INDONESIA is a major Muslim country population wise among Muslim countries. Its heavenly beautiful islands link Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, which hold an increasingly significant place internationally, particularly because of its dynamic and strategically important location, as it controls Malaca and Lambagh straits/water passages. Indonesia is also important because it is a market of 270 million people for trading/investment purposes and as a suitable export destination..
According to the IMF Press Release No 23/87 and the Coface report of June 2023, with its strong macroeconomic management, the Indonesian economy is growing well, with five per cent growth, the current account broadly balanced, and FDI and portfolio flows expected to strengthen. The budget deficit in 2022/2023 is only 2.4 per cent of the GDP, inflation at 4.4 per cent and public debt equal to 40 per cent of the GDP, forex reserves are 137 billion US dollars and exports are 250 US dollars.
In view of Indonesia’s economic and strategic importance, its being an important brother Muslim country, an influential member of the OIC, D-8, ASEAN and G-20, and having strong historical and religious/cultural bonds of friendship with Pakistan, further advancement of our relations with Indonesia is important. As per Quora/BBC, an Indonesian Vowshack Team’s article titled “Forgotten Contribution of Pakistan in Indonesian Independence” published on June 18, 2018, Indonesia and Pakistan have had a very special relationship that predates both country’s independence.
From 1945 onwards under the leadership of Dr. Ahmad Sukarno, the Indonesians were fighting a guerrilla war with the Dutch colonial ruler’s army, and the freedom was earned after a bloody struggle that claimed between 45,000-100,000 lives. At that time, under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam M A Jinnah, the President of the Indian Muslim League, the Indian Muslims were carrying out a peaceful struggle against the British Indian government for independence of India and creation of an independent Muslim State out of India to be named as Pakistan.
Under the spirit of the Muslim brotherhood, M A Jinnah, as the President, All India Muslim League, ordered protests in 1945, against the active military support of the Indian British Raj, to the Dutch colonial rulers in Indonesia. His strategy for the protest was to convince Muslim soldiers of the British Indian Army to abandon the Indian Army and support the freedom of Indonesians against colonial oppression and it worked. Some 600-800 Muslim soldiers deserted the British Indian Army and actively supported Indonesia’s freedom fighters. While fighting valiantly, around 500 soldiers died in the conflict, the remaining few returned to Pakistan, and some got settled in Indonesia.
Even after the Independence of India and the birth of Pakistan in August 1947, while Indonesia’s freedom struggle was still raging, on British orders, the Dutch landed fighter planes in Karachi, destined to support the Dutch occupying government in Indonesia, M A Jinnah, as the Governor General of Pakistan, detained those aircraft there. He also sent around 100 Pakistan Army Infantry soldiers to Indonesia to support a Guerilla fight against the Dutch.
While the majority of Pakistani soldiers embraced martyrdom, only a few dozen survived and returned to Pakistan. Pakistan also vigorously supported Indonesian Independence at important world forums like the United Nations. Finally, on the 27 December 1949, the Republic of Indonesia earned its independence. Pakistan observed it as a national holiday in celebration. The two nations have been friends ever since.
Pakistan’s relationship with Indonesia greatly developed under Pakistani President Ayub Khan. During the Second Indo-Pakistani War in September 1965, Indonesia, supported Pakistan and offered to militarily intervene in the conflict by attacking and seizing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India to open up a second front and relieve pressure on Pakistan. Also, the Indonesian submarines and missile boats were deployed in the Indian Ocean to support Pakistan’s naval forces against India. This was the Indonesian role in the war of 1965.
In July 2010, Pakistan and Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation that could pave the way toward wider cooperation in other fields. The deal entails joint military exercises between the defence forces of both countries, intelligence sharing on terrorism and military student exchanges. One of the key terms of the DCA is an offer for Indonesia to take part in joint-manufacturing between Pakistan and China of the JF-17 fighter jet.
In 2012, the Pakistan-Indonesia Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) was signed. In 2016, bilateral trade between Pakistan and Indonesia reached US$2.3 billion. Pakistani exports to Indonesia include keno, seafood, textiles, cotton yarn, medical equipment, rice, wheat and carpets, while Indonesia exports palm oil to Pakistan. The latest diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Indonesia, based on history, religion and good rapport between high level leaders, are strong as indicated by the growing defence cooperation and Indonesia favours a peaceful solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
In view of the above discussion, Pakistan needs to further expand its relations with Indonesia to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership, aimed at developing wider foreign, economic and defence relations with that country. In this context, Pakistan should establish its diplomatic, economic and defence dialogues with Indonesia to mainly enhance diplomatic consultations, attract Indonesian investment in tourism and special economic zones (SEZs), increase its exports to Indonesia and enhance defence relations by attracting Indonesia’s investment in the joint production of defence equipment and weapons, aircraft and naval vessels.
In view of Indonesia’s much broader all-round relations with India, which are yet short of consolidation stage, it is imperative for Pakistan to advance its relations with Indonesia to ensure that it does not totally tilt towards India. In this context, expanding military to military relations with Indonesia is more important, especially between the two naval forces to create a balance with India in the Indian Ocean. This would be possible because India and Indonesia both will be competing to increase their influence in the Indian Ocean and the region. In this regard, joint exercises between the two countries’ armies, air forces and navies will be much beneficial.
—The writer is also a former Research Fellow of IPRI and Senior Research Fellow of SVI Islamabad.
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