JAKARTA, Legal Literacy — Political figure Anies Rasyid Baswedan believes that the United States' and Israel's attacks on Iran should be a momentum for Indonesia to review, and even end, its participation in the Board of Peace (BoP). According to Anies, the aggression against a sovereign state is a violation of international law and is contrary to the principles of peace, anti-colonialism, and a free and active foreign policy that has been Indonesia's foundation. Anies conveyed this stance through his verified Instagram account on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

In his view, Indonesia should not remain in a forum that carries the name of peace if its founders are associated with actions deemed to violate international law. Anies emphasized that membership in such a forum should not be maintained solely for diplomatic symbols, especially if Indonesia's presence risks being interpreted as a form of tolerance for military aggression. He even called the attack on Iran a moral test for the consistency of Indonesia's foreign policy.

Anies reminded that Indonesia has a strong diplomatic legacy as a pioneer of the Asia-Africa Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement, two important milestones that from the beginning placed respect for state sovereignty, rejection of colonialism, and a world order based on international law as the main principles. Therefore, according to him, remaining in the BoP after the attack on Iran could erode Indonesia's consistency with the mandate of the constitution, especially the commitment to participate in implementing a world order based on independence, eternal peace, and social justice.

For Anies, leaving the BoP does not mean that Indonesia rejects peace. On the contrary, that step can be read as a reaffirmation that Indonesia does not want to be part of a peace forum that it considers has failed to maintain its own moral integrity. In that logic, a free and active foreign policy is not about getting closer to global power centers, but about loyalty to the nation's principles in defending sovereignty, international law, and victims of aggression.