Identity Politics is a Threat to Democracy: Joko Widodo’s Message for Australians
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has called for his country and Australia to combat climate change and spur development in the Pacific in a historic address to Australian Parliament.
Fresh from the Indonesian Parliament voting to approve a landmark free trade agreement with Australia, Mr Joko said the two countries needed to avoid the “zero-sum game” of protectionism. He also vowed to stand with Australia in fighting against identity politics to avoid a “clash of civilisations”.
Mr Joko’s address to Parliament on Monday - the second for an Indonesian leader - came shortly after he and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison committed to reassessing stringent entry requirements for Indonesians wanting to travel to Australia. Mr Morrison also announced Indonesia’s access to Australia’s work and holiday visas will increase from 1000 to 4100 per year, superannuation funds would be encouraged to invest in Indonesia and Monash University will establish its first foreign campus in the country, as more details of a bilateral agreement are revealed.
Key priorities for Australia-Indonesia relationship
Amid increasing threats and uncertainty facing the world, Mr Joko said he wanted to outline four key priorities for the Australia-Indonesia relationship: advocate values of democracy and diversity, promote open and fair economic policies, lead on development and climate change in the Pacific and combat environmental degradation.
Mr Joko described Australia as Indonesia’s “closest friend”, urging closer ties between young people from both countries to ensure both countries were leaders on the world stage in the future.
He told the rare joint sitting of Parliament that Indonesia and Australia must become “anchors” for development and aid in the Pacific region.
“Indonesia understands the development challenges in the Pacific region,” he said.
“As a fellow island state, Indonesia faces similar challenges with countries in the Pacific region: climate change and natural disasters, as well as social inequality, education, health and human resources development are the real challenges facing countries in the Pacific region.
As his country continues to battle Islamic extremism, Mr Joko said Australia and Indonesia needed to advocate the values of “democracy, human rights, tolerance and diversity”.
“Stop intolerance, stop xenophobia, stop radicalism and stop terrorism,” he said.
“Identity politics must be discouraged in our countries and globally regardless of its religious, ethnicity descriptive identity basis. Identity politics is a threat to democracy, a threat to diversity and a threat to tolerance.
“These threats will become even more [real] when exploited for short-term political interests, resulting in hatred, fear and even social conflict.
“As democratic and diverse countries, we must work hard, side-by-side standing tall together to defend the values of democracy, tolerance and diversity and to avoid the world from a clash of civilisations.”
“Zero-sum game”
With China and the United States locked in a trade dispute over the past year, Mr Joko said the “zero-sum game” of protectionism was on the rise and countries like Australia and Indonesia needed to lead the world in enforcing “open free and fair economic principles”.
Referring to the bushfire support Indonesia has provided Australia over the summer, Mr Joko said: “True friends are people who stay with you during the good and bad times.”
“Australia never leaves Indonesia’s side during the time of disasters. The people of Indonesia will always remember when Indonesia was struck by tsunami in 2004 … and Australian soldiers sadly perished when they were assisting,” he said. “Australia is Indonesia’s closest friend.” Citing Robert Menzies’ statement that Australia and Indonesia have “10 times as much in common as we have in difference”, Mr Joko acknowledged the cultural differences between the two nations but said they share values of pluralism, diverse ethnic groups, democracy, respect for human rights and commitment to protect the environment.
“The young generation of Indonesia and Australia are brought up with similar values: they live in democratic settings, familiar with Netflix, Instagram, Facebook and actively exchange international perspecwtives, and these are the strong foundation for shared values in building friendship in the present and for the future,” he said.
“In the year 2050, one century of our partnership will be a monumental year. In the year 2050, Indonesia and Australia will transform to become major players in the region and on the world stage.
“In the year 2050, the world will see more uncertainties. If this trend continues, the world in the next three decades will be even more disrupted … stagnation of economic growth and even recession are looming large, and it is feared the values of democracies and diversity are becoming more marginalised.”
Joint statement
In their joint statement before the address, Mr Morrison and Mr Joko hit out at recent developments in the South China Sea, including the continued militarisation of disputed territory. Australia and Indonesia have been two of the more vocal nations in the Asia Pacific pushing back against China’s increasingly assertive position in the South China Sea.
Mr Morrison said Australia and Indonesia would need to continue to stand together in dealing with the strategic competition taking place in the Indo-Pacific. Describing Mr Joko as “a dear, dear friend”, Mr Morrison said his leadership cemented Indonesia as an “even more dynamic and more successful country”. “We have watched and seen your great leadership in your country and throughout the region, and we know it and we trust it,” the Prime Minister said.
Noting Indonesia was on track to become the world’s fourthlargest economy in the coming years, Labor leader Anthony Albanese said the trade relationship had struggled to keep pace with the reality of Indonesia’s economic rise.