This book examines Indonesias post-Aceh tsunami disaster management through the lens of a multifaceted foreign policy decision-making process involving a variety of bureaucratic actors. It argues that organizational structure and bargaining aspects are as important as power and interests in explaining foreign policy making in the Indonesian context.

When the Aceh tsunami struck in late 2004, the use of foreign military assets in responding to natural disasters was not a common feature in Indonesian historyJakarta remained reticent to engage foreign military enclaves within its own territories. This greatly affected Indonesias security cooperation with other countries, including Australia. Prior to the Aceh tsunami, natural disaster management was a domestic political issue. The unprecedented decision by the government of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to approve foreign military assistance for military operations other than war (MOOTW) in Aceh was a result of domestic and international factors.

This book addresses timely yet fundamental questions about Indonesian foreign policy decision making that led to the involvement of foreign militaries in the countrys worst-ever natural disaster. As a former colony that prized the value of non-interference, the Indonesian government had to make a difficult decision about whether to accept offers of international assistance from countries including Australia. With this, the book explores why the Indonesian government decided to approve Australian humanitarian assistance following the 2004 Aceh tsunami, and how governmental agencies managed this assistance.

Emilia Yustiningrum completed her PhD at Griffith University in 2021. She is a researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), formerly known as the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Indonesia. Her research interests cover international relations, foreign policy, and natural disasters.

Chapter 1: Foreign Military in Post Natural Disaster Management.- Chapter 2: Analytical Framework and Methodology.- Chapter 3: The Aceh Tsunami and The Australian Defence Force.- Chapter 4: Natural Disasters and Indonesian Foreign Policy Making.- Chapter 5: Institutional Arrangement.- Chapter 6: Domestic Support and Opposition.- Chapter 7: The International Environment.- Chapter 8: Policy Relevance: Executive Dominance, Military Decline and Parliamentary Assertiveness.