Symbolic Claims in Indonesia's Aid to Pacific Island Countries

https://doi.org/10.22146/globalsouth.94620

Jeniar Nelsus Mooy(1*)

(1) Master of Arts in Development Studies, University of Sussex
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


Within the discourse of aid in the global South, where a developing country provides foreign aid to another developing country, emerged discussions on the extent to which the symbolic claims presented by the donor to the public (e.g. the aid as being driven by the donor’s sense of mutual respect, horizontality, inclusivity, and solidarity with the recipient) reflect the real motivations behind the aid. Using the case study of Indonesia’s aid to Pacific Island countries (PIC), this research assesses the relations between symbolic claims and critical aid drivers. This research uses a qualitative method and secondary data, which rely mainly on official statements and publications of the Indonesian government. This research found that whilst symbolic claims in Indonesia's aid narratives could strengthen the sense of Southern solidarity and identity with PIC – which is in line with the spirit of South-South empowerment that Indonesia has been championing since the Asia-Africa Conference in 1955, these claims are used mainly to obscure Indonesia’s internal political-security motive. The symbolic claims mask the critical political driver of the aid, which is closely related to Indonesia's interest in maintaining its sovereignty over West Papua province and influencing the stance of PIC about this issue.

Keywords: aid; Global South; symbolic claims; solidarity; Indonesia-PIC relations


Keywords


Aid, global South; symbolic claims; solidarity; Indonesia-Pacific Island countries relations

Full Text:

PDF


References

Books

Bleiker, R. (2000). Popular Dissent, Human Agency and Global Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Campbell, D. (1992). Writing Security: United States Foreign Policy and the Politics of Identity. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Hansen, L. (2006). Security as Practice: Discourse Analysis and the Bosnian War. London: Routledge.

Lancaster, C. (2007). Foreign Aid: Diplomacy, Development, Domestic Politics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Leheny, D. (1999). Think Global, Fear Local: Sex, Violence, and Anxiety in Contemporary Japan. New York: Cornell University Press.

Linklater, A. (2013). Transformation of Political Community: Ethical Foundations of the Post-Westphalian Era. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press.

Mawdsley, E. (2012). From Recipients to Donors: Emerging Powers and the Changing Development Landscape. New York: Zed Books.

Riddell, R. (2014). Does Foreign Aid Really Work? Oxford: Oxford Policy Management.

Nye, J. (2004). Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics. New York: Public Affairs.

Secondary source (books)

Aneja, U. (2018). South-South Cooperation and Competition: A Critical History of the Principles and their Practice. Quoted in: E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, & P. Daley. (2018). Routledge Handbook of South-South Relations, p. 141. London: Routledge.

Engel, S. (2017). South-South Cooperation Strategies in Indonesia: Domestic and International Drivers. Quoted in: A. Graf, & A. Hashim. (2017). African-Asian Encounters. New Cooperations and New Dependencies, pp. 155–182. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S. J., & Tafira, K. (2018). The Invention of the Global South and the Politics of South-South Solidarity. Quoted in: E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, & P. Daley. (2018). Routledge Handbook of South-South Relations, p. 128. London: Routledge.

Report

Cabral, L., & Shankland, A. (2013). Narratives of Brazil-Africa Cooperation for Agricultural Development: New Paradigms? CBAA Working Paper. Brighton: Future Agricultures.

DPR RI. (2020). Laporan dan Rekomendasi Panitia Kerja Sama Kawasan Pasifik. Report of House of Representatives of Indonesia. Jakarta: House of Representatives of Indonesia.

Jin, S., Hiroaki, S., Kobayashi, T., & Kondoh, H. (2010). Diversity and Transformation of Aid Patterns in Asia's "Emerging Donors". JICA Working Paper No. 21. Shinju-ku: JICA Research Institute.

Thesis

Mooy, J. (2022). To What Extend Do Symbolic Claims in South-South Cooperation Reflect Real Motivations of the Donor? An Analysis of the Case Study of Indonesia’s Aid to PIC. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.

Journal Article (retrieved online, with DOI)

Alesina, A., & Dollar, D. (2000). Who Gives Foreign Aid to Whom and Why? Journal of Economic Growth, 5(1), 33–63. doi: 10.1023/A:1009874203400

Dornan, M., & Pryke, J. (2017). Foreign Aid to the Pacific: Trends and Developments in the Twenty-First Century. Asia & The Pacific Policy Studies, 4(1), 2-16. doi: 10.1002/app5.185

Fauzi, F., Murti, G., Imamah, L., & Hapsari, N. (2019). Infrastructure Development in Papua: Features and Challenges. Policy & Governance Review, 6(3), 225-240. doi: 10.30589/pgr.v3i3.162

Faizullaev, A. (2013). Diplomacy and Symbolism. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 8(2), 91-114. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191X-12341254

Hutabarat, L. (2022). Indonesian Diplomacy of South-South Cooperation to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Sociae Polites Journal, 23(2), 140-141. doi: 10.33541/sp.v23i2.4446

Milner, H. (1999). The Political Economy of International Trade. Annual Review of Political Science Vol 2, 91–114. doi: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.2.1.91

Pentury, M. (2023). The Determinants of Poverty in the West Papua Province. Jurnal Ekonomi & Studi Pembangunan, 24(2), 286-292. doi: 10.18196/jesp.v24i2.18428

Prabowo, L. H. (2020). Indonesia’s Self Identity in the Development Assistance Policy through South South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC). Global South Review Vol. 2, 111-128. doi: https://doi.org/10.22146/globalsouth.64156

Sukma, R. (1995). The Evolution of Indonesia's Foreign Policy: An Indonesian View. Asian Survey, 35(3), 305–315. doi: 10.2307/2645547

Wardhani, B., & Dugis, V. (2020). Interpreting Indonesia’s “Look East” Policy: The Security Dimension of Foreign Aid. Issues & Studies: A Social Science Quarterly on China, Taiwan, and East Asian Affairs, 56(3), 11-19. doi: 10.1142/S101325112040010X

Winanti, P. S., & Alvian, R. A. (2019). Indonesia's South-South Cooperation: When Normative and Material Interests Converged. International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, 21(2), 201-2032. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/irap/lcz021

Newspaper article

Chairunnisa, N. (2017, December 15). Selesaikan Persoalan Papua, Pemerintah Diminta Kedepankan Dialog [Resolving the Papua Problem, the Government is Asked to Prioritize Dialogue]. Tempo. Retrieved from https://nasional.tempo.co/read/1042498/selesaikan-persoalan-papua-pemerintah-diminta-kedepankan-dialog

Fardah. (2016, April 7). Indonesia Strengthens Ties with South Pacific Nations. Antara News. Retrieved from https://en.antaranews.com/news/104056/indonesia-strengthens-ties-with- south-pacific-nations

Electronic source

Darmawan, A. R. (2022, September 13). The Lowy Institute. Why Indonesia’s engagement with Pacific countries matters. Retrieved from https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/why-indonesia-s-engagement-pacific-countries-matters

DPR RI. (2020, March 20). House of Representatives of Indonesia. Laporan dan rekomendasi panitia kerja kerja sama kawasan pasifik [Report and recommendations from working unit on Pacific cooperation]. Retrieved from https://www.dpr.go.id/tentang/tugas-wewenang

Fardah. (2016, April 7). Antara News. Indonesia strengthens ties with South Pacific nations. Retrieved from https://en.antaranews.com/news/104056/indonesia-strengthens-ties-with- south-pacific-nations

Foster, S., & West, F. J. (2023, February 20). Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Pacific-Islands

IIPC Sydney. (2021, March 21). Indonesia Investment Promotion Centre. Retrieved from https://iipc-sydney.com/opportunities/available-projects

Indonesian AID. (2023, February 20). Indonesian AID. Retrieved from https://ldkpi.kemenkeu.go.id/en/

Indonesian MoFA. (2019). Important Milestones in the History of Indonesian Diplomacy. Retrieved from https://kemlu.go.id/portal/en/read/47/tentang_kami/important-milestones-in-the-history-of-indonesian-diplomacy

Indonesian MoFA. (2019, October 18). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. Peresmian Lembaga Dana Kerja Sama Pembangunan Internasional oleh Pemerintah Indonesia [Inauguration of the International Development Cooperation Fund by the Indonesian Government]. Retrieved from https://kemlu.go.id/portal/id/read/695/view/peresmian-indonesia-aid

Indonesian MoFA. (2022, December 26). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). Retrieved from https://kemlu.go.id/portal/id/read/128/halaman_list_lainnya/melanesian-spearhead-group-msg

Kabutaulaka, T. (2020, January 13). Griffith Asia Institute. Indonesia’s “Pacific elevation”: Elevating What and Who? Retrieved from https://blogs-griffith-edu-au.translate.goog/asiainsights/indonesias-pacific-elevation-elevating-what-and-who/?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=id&_x_tr_hl=id&_x_tr_pto=tc

Massola, J., & Rompies, K. (2019). The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia's second biggest aid recipient Indonesia to launch its own Pacific aid program: Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/poverty-racked-indonesia-to-launch-pacific-focused-aid-program-20191021-p532ur.html

Pacific Island Forum. (2023, February 20). Pacific Island Forum. The Pacific: Our work and programs. Retrieved from https://www-forumsec-org.

Wangge, H. (2021, February 2). The Diplomat. Can the Pacific Become a Priority for Indonesian Diplomacy?. Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2021/02/can-the-pacific-become-a-priority-for-indonesian-diplomacy/

Wyeth, G. (2018, August 13). The Diplomat. What Drives Indonesia’s Pacific Island Strategy? Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2018/08/what-drives-indonesias-pacific-island-strategy/



DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/globalsouth.94620

Article Metrics

Abstract views : 214 | views : 93

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

View My Stats

 

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.