The research employs case study in which the Indonesian government’s reaction to the Aceh tsunami 2004. The case study is a representative sample of how the domestic and international factors influence the Indonesian foreign policy making and a useful variation on the dimension of theoretical interest (Gerring 2001, pp. 178-181) particularly what factors explain foreign policy decision-making within countries. In similar vein, case study would be an effective tool to investigate contemporary events within its real-life context (Yin 2009, pp.11-13). Within the case study, the research employs three states, the USA, Australia, and Singapore, as the three biggest donors following the Aceh tsunami 2004.
The selection …show more content…
The US under Clinton government is more serious in linking human rights to foreign policy (Suryadinata 1996, p.142). Furthermore, Indonesia was sent time limit in 1994 to improve human rights record to continue export’s low tariff to the US within the Generalized System Preferences (Chew 1994). The US’ War on Terrorism during Bush administration in the 2000s with the whole idea of Islamic extremism has opened the case to control Aceh. GAM is strong Islamic movement, that had goals to ensure radical Islam, then the Indonesian government has to solve the problem in Aceh. The government has task to ensure radical Islam has not influenced Aceh, then the foreign policy making intent to solve the problem in Aceh with the catalyst of the …show more content…
In the context of maritime boundaries, both states have not been properly delineated and complicated by Singapore’s land reclamation that create some uncertainties regarding the locations of the boundaries (Novotny 2010, p.284). Furthermore, Indonesia still has a problem with the air space where all of the Indonesian aircraft flying to the northern part of Indonesia have to pay to Singapore because the air is basically controlled by the Changi airport and therefore there is perception that it is very easy for foreign powers to intervene into Indonesia (Novotny 2010, p.284). The geographic proximity between both states also play major role on the Indonesian elite’s perception about threat, as strengthened by Stephen M. Walt in his study, The Origins of Alliances, that geographic proximity, along with aggregate power, the state’s offensive capability, the perceived aggressiveness of its intentions, pointing to the idea of threat from the neighbour (Walt 1990, p.276). Indonesia also failed to conclude extradition treaty with Singapore partially due to the differences interpretation of what should be considered as economic criminality (Novotny 2010, p.285). In another words, the Indonesian elite’s perception on Singapore was a self-centred and self-interested mentality that mixed with arrogance toward Indonesia (Wanandi