic State,” The Diplomat Magazine, 25 November 2015. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://thediplomat.com/2015/11/exclusive-us-malaysia-and-the-war-against-the-islamic-state/
- 38.
According to one recent study, up to 95 percent of the $65 billion that US companies have already invested in Indonesia over the past nine years has been in extractive industries (oil and gas and mining). Partners in Prosperity: US Investment in Indonesia (Washington, DC: USAID, December 2013). Accessed January 22, 2017. https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/documents/files/1310_Indonesia_report.pdf
- 39.
Prashanth Parameswaran, “Is Indonesia Turning Away From ASEAN Under Jokowi?” The Diplomat, 18 December 2014. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/is-indonesia-turning-away-from-asean-under-jokowi/
- 40.
Prashanth Parameswaran, “Indonesia’s Maritime Ambition: Can Jokowi Realize It?” RSIS Commentary, 4 March 2015. Accessed January 22, 2017. https://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/rsis/co15044-indonesias-maritime-ambition-can-jokowi-realise-it/#.WPiAyNLyvIU
- 41.
Prashanth Parameswaran, “What’s Behind the Missing US-Indonesia Maritime Security Pact?” The Diplomat Magazine, 11 November 2015. Accessed January 22, 2017. http://thediplomat.com/2015/11/whats-behind-the-missing-us-indonesia-maritime-security-pact/
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Parameswaran, P. (2018). The Obama Era: The View from Indonesia. In: Maass, M. (eds) The World Views of the Obama Era. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61076-4_13
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