Indo-Pacific Journal of Soft-Power

Cultural Heritage as National Identity of the Indonesian Nation

Helfy Tasya Nurista Rahayu, Abubakar Eby Hara, Fuat Albayumi — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This paper attempts to discuss Indonesia's effort to include Reog Ponorogo on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. This effort is often considered a solution to cultural ownership disputes that often occur between Malaysia and Indonesia. including in the Reog case. In many ways, Indonesia's move was seen as positive and eased unrest in Indonesian society and caused Malaysia to back down from trying to claim the cultural heritage. However, in the context of the international heritage regine initiated by UNESCO, Indonesia is trying to take steps that are in accordance with UNESCO's mission from UNESCO is important to avoid cultural heritage conflicts from recurring. To discuss this issue, this paper will use a quasi-qualitative approach, with the main sources coming form journals, books, news and online media.

The Politics of Autonomy: Exploring the Thai Government's Denial of Special Status for Southern Thailand

Elisabet Elfadani, Himawan Bayu Patriadi, Honest Dody Molasy — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This article examines the complex political landscape surrounding the Thai government's failure to implement special autonomy in Southern Thailand, a region characterized by ethnic diversity and historical grievances. The southern provinces, predominantly inhabited by Malay Muslims, have long sought greater autonomy due to perceptions of marginalization and socio-economic disparities. The study delves into the historical context of the autonomy movement, highlighting key events that have shaped the political dynamics in the region. The Thai government's rejection of these autonomy demands is analyzed from various perspectives, including national security issues, political stability, and the preservation of national identity. The article argues that the government's stance is influenced by a desire to maintain centralized control and prevent the fragmentation of the nation-state. Furthermore, the report explores the implications of this rejection on local governance, community relations, and ongoing conflicts in the region. The findings suggest that the refusal of special status not only exacerbates tensions but also hinders potential pathways to peace and reconciliation. This comprehensive analysis provides a nuanced understanding of the political complexities and historical underpinnings of the autonomy movement in Southern Thailand. This research underscores the need for inclusive policies that address historical grievances and promote social cohesion, essential for long-term peace and stability in the region.

South Korea's Policy on Automotive Industry Hydrogen Project as a Global Decarbonization Effort

Septy Surya, Agung Purwanto, Adhiningasih Prabhawati — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

In January 2019, the South Korean government put forward the Hydrogen Roadmap-Economy. This policy has three main objectives, which are related to climate change issues and strengthening the energy empowerment, as well as creating a new economic growth engine for South Korea. The focus of this article is to explain the rationale of South Korea's policy decision through the automotive industry's hydrogen project to achieve carbon neutralization. This journal proves that the formation of South Korea's hydrogen economy policy is based on the rational decisions of actors in considering the pros and cons of an option according to the situation that occurs and the targets achieved.

Relevance of Shipping Companies in the Realization of the World Maritime Axis Program

Amalia Tri Puspita Sari, Suyani Indriastuti, Sri Yuniati — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

PT Samudera Indonesia as a non-state actor has a contribution to Indonesian maritime trade. However, the condition of Indonesia's maritime trade is still far from good criteria based on the Logistics Performance Index in 2014. At the same time, the Indonesian government is making efforts through an international maritime policy, namely the Global Maritime Fulcrum. This article explains the contributions made by the shipping company PT Samudera Indonesia Tbk as a non-state actor in realizing this policy so that makes it relevant. This article uses a descriptive-qualitative approach and uses purposive sampling techniques. By using Liberalism theory and the concept of multinational companies (MNC), it is hoped that we can analyze the studies discussed more objectively. The aim of this research is not only to find out the contributions and revelances of the company PT Samudera Indonesia Tbk itself, but also to find out the extent to which the government involves non-state actors to realize the World Maritime Axis policy. The research results show that PT Samudera Indonesia Tbk contributes to the World Maritime Axis policy, especially on the points of maritime connectivity and maritime culture.

Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as an Instrument of Chinas's Sports Diplomacy

Kartika Nur Laili, Muhammad Iqbal, Bagus Sigit Sunarko — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Sports Mega Events (SMEs) in the twenty-first century open opportunities for diplomatic interaction among multi-level actors. This research uses a qualitative method based on a literature review to explore China's sports diplomacy through the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Drawing on J. Simon Rofe's identification of the concept of sports diplomacy, which defines international sporting events as the main platform for achieving national interests. This research analyzes how China uses the Winter Olympics as an instrument of sports diplomacy to achieve its national interests. This study found that the Olympics were used as an instrument to achieve legitimacy for national credibility and superiority. This study also found that China uses the power of Olympic communication as an instrument to correct issues and negative stereotypes about China's national image.