Speaking before heads of delegates and observers from 71 countries attending the two-day forum taking place at Westin Hotel's Nusantara ballroom, President Yudhoyono said democracy could indeed bring peace and stability if it was implemented seriously and consistently.
However, the nations were challenged by the absence of a term 'democracy had finished' and how to enable democracy to promote peace and stability amid different ways of nations to resolve problems of peace, he said.
The head of state also touched on Indonesia's experience of adopting and practicing democracy since the reformation era featured by the end of New Order regime era in 1998.
President Yudhoyono said Indonesia had undergone fair, peaceful and transparent parliamentary and presidential elections, and was able to resolve crucial Aceh question through the democratic approach of "dialogue and peaceful resolutions.
"The military approach cannot be used as the only means of resolution," he said.
"Thank God, with the 'win-win solution', the Aceh problem can be resolved with dignity," he said adding that Indonesia and East Timor could also solve their past matters by emphasizing the future democratically.
In dealing with the threats of terrorism, Indonesia did not ignore democratic and humanitarian principles, he said.
President Yudhoyono also reminded that democracy could be imposed or forced from "outside". Instead, it should be flourished within the people themselves.
The head of state also wanted Bali to be known by international communities as a popular tourist destination but also as part of the world's democratic icons.
Earlier, in his report to President Yudhoyono, Foreign Minister Marty M.Natalegawa, underlined the importance of the meeting's two day-dialogue among participants
The two-day meeting was co-chaired by President Yudhoyono and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak
Two other government leaders, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, and Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao of East Timor also joined this meeting themed "Democracy and the Promotion of Peace and Stability."
During the leaders' session, the participating leaders and heads of delegations focused on "democracy and the promotion of peace and stability" in their remarks. The first round of the leaders' session was chaired by President Yudhoyono.
As the BDF's co-chair, President Lee Myung-bak was given the first chance of delivering his speech at the leaders' session. He was then followed by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of Nepal Sujata Koirala, and Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd.
The second round of the BDF leaders' session was chaired by President Lee Myung-bak in which the foreign ministers of Malaysia, Iran, Bangladesh, Palestine, Japan and India expressed their views and perspectives.
The leaders' session would be followed by interactive sessions on Friday. At the session, representatives of participating countries will discuss ways under the democratic system to help prevent the occurrence and escalation of violent conflict, and the significance of democracy and economic development for peace-building.
The meeting is expected to produce a "chairman's statement". It contains comprehensive recommendations on the role of democracy in the promotion of peace and stability based on the participants' discussions.
The chairman's statement functions as a guide for the 2011 programs and activities of the Institute for Peace and Democracy.
President Yudhoyono and his South Korean counterpart, Lee Myung-bak, had also been scheduled to give a joint press statement on the the meeting's results.
The BDF was originally initiated by Indonesia and started in 2008 as the first intergovernmental forum in Asia about democracy.
At the first meeting in December 2008, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had emphasized "sharing experience, thoughts and ideas for cooperation to advance democracy" as the BDF's main objective.
At the time, the Indonesian head of state said "We are not trying to impose a particular model on any of us. We are not here to debate a commonly agreed definition of democracy for which I believe there is none."
"We have come here (to Bali) not to preach, not to point fingers. Indeed, we have come here to share our respective experience, our thoughts and or ideas for cooperation to advance democracy," President Yudhoyono said in his opening remark three years ago.(*)
: Nyoman Budhiana
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