Every natural disaster subjects a nation to a dual test. The first is a test of capacity: how swiftly and effectively the state can protect, assist, and recover its citizens. The second, often less acknowledged but no less important, is a test of character: how the state understands human suffering and how it communicates that understanding to its own people and to the world.

In recent weeks, Indonesia has faced a series of natural disasters across several regions, notably Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The grief and hardship endured by affected communities should have been the central focus of public attention. Instead, much of the domestic and international discourse has been dominated by an influx of statements from public officials and legislators, defensive reactions to legitimate public questions, and the rejection of foreign assistance offers. Together, these responses have generated confusion, unease, and unnecessary controversy.

The central issue is not whether Indonesia has the sovereign right to accept or decline foreign assistance. That authority is unquestionable. The more consequential issue lies in how such decisions are explained, the tone in which they are conveyed, and the degree of empathy that accompanies them. In an era of instantaneous information flows, there is no longer such a thing as a statement intended solely for domestic audiences. Every official remark is global, immediate, and often stripped of nuance once it circulates beyond its original context.

This is precisely where public diplomacy should play a decisive role. Yet at a critical moment, diplomacy appears to have been displaced by impulsive communication — a familiar pattern of speaking first and reflecting later. The result has been neither calm firmness nor principled clarity, but defensive noise; not reassurance, but confusion amplified across public discourse.

In contemporary international relations, disaster response has become an essential component of soft power. States that respond with openness, composure, and empathy tend to build trust and credibility. Those that appear reactive, dismissive, or defensive risk creating distance — not only morally, but strategically. The international community does not measure nations by the perfection of their systems, but by the maturity of their conduct when circumstances are most demanding.

Many countries have learned this lesson through experience. Japan, for example, has accepted and coordinated international assistance following major disasters without perceiving any loss of dignity. Turkey and New Zealand have similarly demonstrated that openness in humanitarian crises can reinforce, rather than weaken, a nation’s standing. Sovereignty is not eroded by empathy; reputation is eroded when empathy is absent.

For Indonesia, which often presents itself as a responsible middle power, these recent developments should prompt serious reflection. International credibility is not built through slogans, rhetorical assertions, or ceremonial statements. It is built through consistent behavior under pressure. A country that seeks to be trusted as a trading partner, an investment destination, and a regional stakeholder must demonstrate reasonableness and sensitivity in the most basic of circumstances: when its own people are suffering.

Equally troubling is the growing gap between political elites and the public. Statements that appear to trivialize hardship, or legislative responses that lack sensitivity, widen a dangerous psychological distance. Over time, natural disasters risk transforming into crises of trust. Such erosion weakens not only domestic legitimacy, but also Indonesia’s standing abroad.

In these moments, the international reaction is not always outrage. More often, it is bewilderment — sometimes even quiet mockery. This is far more difficult to repair than open criticism. When Indonesia appears to be “laughed at,” the object of ridicule is not the suffering of its people, but the manner in which those in power respond to that suffering.

The world does not expect Indonesia to be flawless. It expects Indonesia to remain rational, empathetic, and mature — qualities that form the foundation of genuine leadership. Leadership is not defined by the ability to control narratives, but by the willingness to listen to voices beyond the inner circles of power.

Natural disasters lie beyond human control. But the state’s attitude, the words chosen by its officials, and the way authority is exercised remain firmly within human agency. This is where leadership is truly tested — not through displays of strength, but through wisdom. The Prophet Muhammad once observed, in a saying recorded by al-Tirmidhi, that “the best of people are those who are most beneficial to others.”

This message is universal. In the context of statehood, being “beneficial” is reflected not only in policies, budgets, and logistics, but also in empathy, humility, and a genuine willingness to listen to those far removed from centers of power — those who live with uncertainty, loss, and the immediate consequences of decisions made elsewhere.

If Indonesia wishes to remain respected — rather than merely feared or admired in theory — the most important lesson from this series of disasters is not technical. It is about how the state relearns the essential act of being human.

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Iman Pambagyo is the Trade Ministry’s Director General of International Trade Negotiations (2012-2014, 2016-2020) and Indonesia’s Ambassador to the WTO (2014-2015).

The views expressed in this article are those of the author.

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