Indonesia's Megawati calls for Asian-African unity on Palestine issue

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's fifth president, Megawati Soekarnoputri, has suggested that Asian and African leaders reconvene to follow up on the 1955 Bandung Conference and address the ongoing struggles of nations still under colonial rule, particularly Palestine.

Ahmad Basarah, an elite member of the Central Leadership Board of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), which Megawati chairs, made this proposal public.

"Madam Megawati has shared her idea with me, urging leaders of Asian and African nations to organize a meeting to evaluate the impact of the Asian-African Conference on its 70th anniversary," he stated during a PDIP discussion held in Jakarta on Saturday.

He noted that the former president had observed that the stability of the global geopolitical environment is being challenged by rising tensions among countries at the bilateral, regional, and international levels.

With that in mind, Basarah emphasized that Megawati considers it essential for relevant nations to draw inspiration from the Asian-African Conference and produce impactful decisions that uphold the Ten Principles of Bandung.

These principles—also known as the Bandung Spirit or the Bandung Declaration—represent shared commitments to world peace, mutual respect for sovereignty, and international cooperation voiced by the countries participating in the 1955 conference in Bandung, West Java.

According to Basarah, a second edition of the historic conference could help Indonesia reaffirm its consistent stance against colonialism, an internationally condemned practice that the people of Palestine continue to face.

He stressed that Megawati envisions the proposed gathering not as a mere nostalgic event but as a platform facilitating Global South countries to unify their stance against Israel’s occupation of Palestine and other global injustices.

"The second Asian-African Conference is expected to serve as a platform for garnering moral and political power in pursuit of global justice," he stated.