Persistent norm entrepreneur: Indonesia strategy as ‘homegrown’ democracy promoter in Southeast Asia Region

Abstract

ABSTRACT Indonesia plays a role in Southeast Asia as a norm entrepreneur for democracy, not Western liberal democracy, but homegrown democracy that resonates with Asian values. This article explores Indonesia’s democratic norms that it promotes, which is homegrown democracy. It explains the mechanism of Indonesia’s norm entrepreneur activity to promote democracy in ASEAN. Democracy norms have been institutionalized in ASEAN and authoritarian governments in some Southeast Asian countries because the accepted democratic values are the homegrown democracies promoted by Indonesia. This article argues that Indonesia as a democracy norm entrepreneur achieves this through a homegrown democracy frame that resonates with Asian values. It institutionalizes democracy in ASEAN and keeps the socializing process using the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) that emphasizes dialogue and inclusiveness as a socialization strategy. Indonesia which promotes homegrown democracy in Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific asserts Indonesia as a persistent democracy norm entrepreneur.