ISLAM DAN KEBIJAKAN LUAR NEGERI INDONESIA: PERAN INDONESIA DALAM KONFLIK DI RAKHINE, MYANMAR

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research was intended to explore the religion influence on the role of Indonesia’s engagement in ethnic conflict in Rakhine State, Myanmar, between Arakanese Buddhist and Rohingya Muslims in mid 2012. Since the discussion would be focused on the influencing factors and the role of Indonesia itself, thus, this research is categorized as a foreign policy analysis. The religion implication on the role of Indonesia was observed using and guided by Holistic Constructivism perspective which underlined that state’s behavior was constituted by identity which was formed by the values and norms occurred either on the structural (international norms) or in the sub-systemic area (domestic). The foreign policy analysis itself, was derived from Constructivist framework, where, the actor was not considered as a goal-oriented or self-oriented unit which its behavior was the result of rational calculations or sensible considerations to any benefits or loss to reach a maximum achievement of any goals, instead it was an object, a social actors to be precise, that are always embedded in a social context, which heavily impacts on their behavior. In a deeper look based on these theoretical frameworks, this research found that the Indonesia’s role in the conflict was a form of identitybased interest - a behavior constituted by the identity of Indonesia as a home to the world’s largest Muslim population. In domestic area, the role was taken as a respond of the insistence and enforcement of the people of Indonesia over the indication of discrimination to Muslims. While in structural area, it was a manifestation of a discourse on islam in international affairs; attempt to play a bigger role in Islamic world, and bridging islam and the west.