A Study Of Canadian ODA To Indonesia(1953-1966)

Official development assistance(ODA)was important means for Canada to develop its external relations as a "medium power" after World War II,and it is also one of the core elements of its foreign policy.Canada which used to focus only on Europe and the North Atlantic began to focus on Asia due to Indonesia’s decolonization dispute.In the process of peaceful settlement of disputes,Canada not only realized the importance of the status of Indonesia,but also gradually formed the policy of dealing with Asian issues from the political perspective of the British Commonwealth,NATO and the United Nations.In Canada,commonwealth as a bridge between East and West provides organizational framework for Colombo Plan.After Indonesia formally joined the Colombo Plan in 1953,Canada began to provide official development assistance to Indonesia until the fall of the Sukarno regime in 1966.Official development assistance under the Colombo Plan was the only channel for official diplomatic relations between Canada and Indonesia.During this period,Indonesia experienced a period of cabinet governor which advocated development,a period of "guiding democracy" which emphasized economic development and political construction and the "era of confrontation" which broke with the West.Canada experienced three periods of St.Laurent Cabinet,Diefenbeck Cabinet and Pearson Cabinet.Since the timing of the regime change between the two sides is basically the same,assistance in this period can be divided into three typical development stages.From the time of St.Laurent’s Cabinet,Canada began to provide technology-based assistance to Indonesia,but the capital assistance in planing was not implemented in time;in Definbeck Cabinet period,Indonesia obtained more assistance due to the increase in the overall amount of Canadian assistance,especially the wheat which was a new assistance content in this period;In the Pearson Cabinet,Canada still maintained the aid it provided to Indonesia in the previous period.Because of the the confrontation between Sukarno and Malaysia,there was deterioration of the relations between Indonesia and the British Commonwealth.Canada stopped its assistance to Indonesia and increased its assistance to Malaysia because of its attention to the British Commonwealth.Canada did not resume its assistance to Indonesia until the Suharto regime implemented the "new order".The paper takes the change of regime in Indonesia and its attitude towards foreign assistance,the change of Canadian regime and assistance policy as two main lines to make a comprehensive study of Canada’s official development assistance to Indonesia from 1953 to 1966.Through the comparison of the two clues,it clearly reveals the impact of factors such as the British Commonwealth,the United States,the United Nations and national interests on Canadian assistance to Indonesia.