By Tria Dianti
Indonesia’s legislature has fast-tracked discussions on a bill to revise the country’s military law with provisions that may expand the armed forces’ role in civilian governance – a move critics warn could erode decades of democratic progress.
The legislature, largely controlled by allies of President Prabowo Subianto – a former general with ties to Indonesia’s authoritarian past – has prioritized advancing the bill.
Proposed revisions may expand the roles of active-duty military officers in civilian government agencies. BenarNews could not verify a Reuters report, which quoted the defense minister as saying that any military appointee would have to retire from the service to take a civilian position.
Analysts and activists say the proposed changes could entrench military influence in bureaucracy, undermining civilian supremacy and weakening institutional checks on military power.
Here’s what you need to know about the proposed changes and why they’re drawing strong reactions.
What does the new bill propose?
The proposed amendment to the 2004 Law on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) introduces several changes aimed at expanding the military’s role beyond defense.
The 2004 law itself was a landmark reform that reduced the military’s role in civil affairs. It stripped the armed forces of their political representation in parliament and formally ended the long-standing “dual function” (dwifungsi) doctrine, which had allowed the military to intervene in civilian governance.Prabowo Subianto, then an Indonesian presidential candidate, greets army chiefs during celebrations for the 67th anniversary of the Indonesian Army Special Forces in Jakarta, April 24, 2019. (Willy Kurniawan/Reuters)
The revision expands the roles of active-duty military officers in civilian government agencies, adding institutions such as the Attorney General’s Office and the National Counterterrorism Agency to the list of eligible placements, according to a draft bill shared by Amnesty International Indonesia.
However, Reuters quoted Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as saying that a new provision had been added to draft bill, according to which any military officer assigned to a ministry or state agency must retire.
“We could only propose them to [be assigned to] a ministry or state agency after their retirement,” he told reporters, according to Reuters.
Currently, military personnel are permitted to serve in only 10 specific ministries and state institutions, such as the Ministry of Defense, the National Intelligence Agency and the Search and Rescue Agency.
A new clause would also grant the president the authority to appoint military personnel to other ministries as needed, according to the draft.
It broadens the military’s non-combat functions, allowing members to serve in institutions that deal with cybersecurity, narcotics enforcement, and other domestic affairs.
Why is this controversial?
Indonesia has spent the past 25 years limiting the military’s involvement in politics and civilian governance.
Under the late President Suharto’s New Order regime (1966–1998), the armed forces exercised a “dual function” (dwifungsi), controlling both security and administrative affairs.
Post-Suharto reforms sought to dismantle this structure, ensuring that military officers remained within the defense sector and under civilian oversight to prevent abuses of power.
Critics argue that the proposed bill risks reviving military dominance in governance by giving active-duty officers more influence over civilian institutions.
The proposed changes could affect military conduct or human rights violations cases where impartiality is crucial to ensuring justice, indicated Virdika Rizky Utama, a researcher at the Jakarta-based think-tank PARA Syndicate.
“How can active-duty officers in the Attorney General’s Office remain impartial when they are still bound by military command?” he asked.
“If the military gains influence over the justice system, who will hold them accountable?”
Opponents also argue that the bill would increase military control over non-defense sectors, including food security and national infrastructure projects.
How does this affect Indonesia’s democracy?
The bill raises concerns about civil-military relations in a country that has worked hard to transition to democracy.
Human rights groups warn that increased military involvement in governance could weaken civilian control and blur the lines between defense and law enforcement.
A report by a Jakarta-based security and human rights watchdog group Imparsial found that, even before the bill’s revision, at least 2,569 active-duty officers were serving in civilian roles, some of them outside the legal framework.
The concern is that formalizing this trend will make it harder to roll back in the future.
“This risks weakening the principle of civilian supremacy in governance and could lead to military dominance within the civil bureaucracy,” said Dimas Bagus Arya, a coordinator at the human rights group KontraS.
Why is the bill being criticized for lack of transparency?
One of the biggest criticisms of the bill is the way it has been discussed – behind closed doors, with little public input.
The latest draft was introduced less than a month ago, following a letter to the House from President Prabowo endorsing the bill.
Lawmakers fast-tracked discussions, meeting last Friday and Saturday at a luxury hotel in Jakarta – an unusual move given the government’s ongoing austerity measures.
“What’s the urgency?” asked Muhammad Isnur, chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation. “Why rush it? And why discuss it at an expensive hotel? People have every right to be suspicious.”
During a protest on Saturday, two activists were forcibly removed from the hotel after attempting to disrupt the meeting. Amnesty International Indonesia condemned the incident, saying it violated the right to peaceful protest.
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said on Monday that it had received accounts of security personnel at the hotel reporting some activists to the police for allegedly disturbing public order and resisting state officials on duty.
“APHR was also informed that the office of KontraS – one of the member organizations in the Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform was subjected to terror tactics, actions that undermine democratic debate and erode public trust in government institutions,” the organization comprising Southeast Asian lawmakers said in a statement.
On Sunday, a coalition of 186 civil society organizations started collecting signatures for a petition against the bill, gathering nearly 7,500 within 24 hours.
How is the government justifying the bill?
Minister of State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi denied that the proposed amendments would roll back democratic gains.
“No, absolutely not. We can assure you that the revisions to the TNI Law will not bring back the dual function,” Prasetyo told reporters.
The government and the House of Representatives argue that the bill is necessary for national security and modernization. The Ministry of Defense has said it is necessary to adapt to modern threats, such as cyber warfare and transnational crime.
Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), insisted that concerns over expanded military influence in civilian affairs were misplaced.
“The objections I’ve seen on social media misrepresent the actual content of the bill,” Sufmi told reporters on Monday.
“There’s been speculation about a revival of the military’s dual function, but if you look at the revisions, it’s clear that we at the DPR remain committed to upholding civilian supremacy,” he said.
What happens next?
Lawmakers plan to finish reviewing the bill before its recess on March 21, ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday. With the legislature largely controlled by Prabowo’s allies, critics worry it will sail through with little opposition.
Civil society groups suspect the timing is deliberate, pushing the bill through when public attention is likely to be elsewhere.
For many Indonesians, the debate is about the future of their democracy.
Bivitri Susanti, a constitutional law expert at the Center for Law and Policy Studies, said that the proposed revisions allowing military personnel in civilian governance could reduce accountability and concentrate power.
“Placing a military mindset within a system meant to be democratic will inevitably have serious consequences,” Bivitri told BenarNews.
“It would lead to authoritarianism.”
Arie Firdaus in Jakarta contributed to this report.