Why Indonesia’s new military law has sparked outrage: ‘We’re going backwards’

Amendments to 2004 Armed Forces Law give military direct role in public life

Contentious legal revisions giving the military an expanded role in government has sparked outrage in Indonesia and raised fears of a slide back towards the country’s authoritarian past.

The Indonesian parliament on Thursday voted unanimously to amend the 2004 Armed Forces Law to allow serving military officers to hold crucial civilian positions.

The amendments were pushed by the coalition government of Prabowo Subianto, a former army general and son-in-law of former dictator Suharto.

The revisions raise the retirement age for four-star generals from 60 to 63 years and allow non-commissioned officers to serve until they are 55.

They also give the president the authority to appoint military personnel to various ministries as needed, according to the draft.

The legal revisions, pro-democracy activists and analysts say, could mark a return to Indonesia’s authoritarian past when Suharto ruled for 32 years.

It was a period when the military played a role in both defence and governance, ensuring its dominance.

In protest against the revised law, violent demonstrations erupted in the capital Jakarta as enraged citizens broke through the fence of the House of Representatives building.

Police used water cannons to break up the crowds of protesters attempting to storm the building, causing injuries to many.

Some of the protesters carried banners saying, “Return the military to the barracks!" and "Against militarism and oligarchy”.

Indonesian activists hold placards during a protest against the revision of the military law in front of the parliament building in Jakarta (EPA)

Activists fear that allowing the military into civilian positions will restore the "dual function" of the armed services they saw during Suharto’s rule.

Al Araf, director of the rights group Imparsial, said the new law was inconsistent with the spirit of the reforms that followed the end of Suharto’s dictatorship in 1998 and returned the military to the barracks.

"The move has the potential to restore the authoritarian system," Mr Araf said.

That the amendments were discussed behind closed doors, in secrecy and with little public input, has also triggered anger.

The latest draft was introduced less than a month ago, following a letter to the House from Mr Subianto endorsing the bill.

Protesters react as Indonesian police spray water to disperse them during a demonstration against the revision to the country's military law outside the parliament building in Jakarta (EPA)

Pro-democracy activists discovered that lawmakers and government officials met in secret to discuss draft revisions at a five-star hotel in South Jakarta on 15 March.

Human rights groups warn that expanding the military’s role beyond defence will compromise its impartiality. Andreas Harsono, senior Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the government’s rush to adopt these amendments undercuts its expressed commitment to human rights and accountability.

“President Prabowo appears intent on restoring the Indonesian military’s role in civilian affairs, which were long characterised by widespread abuses and impunity,” he said in a statement.

The Indonesian Association of Families of the Disappeared, or KontraS, which advocates for justice for victims of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and state violence during the Suharto era, said it will open “the door to power abuse”, and weaken democracy.

“Worse, this revision is being discussed behind closed doors without public participation. Activists opposing it are facing intimidation,” the group said in a statement.

Police use water cannons on protesters in Jakarta (EPA)

Dominique Nicky Fahrizal, a researcher at Indonesia's Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said on Thursday that the way the law was drafted could prompt backlash.

"Autocratic legalism will damage the foundations of constitutional democracy because it exploits loopholes in the construction of legal thought," he said.

Defence minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin defended the amendment, saying it was necessary because “geopolitical changes and global military technology require the military to transform … to face conventional and nonconventional conflicts”.

"We will never disappoint the Indonesian people in maintaining the sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia," he said.

Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest against the revision of the country's military law outside the parliament building in Jakarta (EPA)

However, Laksmana, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the revisions did not address the problems faced by the Indonesian military such as adding resources for training and standardisation of hardware.

In 1965, following a failed coup attempt, General Suharto led a violent purge, killing an estimated 500,000 to a million people, mostly accused communists and leftists. This event paved the way for his authoritarian rule, known as the New Order. During his rule, a military-backed autocracy suppressed opposition, rigged elections, and controlled the media.

The military held “dual function” roles in defence and governance and dissent against it was met with harsh measures.

Usman Hamid, head of Amnesty International in Indonesia who protested against Suharto during the New Order era, warned of the past returning.

"Activists were kidnapped and some have not returned home. And today it feels like we're going backwards," he said.