Politics, Security and Defense in Indonesia: The Pursuit of Strategic Autonomy

Indonesia is likely to face a complex and dynamic strategic environment in the future. Despite the country’s political reforms and economic development, domestic security problems including communal tensions, religious radicalism, and terrorism continue to pose dangers to the wellbeing of the Indonesian people. Meanwhile, the rise of China and changing relationships among great powers have been the dominant theme in East Asia in recent years. In this regard, Indonesia is concerned with the implications of long-standing territorial disputes, their attendant military threats to regional stability, and cohesion within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).