Indonesian Leaders, Then and Now, Warn of Nuclear War Danger

In his opening address to the historic 1955 Bandung Conference, Indonesian President Sukarno warned that nuclear “war would not only mean a threat to our independence, it may mean the end of civilization and even of human life. There is a force loose in the world whose potentiality for evil no man truly knows. Even in practice and rehearsal for war the effects may well be building up into something of unknown horror.”

Echoing Sukarno’s warning from nearly seven decades ago, Indonesia’s Defense Minister and President-elect Prabowo Subianto stated Sept. 25 at a meeting with Indonesia’s House of Representatives Commission I: “The world today is not in a good state. We are witnessing heightened tensions, with global defense and strategy experts suggesting that we are on the brink of World War III.”

“If a nuclear war breaks out, although we may not be involved, the consequences will be severe. History has shown that when powers seek to impose their will, wars erupt unexpectedly, as seen in World War I and II. We also see growing tensions in Palestine that could lead to a major conflict…

“We understand that a World War III would likely lead to nuclear war. Thankfully, Indonesia has a strong tradition of non-alignment, and we will continue to uphold that position,” he said.

Indonesia, the fourth most populated nation in the world, maintains good relations with both China and Russia, and has been working with both to promote economic cooperation, including on nuclear energy. It just recently ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), as the importance of the country on the global stage is set to grow in the coming period.

Speaking Sept. 26 before the High Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly, Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi warned that the future the world wants “remains under the shadow of nuclear destruction”. She asked whether “fear of nuclear weapons [should] be our guarantee for peace? Indonesia’s answer will forever be no….” She called for action to be taken on the renewal of “disarmament negotiations in earnest”; establishing “robust regulations and control to prevent the increasing threat of nuclear conflicts”; and nurturing “a legacy of peace”, which means burying “our divisions, mistrusts, and outdated paradigms”.