Indonesia’s parliament passed contentious revisions to the country’s military Bill on Thursday, sparking fears of a return to authoritarian practices and prompting street protests from student and civil society groups. The changes, which expand the scope of military officers in civilian roles, have drawn widespread criticism for potentially undermining democratic institutions.
The Bill’s approval, led by Speaker Puan Maharani, was unanimous in a plenary session. Defending the law, Maharani stated that it aligns with democratic principles and human rights, though critics have strongly disputed that claim.
The revised law allows military officers to hold positions in civilian departments such as the state secretariat and the Attorney General’s Office. While the government has assured that officers must resign from active duty before assuming such roles, civil society groups worry that these changes could erode civilian oversight of the military.
Concerns were amplified by the absence of restrictions on military involvement in state-owned businesses, a provision that lawmakers debated but ultimately left unchanged. Lawmaker Nico Siahaan, who participated in drafting the revisions, confirmed that the legislation did not address this aspect, fueling speculation about an increased military presence in sectors beyond security and defense.
President Prabowo Subianto, a former general who once served under Indonesia’s longtime strongman Suharto, has already pushed for broader military involvement in civilian matters, including his flagship free meal program for children. Critics argue that these moves reflect a gradual but deliberate shift toward greater military influence in governance.
Rights groups have condemned the revisions, warning of potential human rights violations and abuses of power. Evan Laksmana, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, argued that the legislation does not address core military challenges such as training resources and hardware standardization. Instead, he pointed out, the law extends the retirement age of officers, which could reduce professionalism within the armed forces by limiting promotion opportunities for younger personnel.
Activists fear that Indonesia may be regressing toward the “New Order” era, a period when Suharto’s military-dominated regime suppressed dissent and controlled civilian affairs with an iron grip. Amnesty International Indonesia head Usman Hamid, who once protested against Suharto, voiced deep concerns about the past repeating itself.
“Activists were kidnapped, and some have never returned home. Today, it feels like we are going backwards,” Hamid warned.
In response to the law’s passage, hundreds of students took to the streets outside the parliamentary building in Jakarta. Protesters held signs reading “New Order Strikes Back” and “Take the Military Back to the Barracks,” drawing direct comparisons between Prabowo’s administration and Suharto’s authoritarian rule.
Some students burned tires, while others attempted to breach the gates of the parliamentary compound. Television footage showed security forces pushing back demonstrators. Many students had camped at the back entrance of the building overnight, demanding a reversal of the decision and the removal of military personnel from civilian posts.
Police officers moved in to disperse the protesters, but some refused to leave, according to an unnamed demonstrator who spoke to Reuters. Military personnel were also deployed to assist the police in securing the parliamentary compound, an action that further fueled public fears about growing military intervention in governance.
Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin defended the revised law before parliament, arguing that global security challenges and military technological advancements necessitate a transformation in Indonesia’s armed forces. However, he provided few specifics on how these changes would enhance national security beyond integrating military personnel into civilian roles.
Government officials insist that the revisions will not lead to military overreach. They argue that the reforms aim to modernize Indonesia’s defense strategy in response to both conventional and unconventional threats, including cybersecurity, terrorism, and regional conflicts.
While the government has framed the Bill as a necessary step toward strengthening national security, opposition voices see it as a dangerous precedent that weakens democratic safeguards. Analysts fear that allowing military officers to occupy key civilian positions could blur the lines between governance and military control, potentially diminishing civilian oversight.
Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, has worked for decades to establish a system of civilian rule after Suharto’s fall in 1998. The military’s gradual retreat from politics has been a cornerstone of this transition. However, the new legislation threatens to reverse some of these democratic gains by reinforcing the armed forces’ role in governance.
The extension of retirement ages and the potential for officers to enter the civilian workforce without strict limitations could lead to an entrenched military bureaucracy with enduring influence over policy and governance. This has raised alarms among democracy advocates who fear a creeping militarization of Indonesian institutions.
Despite assurances from lawmakers, protests are expected to continue as activists push back against what they see as an encroachment on Indonesia’s civilian rule. With Prabowo Subianto at the helm, concerns over military influence in government are unlikely to subside, especially given his background as a former general with strong military ties.
The future of Indonesia’s democracy hinges on whether civil society, opposition groups, and watchdog organizations can counterbalance these developments. With elections and political shifts on the horizon, the resistance against military overreach will likely remain a defining issue in the country’s political landscape.
For now, the passage of the revised military Bill marks a turning point—one that could either strengthen Indonesia’s security framework or push the nation closer to its authoritarian past. The coming months will determine whether democracy prevails or whether the echoes of Suharto’s rule grow louder once more.
