Indonesia’s non-alignment in an age of rivalry, East Asia Forum

By Alfin Basundoro, East Asia Forum, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research (EABER) May 22, 2026

Indonesia’s Major Defense Cooperation Partnership with the United States has unsettled public trust by raising fears that airspace access could compromise sovereignty. The reaction is best understood through the bebas aktif principle which demands strategic autonomy and active defence of national interests. While the agreement offers real benefits for military capacity and deterrence in the North Natuna Sea, it also…

Read the full piece here https://eastasiaforum.org/2026/05/22/indonesias-non-alignment-in-an-age-of-rivalry/. Featured image credit: Ketupat casings being readied for sale. Photo: Suara Merdeka/Nugroho DS