On February 14th, a major national election was held in Indonesia. The result is a victory for democracy, especially in historical context.
A huge country with a history of authoritarianism succeeded in holding peaceful elections. Incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is constitutionally prohibited from seeking a third term.
According to a “simplified count” at selected polling stations, the winner of the presidential election is Prabowo Subianto, a retired army general and current defense minister. He received approximately 60% of the vote. Although official results may not be known for up to a month, the Quick Count system has proven to be a reliable indicator over time.
Subianto is a controversial figure. He was accused of serious human rights violations in the 1990s and was at one point banned from entering the United States. However, he has never been formally charged and has vehemently denied all such accusations.
Indonesia is the world’s third largest democracy and the largest Muslim-majority country. The election was the world’s largest single-day free election with over 200 million participants. Participation was open to Indonesian citizens aged 17 and over, and turnout was high.
The geography and politics of this country are complex. More than 17,000 islands make up the country’s territory, including the large islands of Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi, as well as parts of Borneo and New Guinea.
In 2018, a Gallup poll found that an unprecedented 75% of Indonesians believed the election was fair. This rate is the highest on record, amid a long-term upward trend in public trust following the country’s troubled history.
Previous gruesome events provide graphic and important context. In May 2018, Islamic State carried out a bloody terrorist attack in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city.
Terrorism continues to occur in Indonesia, although it is not frequent. Four people were killed in the 2016 attack. Bali’s deadliest attack occurred in 2002, killing 202 people, including many foreign tourists.
Trade routes and goods are of great strategic importance to Indonesia. The U.S. government has an opportunity to highlight Indonesia and its neighbors as successful examples of political stability, modernization, and expanding the rule of law.
In 1998, the opposition ousted Indonesia’s longtime autocratic president, former general Mohammad Suharto, from power. Since then, there has been a representative government in the country. Although the dictatorship has ended, corruption remains a problem.
At the height of the Cold War, Indonesia enjoyed its status as an important power among the developing world. President Sukarno, a flamboyant nationalist, pitted the US against the US. The CIA’s efforts to oust Sukarno were frustrated and boomeranged, giving an important impetus to cooperation, especially between Indonesia and the Soviet Union.
In the 1960s, cooperation between Indonesia and the Soviet Union expanded dramatically. There was close cooperation between the Soviet Navy and the Indonesian Navy, including the integration of crews.
This development was critical to America’s major military intervention in Vietnam in 1965, but it is barely mentioned today.
British forces, along with their Australian and New Zealand allies, defeated Indonesian attacks on Malaysia. Prior to this, Britain defeated an aggressive and vicious communist insurgency in Malaya, now part of Malaysia.
In contrast to the United States, the British military avoided large-scale firepower, especially in the Vietnam War after 1965. Indeed, the British military used air strikes and artillery fire relatively selectively. The authorities considered heavy bombing to be counterproductive. Given America’s penchant for firepower and technology, we must always keep this fundamental lesson in mind.
Freedom is gradually expanding in the world. Our veterans, especially those of the Vietnam War, should feel proud of this long-term success.
Arthur I. Seale is the author of After the Cold War.contact [email protected]