Jakarta, April 20 -- The Bandung Conference or the Asian-African Conference, which gave birth to the "Bandung Principles" or "Bandung Declaration" or "Bandung Spirit", took place this week 71 years ago.

Held in Bandung, West Java, from April 18-24, 1955, the conference brought together nations united by the aspiration to engage in relations on an equal and independent footing, and to free the world from domination by superpowers.

The noble goals were summarized in the Bandung Principles, calling countries to respect each other's sovereignty, reject oppression by one country of another, and advance mutual interest for common wealth and peace.

The 10 tenets of the Bandung Principles are:

1. Respect for fundamental human rights and for t...