Democracy, Human Rights and Indonesia's Foreign Policy Under Yudhoyono

Abstract

After the transition period, the Yudhoyono administration seems to be more confident to craft incorporate human rights factor into foreign policy consideration. Indonesia, under his leadership, has been very much interested to develop the Indonesia's 'soft power' diplomacy through the effort to promote democracy and human rights values both regionally and globally. In the beginning of his administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pursued for promotion and protection of human rights as new principle to be observed by ASEAN member states, and later as one of important pillars in developing ASEAN Political-Security Community. Indonesia has also been elected to be one of the members of the Human Rights Council which was established for the first time in 2006. Under his leadership, the country has also committed to adopt several international human rights conventions, with a special emphasis on migrant workers and children's rights protection. However the administration had failed to coherently conduct and narrate its foreign policy on the basis of democratic human rights principles at its own expense.