Indonesia: Japan’s Military Move No Surprise

Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, speaks during an interview. (Bloomberg Photo/Tomohiro Ohsumi)

Jakarta. While Japan has claimed on Tuesday that it now reserves the right to go to war in defense of its allies — a drastic change from its previously pacifist stance, which has been met with controversy both nationally and abroad — the Indonesian government responded that it was “unsurprised” and that it had “anticipated” the move.

The presidential spokesman for foreign affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, told the Jakarta Globe that there has a been a “process of communication” between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Tokyo on the matter.

Teuku explained that while Japan’s move will not be seen in a positive light by its immediate neighbors (such as Korea and China), Indonesia sees the change in a different light and does not interpret it as a threat.

“To its neighboring countries, this is not something positive. They might take this as a threat,” Teuku said. “The reality is that this is something extraordinary. This issue will draw the attention of countries in the region. Many will wonder, how Japan will act in the future.”

“But we already anticipated that this will happen. [Japan] has already communicated with Indonesia. We see this from a different perspective. With Indonesia, there is a process of communication on the matter. When SBY [President Yudhoyono] went to Tokyo, matters concerning the change in the [Japanese] constitution were discussed,” Teuku said.

“Pak SBY conveyed his hope that Japan communicates with countries in the region to ensure that there was no misperception,” the presidential spokesman continued. “Our hope is that Japan’s amendment of its constitution can be well-communicated to its neighbors.”

Teuku added that Japan’s stronger standing in Asia is something that is to be expected.

“Japan’s increased role in the region is something normal and natural. As its economy grows stronger, it will contribute more to the region.

“A country that is developed like Japan can play a role to tackle trans-national issues, even criminal issues that involve defense components.” Teuku said.

But he emphasized that there is a need for Japan to improve its “communication and explanation” as well as to “open more dialogue to inform about their policies,” not only with Indonesia but also with other countries in the region.

Presidential candidate Joko Widodo’s  spokesman Anies Baswedan refused to comment on the matter and instead referred the Jakarta Globe to Joko’s foreign policy adviser Rizal Sukma, executive director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Rizal was not immediately available for comment.

Bara Hasibuan, spokesman for Prabowo Subianto, said the presidential candidate for the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) had no concerns regarding the  Japanese government’s recent move.

“We believe  the Japanese government and its people will behave in a responsible manner. We trust that their intentions are good,” Bara told the Jakarta Globe. “It is Japan’s right to amend its own constitution. Every country reserves the right to organize its own defense so long as it is meant for self-defense and not aggression,” he said, adding that his camp believes “Japan will exercise self-restraint.”

Bara explained that Indonesia’s trust in Japan is fostered by that country’s positive role in helping to develop the Indonesian  economy. “Japan is an economic powerhouse, not only in Asia but also in the world. If we observe, Japan has positively helped developing countries including Indonesia. Partnership with Japan is very necessary to ensure growth in the economy,” he said.

‘Geopolitical shift’

Bara stated that rising tension in Asia was the underlying reason behind Japan’s move.

With increased tension between China and Japan as well as between China and Asean nations, such as Vietnam, due to the disputed waters at South China Sea, Bara said there has been a “geopolitical shift” in the region.

In this respect, he said “[the Japanese] have the right to adjust their philosophy.”

In addressing the rising tension in the region, Bara urged China and other parties involved to not use “military force but to instead seek peaceful means to resolve problems, especially in the South China Sea.”

But Teuku, the presidential spokesman, said escalating tension in East Asia might not be the primary reason Japan decided to move from its previous pacifist stance.

“I do not want to speculate, but if we look closely, political discourse in Japan about changing its constitution has been ongoing for a long time. So it does not necessarily have to do with its neighboring countries. Japan wants to restore its own position,” he said.

Teuku added that he understands that Japan’s amendment of its constitution is a controversial matter, even to the Japanese people. “This constitutional amendment is very sensitive even to Japan itself.  Japan faces a challenge to convince its own people.”

He said the question remains whether the Japanese themselves are satisfied with such a reinterpretation of their own constitution.

Hikmahanto Juwana, an international law expert at the University of Indonesia who earned his doctorate degree from a Japanese university, told the Jakarta Globe that Indonesia “will not be significantly impacted by the development.”

He said there is an “intense” level of “Japanese investment in Indonesia,” that in turn establishes trust between the two countries. As such, “it makes this military matter not something [for Indonesia] to be worried about.”

Hikmahanto added however, that the problem would be that China and Korea (both North and South) will see this as a hostile move. As a result, he said this turn of events has the potential to cause political  turbulence in the region, which may have an indirect impact on Indonesia.

“To Indonesia, this is not so much of a problem, but to some in the region, this is a concern. We do not want an arms race between China and Japan.”

Hikmahanto said Japan’s defense policy shift is particularly sensitive as China and the Koreas still carry historical trauma as they “suffered due to Japan’s invasions in the past.”

“They still have pending issues” with Japan, he said.

It does not help either that Japan never formally apologize to both countries, the international law expert said. But Hikmahanto said China would certainly be concerned with Japan’s move.

“China might perceive this as a sort of aggression from Japan. This is related to the South China Sea and its disputes with Japan. In the end, this will have an indirect impact on Indonesia and the region,” he said. “There is already a cold war raging in the region right now. This might turn into a hot war.”

Asked if the tension in East Asia might recede over time, Hikmahanto replied, “we don’t know. We have to look at how China has behaved with Vietnam.”

“Many Japanese investors have pulled out from China. Events such as these show that [the outbreak of] a hot war might not be that far away. But we don’t know for sure,” he said.

By Josua Gantan on 11:33 pm Jul 02, 2014