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After Public Demands for Indonesia to Leave the BoP.
Sunday, 29 March, 2026. Permalink
By Iqbal Basyari, Kurnia Yunita Rahayu
04 Mar 2026 20:22 WIB · English
The military attack launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in late February 2026 shook stability in the Middle East and exacerbated global tensions. However, its impact was not limited to the region. The attack also sparked strong calls from various elements of Indonesian society to withdraw from the Board of Peace (BoP), an international organization to which Indonesia had joined since late January 2026.
Indonesia's decision to join the Peace Council was initially regarded as a strategic diplomatic move to support world peace, particularly in advocating for Palestinian independence. However, following the attacks carried out by the United States - the initiator of the Peace Council - and Israel against Iran, Indonesia's action is now under sharp scrutiny as it is seen as contradictory to the principles of peace upheld by the country.
Following the attack, the call for an immediate withdrawal from the Peace Council has intensified. This demand comes from various groups, including the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), community leaders, and members of the House of Representatives. Many parties agree that Indonesia's position in the Peace Council is now in question, especially after the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran, which are considered violations of international law and detrimental to world peace.
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) firmly condemns the military attacks carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran. In its circular letter, MUI assesses that the attacks are contrary to humanitarian values and the principles outlined in the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution.
Furthermore, the MUI emphasized that Indonesia must immediately withdraw from the Peace Council. This is because Indonesia's membership within it actually exacerbates international tensions, rather than promoting peace, which should be the primary objective of the Peace Council.
"The Peace Council, which should serve as a platform for peace, is instead exacerbating the conflict. Therefore, we urge the Indonesian government to immediately withdraw Indonesia's membership from the Peace Council," reads the letter from MUI.
The Peace Council, which should serve as a symbol of collective efforts to create global peace, has instead become a political tool that supports military aggression.
In addition to the MUI, more than 60 national figures and 70 civil society organizations have joined a petition calling for Indonesia to withdraw from the Peace Council. The petition, issued on March 1, 2026, assesses that the US-Israel attacks violate international law and undermine world peace.
The signatories of this petition criticized the Peace Council, which is supposed to act as a peacekeeping institution, but is now considered to have turned into a “Board of War” because it supports military aggression against Iran.
"The Peace Council, which should be a symbol of a collective effort to create global peace, has now become a political tool that supports military aggression. The Peace Council must be evaluated, and Indonesia must withdraw immediately," said one of the petition signatories, Ray Rangkuti, a democracy activist.
The pressure to withdraw from the Peace Council also comes from members of Commission I of the DPR, Tubagus Hasanuddin. Hasanuddin believes that remaining in the Peace Council risks undermining Indonesia's foreign policy consistency, which is free and active. He warned that the continuation of Indonesia's membership in the Peace Council would worsen Indonesia's position in the eyes of the world, particularly in addressing the Palestinian conflict and other international situations.
"Indonesia has already entered the Peace Council, but remaining within it will lead to greater issues. I urge the government to withdraw from the Peace Council in order to maintain the consistency of the active non-alignment principle mandated by our constitution," said Hasanuddin.
Foreign Minister Sugiono did not provide an answer when asked about the government's response to the calls for Indonesia to withdraw from the Peace Council. Instead, he explained that the international situation regarding the military attacks occurring in Iran is currently dominating the government's attention.
"All the Peace Council discussions are on hold, all attention has shifted to the situation in Iran," said Sugiono after a friendly meeting and discussion between President Prabowo Subianto and several national figures at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Tuesday (3/3/2026) evening.
Sugiono stated that the Indonesian government continues to engage in intensive communication with partner countries, particularly in the Gulf region, which are also members of the Peace Council. This is because the countries in that region are also facing similar impacts due to the tensions in Iran.
"We continue to conduct consultations and consolidations with our colleagues in the Gulf. They are also experiencing the same situation, some have been attacked as well. Nevertheless, they are also members of the Peace Council," said Sugiono.
The Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, Ahmad Muzani, during an impromptu interview with journalists at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Wednesday (4/3/2026), revealed that President Prabowo has received various inputs from former presidents, former vice presidents, former foreign ministers, and business circles regarding Indonesia's position in the Peace Council. In the gathering and discussion held on Tuesday night, the President explained the situation and conditions related to the global situation, as well as listened to the various perspectives provided.
"All those views were well received by the President. The President accepted those views with pleasure and considered them as input that he used as a reference in making decisions," said Muzani.
The Peace Council is part of the efforts to expedite the process of Palestinian independence and development, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of Palestine. "And that is the main objective of the establishment of the BoP. However, there is an issue with Iran. I believe that the President also conveyed that perspective more clearly last night," said Muzani.
Muzani responded when asked whether there would be a reevaluation of Indonesia's position on the Peace Council considering that the party proposing it has actually launched an attack on Iran.
"For Indonesia, entering and exiting the Balance of Payments (BoP) is something that could happen, as mentioned several times by the President. We could exit at any time. However, once again, it must be based on a mutual agreement," said Muzani.
The Rector of the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII), Fathul Wahid, stated that UII regrets the stance of the Indonesian Government, which is considered to have not shown firmness in responding to the military attacks by Israel and the United States against Iran. This attitude is seen as reflecting the weak implementation of Indonesia's foreign policy principle of an active and independent stance.
"We regret the stance of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, which has yet to demonstrate adequate firmness in responding to the military attacks by Israel and the United States on the Islamic Republic of Iran," said Fathul Wahid in a Statement of Position from UII.
Fathul Wahid believes that the attack violates the principle of state sovereignty in international law and contradicts the constitutional mandate that emphasizes the rejection of all forms of colonialism. He also warned that this attack has the potential to worsen the global geopolitical situation and exacerbate the suffering of civilians, particularly women and children.
In response to this development, UII issued a call to the Indonesian Government to promptly condemn the attack and demand consistency in foreign policy that respects the sovereignty of other nations. UII also emphasized the importance of promoting peaceful resolutions through multilateral diplomacy.
"We demand that the government immediately condemn the Israeli and United States military attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran," said Fathul Wahid.
In addition, he continued, UII also expressed concern over foreign policy that is deemed to potentially undermine the sovereignty of the state. One of the issues relates to Indonesia's involvement in the Peace Council established by US President Donald Trump.
Fathul Wahid believes that Indonesia's participation in the Peace Council risks contradicting the principles of Indonesia's active and independent foreign policy. This participation also poses a risk of undermining Indonesia's consistent stance in supporting the struggle for Palestinian independence and its constitutional commitment to reject all forms of colonization on Earth. Therefore, UII urges the Indonesian government to promptly withdraw from the Peace Council.
"Indonesia's involvement in the Peace Council established by President Donald Trump has the potential to contradict the constitutional mandate and undermine the principle of an independent and active foreign policy, which has been the foundation of Indonesia's diplomacy since independence," he stated.
Now that the public is calling on the President to let Indonesia leave the Peace Council, will this be considered?
Writer:
Iqbal Basyari, Kurnia Yunita Rahayu Credits Writer: Iqbal Basyari, Kurnia Yunita Rahayu | Editor: Cyprianus Anto Saptowalyono
