Indonesia Turns Its Attention to Samoa

As a country that sits along a major gateway to the Pacific, Indonesia has a number of naturally converging security interests with Pacific Island countries, even if their direct economic ties remain small. Yet Indonesia is currently seeking to expand its reach into the region, and has recently put a number of its diplomatic resources into fostering a stronger relationship with Samoa.

Indonesia’s South-South cooperation policy has long been one of its national priorities, and within the framework of the Indonesia Technical Cooperation Program has offered technical assistance to Samoa in the form of training, apprenticeships, and scholarships in various fields including agriculture, fisheries, health, disaster risk management, and education.

Alongside this, the two countries recently settled a trade agreement, ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Apia, with an Indonesian trade delegation visiting Samoa to explore potential areas for mutually beneficial direct exchanges (rather than Indonesian products coming via New Zealand). The delegation proposed the prospect of Samoa becoming the hub of distribution for Indonesian products for the South Pacific Islands, an idea that was most likely designed to flatter the Samoans, rather than be a genuine prospect.

While the tangible results of these increased interactions may provide some increased benefit to both countries, the main agenda for Indonesia is to improve its image in the Pacific region. Indonesia’s relationship with the Pacific remains complex one as many of Indonesia’s fiercest critics are Pacific Island states. Despite these countries only possessing minimal conventional power, they maintain a platform within the international system to promote their concerns.

Within Pacific Island countries these concerns primarily revolve around Indonesia’s actions in West Papua. Solidarity with West Papua is particularly strong within the Melanesian states – who have an ethnic kinship with the people of West Papua – especially Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. Both have been very vocal with their concerns about Indonesia’s behavior.

For many years these states have attempted to have their concerns addressed within the Pacific Island Forum (PIF), hoping that the PIF will pressure Jakarta into allowing a fact-finding mission to the West Papua region. However, Australia’s and Papua New Guinea’s interests in maintaining strong and constructive relations with Indonesia have usually prevented any substantial pressure on Jakarta. While West Papua was on the agenda at the recent annual PIF meeting in Samoa, the official communiqué from the summit simply stated that: “Leaders recognised the constructive engagement by the Forum countries with Indonesia with respect to elections and human rights in West Papua and Papua and to continue a dialogue in an open and constructive manner.”

Due to the PIF’s inability to address the matter in a satisfactory manner, the prime minister of Vanuatu used his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September to accuse other world leaders of ignoring the activities of the Indonesian government in West Papua, and called upon the UN Human Rights Council to investigate allegations of abuse in the province. The prime minister of the Solomon Islands used his speech to advocate for self-determination within West Papua.

Both these speeches would have been viewed as embarrassing to Jakarta, and heightened its desire to find ways to address its poor reputation in the Pacific.

According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, its participation as a dialogue partner in the PIF is designed “especially in order to maintain the integrity of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia,” indicating that Indonesia seeks to use its presence within the Pacific’s primary multilateral framework as a way to advocate for its legitimacy in West Papua. This is potentially the reason for its recent interest in Samoa.

The bigger players in the Pacific – Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji – have too much to lose by being overly critical of Jakarta and will block any decisive action that could be floated at the PIF. However, Jakarta would wish to prevent any other Pacific states joining Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands in making pronouncements critical of Indonesia at international forums. Offers of technical assistance and the potential for greater trade links may go some way in trying to prevent Samoa from being influenced by its more vocal neighbors.

Alongside this, Indonesia is also currently seeking support for a seat on the United Nations security council for the period of 2019-2020, and its ambassador to New Zealand (who also has responsibility for Samoa) has stated that Indonesia is seeking Samoa’s support.  Indonesia’s foreign minister met with Samoa’s prime minister during the UNGA to further discuss these matters, indicating that Indonesia is serious about directing its resources towards gaining a more favourable perception within the Pacific.