March 21, 2025
JAKARTA – The House of Representatives passed on Thursday the controversial revision to the Indonesian Military (TNI) Law, sparking major protests in several cities as critics fear that the new law will undermine democracy and usher in a resurgence of the armed forces’ role in civilian affairs.
In the past month, critics have decried the plan to revise the law, warning that such a move ran the risk of taking the country back to the authoritarian New Order regime led by former president Soeharto, when active-duty military officers were able to take on civilian positions without having to resign from the service.
Despite widespread public opposition, the House, which is dominated by political parties supporting President Prabowo Subianto, unanimously approved the law’s revision during a plenary session on Thursday morning.
House Speaker Puan Maharani of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the only de facto opposition party, banged the gavel twice at the plenary after asking for lawmakers’ approval to pass the bill.
“We, along with the government, stress that the amendment remains based on democratic principles, civilian supremacy and human rights, in line with national and international law,” Puan said.
The legislation revises the previous 2004 TNI law, a landmark reform of policy on the country’s armed forces aimed at reining in the military’s deep reach in civil affairs during Soeharto’s era. His ouster in 1998 formally ended the long-standing dwifungsi (dual function) doctrine of the military in civilian affairs.
The revised law increases the number of state institutions to which military officers can be appointed without having to retire early from the service from 10 to 14. The new legislation also expands the TNI’s non-combat operations and extends sitting officers’ retirement age.
Defending the revision, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the amendment was necessary because “geopolitical changes and global military technology require the military to transform […] to face conventional and nonconventional conflicts”.
“Indonesia must have a realistic defense strategy to be able to survive, to withstand the evolving dynamics that threaten the survival of the nation,” he said. “We will never disappoint the Indonesian people in safeguarding the sovereignty of our country.”
Angry protests
Hours before the plenary session, a group of students had camped at the back gate of the Senayan legislative complex to pressure lawmakers to refrain from passing the revision that they fear could blur the boundaries between the military and civilian spheres.
By Thursday afternoon, the crowd protesting outside the legislative complex had grown to hundreds, with some holding banners that read “Repeal the TNI Law!”, “Return the military to barracks!” and “Maintain civilian supremacy!”.
The student protesters, joined under the banner of the National Association of University Student Executive Bodies (BEM SI) that represent student associations from universities across the country, vowed to continue protesting until their demands were met: the reversal of the revision and removal of all active military personnel from civilian posts.
As evening approached, tensions grew as some protesters set fire to tires and attempted to force their way through the House gate, which had been locked by security personnel since the plenary session started. The protesters struck the gate with stones, shattering a window in a security post.
More than 5,000 military and police personnel with water cannons and tactical vehicles were deployed to secure the Senayan legislative complex, according to the police. Security personnel also set up concrete fences to block the complex’s front gate on Jl. Gatot Subroto.
Protests also broke out in several other cities, such as Yogyakarta, Surabaya in East Java, Makassar in South Sulawesi and Surakarta in Central Java. Protesters, composed of students and activists, rallied in key spots to call on the government to revoke the revised TNI Law.
No meaningful participation
Critics have slammed the expedited and secretive nature of the lawmaking process, accusing the House of undermining transparency and democratic practices in the law drafting process that should have involved meaningful participation from the public.
“It’s ironic how we are here in 2025 still demanding access for public participation in policymaking; something that we should already have,” said Titi Anggraini, law expert at the University of Indonesia, in a discussion on Wednesday.
The new TNI Law was passed roughly a month after President Prabowo sent a letter in February to the legislature requesting the deliberation of a revision to the TNI Law. The request was sent amid growing concerns of militarism since the President, a former Army general, trusted the military to handle several of his flagship programs.
The deliberation on the revision was also marred by lawmakers and government officials holding unscheduled, closed-door meetings at a luxury hotel in Jakarta over the last weekend to work on the bill. Human rights activists stormed the meeting to call for the lawmakers to halt the deliberation, only to be forcibly removed by security guards.
“President Prabowo appears intent on restoring the TNI’s role in civilian affairs, which was long characterized by widespread abuses and impunity,” Andreas Harsono, senior Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in a statement.
“The government rushing to pass these amendments undercuts its expressed commitment to human rights and accountability.” (gmb)