Why Do So Many Indonesians Back Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine?

“Almost two weeks in, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been condemned by most countries around the world, including Indonesia. After some initially vague statements that avoided mentioning Russia by name, Indonesia voted in favour of both the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russian aggression and the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights decision establishing an independent commission to investigate all alleged human rights violations in the war.

Yet the Indonesian public, especially online, continues to sympathise with (if not outright support) the Russian position. Pro-Russian Twitter threads have been incredibly popular among Indonesians. A pro-Russian comical anecdote (which apparently originated on Chinese social media site Weibo) likening the war to a conflict between an ex-husband and wife was shared widely in Indonesian Whatsapp groups. Perhaps most concerningly, several Indonesian academics have also come out in support of the Russian position. This support has ranged from criticising the Indonesian government’s condemnation of Russia to even reproducing Russian narratives in speeches and articles.”

Radityo Dharmaputra writes for Indonesia at Melbourne.

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