Vol. IV / No. 7 | December 2024

Authors:
Danny Widiatmo (MA Students in Asia-Pacific Studies, College of Social Sciences, National Chengchi University, Taipei)

Summary
Postage stamps are one of the most important official documents issued by the government of a state. Although the main function of postage stamps is the currency for postal services, it does have a greater meaning for many countries relating to their international politics. This short article argues that postage stamps become a very important tool to observe and analyze the state’s symbolic gestures of foreign policy and positions on the international phenomena. First, for many under-recognized countries or nationalist movements, postage stamps become a tool of sovereignty, marking their existence in the international community. Second, as the postage stamps often commemorate bilateral friendship and multilateral participation, the philatelic collection could also reflect countries’ political dynamic and transformation which might influence their foreign policy. Lastly, it could also show how states show solidarity, stances, and alliances, towards one another. For Indonesia, studying postage stamps issued by Pos Indonesia could also help understand the transformation of its foreign policy, and observing other countries’ stamps on Indonesia, on the other hand, could reflect something else for its international relations.

Keywords: postage stamps, philately, international politics, foreign policy

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