I am the author of two acclaimed books on Asian politics, the most recent being Man ofContradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia (Penguin Random House,2020), the first English-language political biography of Indonesias president. Join Facebook to connect with Ben Bland and others you may know. Helping them solve these will boost prosperity and stability across the region, as well asboosting the UKs reputation. WebThe Bent Ears, Del Norte, Colorado. I still speak and understand Arabic conversationally, although I have never learned to read and write the language (it remains an ambition to be tackled sometime). And the President rarely spoke about it again, not even mentioning foreign policy or maritime issues in his second-term inauguration speech in 2019. I have wondered whether changing from the name Bland is somehow disloyal to the memory of my great-grandmothers wise decision, without which I may not be here. Indonesia, sadly, is littleknown in the UK. Officials from other south-east Asian nations have subsequently noted that, under Jokowis leadership, Indonesia has taken a less active role in regional forums. Delivered Thursday. Jokowi pushed ahead, confident that his tough approach was popular at home. Ben's creative industry experience includes working with dozens of local startups, agencies and industry 38. European and Asian leaders began to call the IRA unfair competition and protectionist. Crisis of government adds to the burden of history and the challenge of nation-building. If the UK wants to be a global leaderin tackling climate change, it should do much more with the region, from expandingdevelopment cooperation, to collaborating with the private sector and building a globalconsensus on issues such as carbon taxes and the rules around carbon offsets. Not everyone was sure whether she was worth it though, National park that inspired Avatar has 'floating' mountains and towering cliffs, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province, China, was the inspiration behind Pandora's floating Hallelujah Mountains with its column-like cliffs and glass walkway, Sexpert shares top five sex trends to watch out for in 2023 like praise kinks. But in not failing, he succeeded. And while foreign investment has helped power ahead economies such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, Indonesia still sees it as a tool of colonial oppression, according to Bland. Given its deep multilateral experience and P5 status at the UN, the UK can also be a usefulpartner for Southeast Asian nations as they seek to raise their influence in important buttroubled global organisations such as the World Trade Organization and World HealthOrganization. Fig. Despite strong electoral support from Papua, Jokowi continues with the ineffective efforts to use security forces to crush separatist rebels. In Thailand, the military-led government facesregular street protests after cutting off other avenues for dissent. Ben Boulos nee Bland Anyone follow this 37 year old BBC News commentator. That prompted me to think about my name and whether I should change it for clarity and to avoid confusion.. Bland highlights many of Jokowis actions which have undermined Indonesias already flawed democracy notably, diluting the nations anti-corruption agency, creating his own family political dynasty, and his appeasement of conservative Islam and intolerance and of violence towards religious minorities and the LGBT community. 14. By Ben Bland. Language, diplomacy and law (in lockdown) The UK's Indo-Pacific Tilt, mutual (mis)understanding between Australia and Indonesia, and what Franz Kafka tells us about Hong Kong's legal system. 29. Hello. We are entirely unrelated but it is a recipe for confusion. The two also discussed climate cooperation with China, the road to COP28, and much else. Casino developer Landing surges after missing chairman reappears, Hong Kong Occupy protest leaders go on trial, Exiled Chinese author warns over curbs on HK freedom, Hong Kong activists warn that Beijing crackdown will backfire, Hong Kong houseboat owners face huge financial losses, Walter Kwok, property developer, 1950-2018, Cathay Pacific hit by data leak affecting up to 9.4m passengers, UBS rescinds China travel warning to staff, Financial Times journalists visa renewal denied by Hong Kong, One Hong Kong railway station, two Chinese systems, Indonesia tsunami relief efforts hit by infrastructure problems, China seeks global role for elite counter-terrorism forces, Hong Kong joins China's high-speed rail network, Ban on separatist party intensifies free speech fears in Hong Kong. Ben Bland is Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute. The President took a similar scatter-gun approach to the maritime disputes that have increasingly troubled Indonesia. Jokowis foreign policy has always been unpredictable, seesawing between nationalism and globalism. The idea would later be exalted by foreign governments from the United States to China as a kind of manifesto for Indonesia to play a much bigger role in the increasingly thorny diplomacy of the region. Ben Bland's new book on Jokowi will be released next week.. Indeed, the Indonesian economy has been trundling along with a growth rate of 56%, about half that of countries such as China and Japan in their high-growth periods. In the brief text, Jokowi sounds more like a furniture exporter than a disciple of Sukarno, Metternich or Kissinger, talking of the need to "boost quality Indonesian products, reduce our dependency on imports, create balance and expand the scope of export markets". 23. In terms of financial resources, the UK should look to maintain or increase its developmentspending in Southeast Asia, despite overall budget cuts and the fact that more SoutheastAsian states are now classed as middle-income countries. Thin-skinned and vain, SBY had sought acclaim in the theatre of diplomacy. September 15 Jokowi has been smart in using his personal appeal to burnish Indonesias image in the international economic arena. Am a bit concerned that my abuse meter will rise now though.. "For me 'free and active' is making friends with countries that can provide us with benefits," he said. He was obviously more worried about Indonesias own separatist movements, notably in Papua. 7. The Indian government has tread carefullyand invited trouble. The FCDO should support more of these. BenBlandis aformer Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute. Jokowi did mention the need for "maritime diplomacy" and international co-operation to reduce the risk of conflict in the South China Sea and beyond. As he concludes briefly, there are indeed limits on what is possible in Indonesia. Watching his hometown team take on the English Premier League after a seven-decade hiatus was worth the wait. As Bland argues, the rise of Jokowi to the presidency of Indonesia is a testimony to the countrys democracy, and its free and fair elections. @SanaSaeed Lakeside - All the Way Live Yarborough & Peoples - Dont Stop the Music Bootsy - Id Rather Be with You Bone Crusher - Never Scared 3 6 One unlikely but highly damaging scenario would be armed conflict between theworlds two leading powers over a flashpoint such as Taiwan, or the South or East China Seas. However, he later followed SBYs lead in implementing an unofficial moratorium on executions to stem the outside pressure he was generating. North Korean nuclearization makes a once-taboo option thinkable. Ben Bland on Twitter: "A personal update: after three great years at @LowyInstitute, I'm leaving next month to take up a new role as director of the Asia-Pacific programme at @ChathamHouse in London. 1. Watch the full interview for insights on how industry thinks about deglobalization, the U.S.-China rivalry, the war in Ukraine, and much more. While Southeast Asian postings have not typically been seen as a top priority, the FCDOneeds to ensure that it develops more diplomats with extensive regional experience andcarves out more time for them to undertake language study. As the path to the Indonesian presidency had opened in 2013 and 2014, Jokowi showed little interest in foreign policy beyond a knack for charming the international correspondents and investors that he believed could boost his image and promote economic growth. I focused on Southeast Asia during myundergraduate History degree at the University of Cambridge and have an MA in SoutheastAsian Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. another quipped. We are a local music group in the San Luis Valley who is very verse in music styles. If the UK is to live up to the governments ambitions in the Indo-Pacific, the Foreign,Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) will need to enhance its engagement acrossthe region. Facebook. Jokowi, pictured with his wife, Iriana, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan, is interested in attracting investment and that has shaped his relationship with Beijing.AP. The UK also needs to enhance its engagement with civil society in Indonesia, which remainsthe most vibrant democracy in Southeast Asia, despite recent pressures on human rights. 21. An interesting insight Bland provides into Indonesias foreign relations occurred when Moeldoko, Jokowis chief of staff, met with the Chinese ambassador to Indonesia in late 2019. Malaysia lacks a stablegoverning coalition. 15. He also began conducting his own diplomacy, developing a relationship with Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and consigliere, as he sought to attract investment from the United States into the planned new capital in Kalimantan. That meant, chiefly, no formal military or security alliances with other nations. While Indonesia coasted, the contours of power in Asia were shifting dramatically around it. The two also discussed climate cooperation with China, the road to COP28, and much else. The adviser had stumbled upon an important lesson: if you want to understand Jokowi the politician, you must understand Jokowi the furniture maker. It is partly a function of Indonesias size, its strategic location in the midst of key global shipping lanes and its history of, at times, demonstrating leadership potential. Fittingly, Jokowis ghostwritten autobiography contains only a short chapter on foreign policy. He cheekily added: "(*creative licence may have been used in this description)". We are the Bent Ears! Economic diplomacy, encompassing development cooperation but focused on boostingtrade and investment, should be a major focus. Both countries have much to gain on thisfront. FPs Ravi Agrawal sat down with industry leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss how businesses can build resilience amid a turbulent geopolitical era. Language, diplomacy and law (in lockdown), Ten lessons from the history of espionage, Elections, leaders and the struggle to be heard, Insights, recommendations and random thoughts on Asia and foreign policy from author Ben Bland, This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. The first challenge, which the Foreign Secretary has started to address, is to increase highlevelpolitical engagement with Indonesia. On his website, he wrote: In recent months, I have received quite a few messages on social media some pleasant, some hostile intended for another journalist with exactly the same name as mine: Ben Bland. BBC journalist Ben Bland changes name to Boulos to celebrate A more careful examination of his views and habits would have left them disabused of that notion. Now outside the EU, the UK needs to find new markets for its goods and services andnew investment destinations. A vibrant region of more than 650 million people, Southeast Asia presents manyopportunities for the UK. Many analysts had expected great things from the Indonesian economy. The UK has a broadlypositive reputation in Indonesia, which is a good starting point. Stay informed with the latest commentary and analysis on international events from experts at the Lowy Institute and around the world. Who is the Chinese group blamed for cyber attacks on the west? There are no quick and easy wins when it comes to engaging with ASEAN, which can belaborious and bureaucratic, like many other regional and multilateral organisations. More likely is that jockeying between the two great powers makes it even harder for ASEANto adopt a cohesive response to shared challenges; or that growing economic linkagesbetween China and its neighbours in Southeast Asia create a path dependency that leavesSoutheast Asia enmeshed in a Beijing-dominated sphere of influence. FPs Winter 2023 print issue brings together 12 experts to help us answer those questions. Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent. And by his second term, this outsider had become firmly embedded in elite politics. However, that did not prevent Western nations including the United States and Australia from erroneously framing it as a signal of Indonesian intent to stand up in the world, just as they had done with the global maritime fulcrum. The presenter looked dapper as ever in a navy-blue suit with a purple tie and crisp white shirt. Extract from Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia by Ben Bland, a Lowy Institute Paper published by Penguin Random House on 1 September 2020, RRP $12.99. A monthly digest of the top articles read by FP subscribers. You can see more of Ben Bland on Youtube by just Yet, it is hardly part of a broader strategy to embrace free trade. A curated selection of our very best long reads. Its almost six oclock so yes, you guessed it, I am very excited. 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