Why Jokowi must go to Paris

First, the president is sending a strong message of solidarity and friendship to the French people who were rocked by recent acts of terrorism.

As the leader of world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, Jokowi’s presence at the conference will be very meaningful because, like it or not, the heinous attacks were committed in the name of Islam. All major Muslim organisations in Indonesia have condemned the carnage in Paris.

In his decision to fly to Paris, Jokowi is defying security concerns and insisting that the show must go on. His attendance will demonstrate that the killings will not deter Indonesia from fighting terrorism. Indonesia itself has several times been the target of terror attacks since 2000.

The president’s absence on the contrary would be perceived as if Indonesia had fallen into the trap of fear spread by the terrorists who think that God justified their crimes against humanity. In Paris, the president needs to convey to the French people, many of whom are Muslims, that Indonesia stands ready to join forces with France in the global fight against terrorism. 

The second reason the president should attend the Paris summit is that he will have an opportunity to explain to the world what caused the recent forest fires and the subsequent deadly haze disaster. The choking haze claimed several lives and sickened tens of thousands of people, and adversely affected neighbours such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. 

We hope the president will honestly acknowledge that Indonesia has committed large-scale environmental destruction. A defensive speech will only make Indonesia’s reputation even worse in the international community.

What is more important is the president can use the meeting in Paris to explain the details of his government’s measures to prevent the peatland and forests fires from recurring. But only if Indonesia is transparent and accountable in addressing the problem of the fires will the world step forward to help the country combat the slash-and-burn practices, as well as illegal logging, that have devoured the country’s tropical forests.

Unfortunately, some government officials have explained that the president is keen on attending the Paris climate conference more because he wants to urge developed countries to prove their commitment to carbon emission reduction.

This newspaper suspects that Jokowi might try to find a scapegoat in the forest fire disaster. In his speech at the G20 summit in Antaly, Turkey, the president urged developed countries to act as role models in reducing carbon emissions. 

It is very obvious to the world that Indonesia has produced huge carbon emissions this year, thanks to the months of forest fires. That means we should blame ourselves, rather than making excuses. Indonesia’s sincere confession and determination to prevent the disaster from recurring will be effective in convincing others to help us clean our messy house.