Persistent norm entrepreneur: Indonesia strategy as ‘homegrown’ democracy promoter in Southeast Asia Region

ABSTRACT

Indonesia plays a role in Southeast Asia as a norm entrepreneur for democracy, not Western liberal democracy, but homegrown democracy that resonates with Asian values. This article explores Indonesia’s democratic norms that it promotes, which is homegrown democracy. It explains the mechanism of Indonesia’s norm entrepreneur activity to promote democracy in ASEAN. Democracy norms have been institutionalized in ASEAN and authoritarian governments in some Southeast Asian countries because the accepted democratic values are the homegrown democracies promoted by Indonesia. This article argues that Indonesia as a democracy norm entrepreneur achieves this through a homegrown democracy frame that resonates with Asian values. It institutionalizes democracy in ASEAN and keeps the socializing process using the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) that emphasizes dialogue and inclusiveness as a socialization strategy. Indonesia which promotes homegrown democracy in Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific asserts Indonesia as a persistent democracy norm entrepreneur.

KEYWORDS:

• Homegrown democracy
• ASEAN
• Bali Democracy Forum
• Asian democracy
• norm entrepreneur
• Indonesia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bima Jon Nanda

Bima Jon Nanda has been a doctoral student at National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan since 2022. From 2018 until 2022 is a lecturer at the Department of International Relations, Social and Political Sciences Faculty, Universitas Andalas. He completed her master’s degree in International Relations at Universitas Gadjah Mada. His articles have been published in reputable Indonesian journals and proceedings such as Andalas Journal International Studies, Jurnal Hubungan Internasional and Islam Realitas: Journal of Islamic and Social studies.

Inda Mustika Permata

Inda Mustika Permata is a lecturer at the Department of International Relations, Social and Political Sciences Faculty, Universitas Andalas. She completed her master’s degree in International Relations at Universitas Gadjah Mada. Her articles have been published in reputable international and Indonesian journals such as International Wildlife and Law Policy, Andalas of Journal International Studies, Jurnal Hubungan Internasional and Islam Realitas: Journal of Islamic and Social Studies. She has been pursuing a Doctoral degree in the Department of Asia Pacific Regional Studies, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan since 2022.