Being the largest economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia has long been considered as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) de facto leader or “the first among equals.” With the decline of democracy in the Philippines and Thailand, and the political crisis still plaguing Malaysia's young democracy, this leadership has also extended to the democratic realm -- with Indonesia being the most stable and consolidated democracy among ASEAN members at present.

The country, therefore, is in a better position to push ASEAN towards a more democratic direction. ASEAN, through the years, has incorporated "democracy" and "human rights" on its institutional documents, but a lot much needs to be done to translate this into reality -- as what the ongoing Myanmar political crisis suggests.

How can Indonesia use its position to strengthen ASE ...