Executions signal a return to Sukarno-style foreign policy in Indonesia

David, Frederic Camroux (1)

1 CERI - Centre de recherches internationales (Sciences Po, CNRS)

On 29 April Indonesia executed seven foreigners and one Indonesian for drug offences. The refusal of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to offer clemency despite pleas from foreign leaders has been analysed in a number of ways. Most have interpreted Jokowi’s decision as that of a contested head of state in a fragile democracy heeding public opinion, which seems to overwhelmingly (86 per cent in a recent poll) support the death penalty for drug trafficking. But was his decision instead a deliberate act of public diplomacy, designed to send signals to those missing the Sukarno era?

Domains: Political science

David, Frederic Camroux. Executions signal a return to Sukarno-style foreign policy in Indonesia. 2015. ⟨hal-03392758⟩