Indonesian poll favourite Prabowo Subianto warns the West: ‘We won’t be a nation of coolies’

Indonesian Defence Minister and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto says Indonesia will be a friend to all under his leadership but flags a harder line on trade.

Indonesian Defence Minister and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto speaks about his economical program for the next elections during a seminar in Jakarta last week. Picture: AFP

Indonesia’s presidential frontrunner Prabowo Subianto has flagged a hard line on foreign trade if he wins next year’s election, telling those who accuse Jakarta of flouting international trading rules that Indonesia does “not want to be a nation of coolies”.

The current Defence Minister, who is contesting high office for the third time next Februarywith outgoing President Joko Widodo’s eldest son as his running mate, told ambassadors and academics on Tuesday that he would pursue a “good neighbour” foreign policy if – as polling suggests – he becomes the next president.

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo delivers a speech earlier this month as Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto looks on. Picture: AFP

The country’s strategic interests were best served by following a philosophy of “1000 friends too few, one enemy too many”, he said in a polished but detail-light speech at Jakarta’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies, which nonetheless offered an intriguing window into a Prabowo leadership. “We will not join any bloc, we will not be part of any military alliance,” he said.

That policy ruled out future membership of the Quad or of the AUKUS security pact, though Mr Prabowo told The Australian the US, Britain and Australia each had a “sovereign right” to ensure their security.

His nation would “not forget the debt of honour” owed to the US and Australia, which sided with Indonesia during its independence struggle, he said.

“Australia stood with us in our war of independence”, he said, and it had even been chosen by Indo­nesia to negotiate on its ­behalf in UN-­mediated talks on independence.

“That shows the depths of our relationship,” he said. “We don’t forget our friends in difficult times. However we also recognise China’s importance in Southeast Asia, and for Indonesia now.”

Mr Prabowo acknowledged a danger that US-China competition could lead to open conflict, but pointed to a recent meeting between Anthony Albanese and China’s Xi Jinping, and imminent talks between Mr Xi and US President Joe Biden, as hopeful signs that both sides realised the need to calibrate their rivalry.

The idea that the urbane yet mercurial Mr Prabowo, the former son-in-law of late strongman Suharto, could lead Indonesia would have been almost unthinkable two decades ago, as the newly democratised country worked to shake off the shackles of a 32-year military dictatorship.

Yet with new polling showing that he has extended his election lead, and that support for his closest rival, Ganjar Pranowo, is on the way down, what the 72-year-old says is of growing significance.

The former Special Forces chief who has been dogged by accusations of human rights abuses under his command also warned on Tuesday that Europe and the West were “in danger of losing their moral leadership” over their double standards. “The West teaches us democracy and human rights but the West has different standards,” he said. “I’m afraid the West will lose its moral leadership. The last 300 years we have been in awe of your achievements and also your philosophies – justice, equality before the law, human rights.

“As a friend I am saying; please be careful. You will still be strong, you will still be wealthy, but there is a shift in the world. We don’t ­really need Europe anymore.”

Indonesia had “sometimes been too nice” on trade, opening its markets to European products even as the EU closed its doors to Indonesian palm oil, and raised trade barriers to Indonesian coffee, tea, cocoa and rubber on the basis those crops caused deforestation. Yet, he said, “It was Europeans that came to our islands and forced us to plant coffee, tea, rubber and cocoa. You destroyed our forests before.”

Indonesia is appealing a World Trade Organisation finding in favour of the EU, which complained that Jakarta’s ban on exporting raw nickel ore was against WTO rules.

Manuran Island nickel mine. The Indonesian mine is supplying nickel ore to Townsville's Yabulu refinery.

But Mr Prabowo gave an impassioned defence of the policy on Tuesday. “A lot of our people live on less than $2 a day. Many of our children are malnourished. We have to be producing industrial goods,” he said. “We do not want to be a nation of coolies.”