ABSTRACT
Officials in Jakarta remain steadfastly supportive of the central frameworks of global nuclear governance but are reflective of a number of countries in Southeast Asia in their concern about the lack of genuine progress on nuclear disarmament. The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is still seen as essential – if perhaps imperfect – but Indonesian leaders have emerged as strong supporters of the Treaty on the Prohibition on Nuclear Weapons as an alternative – and complementary – mechanism to reduce global nuclear risks and put significant emphasis on spreading and strengthening Nuclear Weapons Free Zones. Indonesia is slowly modernising its conventional military capability and increasingly sees its security through the membership of ASEAN, but is also seeking to balance a number of different strategic relationships with key players in the region. Elites in Jakarta appear to be moving towards acquiring nuclear power generation capabilities as part of a broader move to “Net Zero,” and have traditionally been strong defenders of the right of states to access nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes.
