Indonesian Parliament Demands End to Middle East Wars, Reaffirms Non-Aligned Diplomacy
MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani called for immediate cessation of armed conflicts in the Middle East during the 2026 Annual Session, reinforcing Indonesia's six-decade commitment to independent foreign policy and peaceful dispute resolution.
Indonesian Parliament Demands End to Middle East Wars, Reaffirms Non-Aligned Diplomacy
Indonesia's People's Consultative Assembly has issued a forceful appeal for an immediate end to military conflicts in the Middle East and across the globe, with Speaker Ahmad Muzani declaring that attacks on sovereign nations cannot be justified under any circumstances.
Addressing the 2026 Annual Session of the MPR and Joint Session of the House of Representatives and Regional Representatives Council at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Friday, Muzani emphasized that territorial sovereignty and political independence must be respected universally. The session, attended by 629 out of 732 MPR members, also drew President Prabowo Subianto, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming, ministers of the Merah Putih Cabinet, DPR Chairperson Puan Maharani, and DPD Chairperson Sultan Baktiar Najamudin.
No country should feel entitled to determine the fate of another nation.
Muzani stated in his address. He urged world leaders to prioritize diplomatic engagement and sustained dialogue over military action, insisting that nations must demonstrate patience in pursuing negotiated settlements to international disputes.
The world does not need war; the world needs the courage to make peace.
Muzani declared, defining genuine peace as the exercise of restraint and the elevation of human life above political ambitions and power struggles.
Constitutional Foundation for Peace
The MPR Speaker grounded his appeal in Indonesia's constitutional framework, noting that the nation's founding document mandates active participation in maintaining world order based on independence, eternal peace, and social justice. This constitutional commitment reflects Indonesia's bebas aktif (independent and active) foreign policy doctrine, originally articulated by the country's first Vice President Mohammad Hatta over six decades ago. The principle, which has served as the bedrock of Indonesian diplomacy since independence in 1945, means Indonesia does not align with global powers while vigorously pursuing peaceful policies and actively participating in the peaceful settlement of international disputes.
Muzani stressed that this independent and active foreign policy requires Indonesia to remain non-aligned and to reject war as a legitimate means of settling disputes between nations. The approach positions Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic nation spanning more than 17,000 islands and the third-largest democracy by population with over 280 million people, as a voice for diplomatic solutions in an increasingly polarized world.
Presidential Philosophy of Friendship
Invoking a principles-based diplomatic philosophy, Muzani quoted President Prabowo Subianto's oft-repeated maxim:
A thousand friends are too few, while one enemy is too many.
This philosophy has been a central pillar of Prabowo's foreign policy vision since his tenure as defense minister and throughout his presidential campaign. The president emphasized the principle in his inaugural address in October 2024 and has promoted it on the international stage, even reciting it in Mandarin during a November 2024 visit to Beijing.
Independence Day Celebrations
The parliamentary session was conducted as part of state proceedings commemorating the 81st Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia's Independence, which falls on August 17. The 2026 celebrations were organized under the theme "Sovereign, Just, and Prosperous Indonesia," with official ceremonies taking place at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.
The MPR, as the highest constitutional body in Indonesia's parliamentary structure, serves to safeguard Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). Together with the DPR and DPD, the MPR comprises Indonesia's parliamentary framework and plays a central role in upholding the nation's founding principles.
Muzani, who has served as Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly since October 3, 2024, after previously holding the position of Deputy Speaker from 2018 to 2024, also served as Secretary-General of the Gerindra Party from 2008 to 2025. His address reinforced Indonesia's longstanding position that sovereignty and self-determination are non-negotiable principles in international relations, and that diplomatic engagement must always take precedence over military confrontation.