Strategic culture and Indonesian approach to maritime “rules-based order”

<p dir="ltr">This paper argues that Indonesia’s strategic behaviour in the maritime domain is deeply influenced by its strategic culture. Dominant interpretations of Indonesia’s geography and strategic history have given rise to two strains of strategic culture that coexist in tension. The inward-looking strain reflects Indonesia’s sense of vulnerability. It narrowly focuses on safeguarding Indonesia’s territorial integrity as an archipelagic state and advancing the domestic development agenda. In contrast, the outward-looking strain reflects Indonesia’s self-perception of being a “great maritime nation”, characterised by a sense of entitlement to regional leadership. Indonesia’s reluctance to fully endorse the “rules-based order” narrative—viewed as a pretext for greater external power involvement in the region and tantamount to sidelining Indonesia’s leadership role in the region—should be understood through the interplay of these two strains.</p>