Jakarta Globe, Giacomo Tognini, May 23, 2014
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| According to data from the Ministry of Manpower, 6,351 Europeans currently call Indonesia their temporary home. (JG Photo/Boy T. Harjanto) |
Jakarta.
Indonesians and Europeans don’t always get along. When asked how they felt
about one another, one source asserted that “British people keep to
themselves,” while another exclaimed that “Indonesians are rude.” Stereotypes
abound whenever diverse cultures meet, even in the supposedly globalized world
we live in today. Indonesia and Europe are no exception, yet trade, travel, and
cooperation between the two continue to grow.
The two
cultures made contact for the first time when Portuguese explorers reached the
Sunda Kingdom in 1512, leading to centuries of Dutch and Portuguese
colonization of the archipelago. Nowadays, an estimated 6,351 Europeans live in
Indonesia, 13.8 percent of all the expatriate residing in the country, according
to a May 10 report from the Ministry of Manpower and Transportation.
While the
history between the two is hardly pleasant, Indonesia’s rapid economic
development and the advent of the European Union have led to strengthened ties
and increased cultural exchange. According to a December 2013 report by the
Indonesia Diaspora Network, 185,512 Indonesians make the Old Continent their
home, in addition to approximately 700,000 people of mixed or Indonesian
descent in the Netherlands.
In the
post-war era, Europeans arrived to work in diplomacy and Indonesia’s expanding
industries, and many more traveled to experience its natural and cultural
wonders. Conversely, some Indonesians emigrated to seek a better life in Europe
during economic trouble at home.
Whereas
Europeans continue to come to Indonesia for the same reasons, today people
increasingly move in the opposite direction for higher education. The European
Union’s recent push to attract more foreign students to study in its renowned
universities by providing scholarships through its Erasmus Mundus education
outreach program has been successful. Around 7,000 Indonesians studied in the
EU as of 2013, many of whom receive financial aid from the European Commission.
However, a
clear cultural divide remains between Indonesians and Europeans across the
continent.
“I
definitely love living here, but I have to say it takes a lot of effort to make
friends,” said an Indonesian student in London. “My closest friends here aren’t
British.”
When it
comes to other nationalities, she had a different perspective: “French people
are a bit condescending, I feel like Italians are the friendlier bunch.”
Europeans
in Jakarta mention a similar experience adapting to their host culture.
“We have a
completely different mentality because we are separated by centuries of
history,” said an Italian woman who has lived in Indonesia for a year. While
she admires the natural beauty of the country, she “cannot stand the traffic
that paralyzes this city and the complete lack of respect for the environment.”
The EU and
the Indonesian government have long collaborated on a variety of bilateral
projects to aid in the resolution of significant issues. The Blue Book on
EU-Indonesian Development Cooperation published in 2013 outlines six areas of
partnership: education, economic cooperation, the environment and climate
change, good governance and human rights, disaster preparedness and conflict
prevention and health, water and sanitation. Many of these target specific
regions of the island nation that require more help in certain areas and less
in others to maximize efficiency.
Along with
the EU as a whole, Indonesia is among the members of the G-20, an organization
that represents the world’s 20 largest economies. Indonesia is now the 10th
largest, as revealed in a World Bank report published in 2014. As a result of
Indonesia’s growing economic clout, the EU is seeking a Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a deep free trade agreement. The union was
Indonesia’s second largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) behind
Japan in statistics released by the Indonesia Investment Coordination Board in
2012, although it has fallen in the rankings since due to slower yearly
increases of investment compared to South Korea and Singapore.
As the
second-largest democracy and the world’s largest Muslim nation, Indonesia has
tremendous geopolitical importance. This is likely to increase, given the
archipelago’s strategic location in a region witnessing the ascent of China and
India. Europe is taking note: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited at
least four European countries in his second term, and German Chancellor Angela
Merkel, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and British Prime Minister David
Cameron visited Indonesia between 2012 and 2013. These are signs of the
country’s rise as an influential player in the international arena.
In the
future, a continent emerging from an economic crisis and still searching for
its place in a global chessboard dominated by the United States and China could
gain from increased cooperation with a nation seeking a role commensurate to
its massive demographic and economic expansion.
The two
have much to learn from one another. Sarah Braga, a Portuguese-Luxembourg
student in Jakarta, believes that “Europe has become a very individualistic
region, whereas in Indonesia it’s more about a sense of community.”
“Indonesians
are a people that know how to laugh and be happy even in times of difficulty,”
said an Italian resident of Jakarta. “This is something that Europeans
should learn from.”
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