For the past decade, the _most geostrategic_ country in Southeast Asia and the world’s third-largest democracy has been wooed by Washington and Beijing.

Now China has won an engagement. No pre-nup because treaties are banned under the Indonesian Constitution, through everything bar a US divorce decree.

Commented former minister for foreign affairs, Bob Carr: “(Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto) is delivering a savvy Javanese judgment on the slide in America’s credibility and the very idea of a unipolar world marshalled from Washington.”

The implications for us are profound while we’re determinedly married to the US, believing wise Dad is always our protector, even though far away in another hemisphere.

Politicians are ambitious – it’s an essential quality. Another commonality is to be revered, and here Prabowo is an exemplar.

He wants statesman status, a worthy chief of the world’s fourth-largest nation, winning respect for running a ramping economy (above 5% GDP) and — till now — maintaining social harmony in a Muslim-majority multi-faith secular democratic state.

Reasonable if keeping to the moral high ground and the rule of law, Prabowo’s goals don’t climb that far.

Last week’s Indonesia-wide riots were driven by anger over greedy MPs awarding themselves housing bonuses, rising cost-of-living issues and cutbacks on government services.

Reports claim at least 10 have died and more than 1000 injured as private and public properties were trashed and mobs ran amok. Police and military say about 1240 were arrested.

The UN High Commission for Human Rights wants an investigation into “alleged violations of international human rights law”.

“The authorities must uphold the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression while maintaining order … All security forces, including the military when deployed in a law enforcement capacity, must comply with the basic principles on the use of force........

© Pearls and Irritations