Analysis on Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's foreign policy (2004-2014)

Abstract

Following large-scale democratic changes and a rising international profile, Indonesia has been repositioning herself as key player in regional affairs. Analyzing changes in foreign policy has become fundamentally crucial. Nonetheless from an examination of the current Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's (SBY) foreign policy, little has written especially when it comes to new directions undertaken of Indonesia's role within the premises of an ASEAN centrality under "Dynamic Equilibrium" principle. This study seeks to examine the shift of foreign policy perceptions in the Indonesian "concentric circle" under the SBY era (2004-2014), by analyzing changes in the domestic structure, regional standing, and threat perception under the Post-Reformasi polity. Findings suggested that although regional resilience continuously held a prominent place in the foreign policy doctrine of contemporary Indonesia, ASEAN as the longstanding cornerstone in foreign policy had somehow found itself competing in a similar light with strategic partnerships, Muslim issues as well as Indonesia's own global ambitions. As a prominent military officer with a strong personality, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has also been very proactive with his own readings on worldviews and priorities that affect Indonesia foreign policy. Therefore, the hierarchy of priorities is increasingly dependent upon outcomes of a transactional interaction between many stakeholders within the state.