by SISWO PRAMONO
Mengkubuwono, an old Javanese expression, means assuming a role as guardian of the world. We once decolonized the world through the Afro-Asian Conference and mitigated the global Cold War through the Non-Aligned Movement. Our global orientation revived as we were invited to become a member of the prestigious G20. Should ASEAN remain the cornerstone (soko-guru) of our foreign policy?
If mythology and history matter, the making of Indonesia’s concentric circle of diplomacy was influenced by the feeling of insecurity linked to the susceptibility of our vast archipelago.
The invasions of Java by Emperor Kubilai Khan in the 13th century (during the Singasari/Majapahit era) and then by Emperor Hirohito in mid-20th century (during Indonesia’s revolution era), show the vulnerability of our Northern periphery.
Thus, the naval expeditions Pamalayu, by Singasari in 1275, and Sabrang Lor, by Demak in 1521, were in fact examples of gunboat diplomacy to correct these weaknesses.
Thus, our concentric circle of diplomacy is about defense. Indeed, K.J. Holsti (1992) maintains that diplomacy is about “defending” national interests by “communicating” with those whose actions we wish to deter.
Since the writing of Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War (3rd century BC) or Vyasa’s Mahabharata (4th century BC), scholars have learned how defense strategy can be adapted into diplomacy, or vice-versa.
As Mpu Sedah and Panuluh adapted Mahabharata into Kakawin in 1157, Javanese elites learned about the concentric circle of defense, called Chakravyuha. Negarakertagama (1365) reveals the implementation of Chakravyuha by Majapahit in its diplomatic relations with vassal kingdoms throughout the Indonesian archipelago and beyond.
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