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The series of terrorist bomb attacks that occured over the last couple of years in Indonesia has attracted great attention from both political analysts and policy makers alike. The Bali bombings in October 2002, the Marriott hotel bombing in August 2003 and the Australian embassy bombing in September 2004 have one thing in common: The targets of these attacks were Western people and properties.

At the same time Indonesia has continued to democratize its political system and has successfully held relatively open and fair general and direct presidential elections from April to October 2004. Dealing with the issue of global terrorism and the continuing democratization of Indonesia are, therefore, two important agendas that cannot be delayed. On top of that, there is an expectation that the two agendas should not conflict with each other. The demand for a more effective security in combating terrorism should not sacrifice democratic principles and human rights. In fact, the strengthening of religious and civil rights groups as part of the democratization project may support the promotion of political pluralism in Indonesia.

The main purpose of this seminar is to make clear how the rise of terrorism in and the development of democratization in Indonesia have affected each other. Therefore, the crucial aspects of inter-linkages between the two phenomena will be explored by analysts from various professional backgrounds. The role of Westen donor countries in supporting the Indonesian government in combating terrorism and promoting democracy is an international dimension of these issues. The seminar will also pay attention to how the two issues have affected Indonesian foreign policy behavior.