Indonesia and International Law: An Interview with Damos Dumoli Agusman

• Pages: 1063-1071

e Indonesian Journal of International & Comparative Law

ISSN: 2338-7602; E-ISSN: 2338-770X

http://www.ijil.org

© 2014 e Institute for Migrant Rights Press

1063

Q & A

Pranoto Iskandar would like to acknowledge the indispensable assistance from Joshua

Snider, Assitant Professor of the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, throughout

the pre-publication process.

INDONESIA AND INTERNATIONAL LAW

AN INTERVIEW

e ever expanding scope of international law is not only providing

some invaluable opportunities but also poses some serious challenges that

would potentially undermine its own liberal objective. is is true for a

post colonial state like Indonesia. Despite its liberal leaning, international

law has failed to attract support from the local civil society that push

for liberal reform. In fact, this critical component of the democratizing

force in the country has demonized anything to a point that one may

consider as inimical to the humanizing project of international law

itself. For example, in 2012 a group of populist NGOs challenged the

constitutionality of the Law No. 38 of 2002 that serve as the legal basis of

the Indonesia’s acceptance of ASEAN Charter.

As such, in this feature, Pranoto Iskandar interviews Dr. Damos

Dumoli Agusman, the Secretary to the Directorate General of International

Treaties and Legal Aairs of the Ministry of Foreign Aairs. Specically

this interview aims to explore the challenges faced by Indonesia in its

quest for developing a democratic legal order.