Abstract
ABSTRACT After the demise of Suharto’s New Order dictatorship in 1998, Indonesia has been committed to democratization process. Since then, democracy has become an integral part of Indonesia’s foreign policy. As the world’s third-largest democracy, Indonesia initiated the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) in 2008 as an instrument of democracy promotion in the region and beyond. However, the nature of the forum is not to promote democracy by force as exemplified by the West. Although Indonesia perceives itself as a role model for democratic transition, it does not equate democracy with the Western-style liberal-democracy but rather with allowing every country to choose a home-grown democracy. This paper argues that the BDF represents an Indonesian approach in democracy promotion that differs from that of Western countries. Promoting a home-grown democracy represents a culture of tolerance and harmony which are inherent features of Asian interstate relations, constrained as they are by regional norms of non-interference that respect the domestic affairs of other countries.
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