Indonesia’s parliament today amended a law that allows military personnel to hold more government posts in a country marked by decades of military leadership, including that of General Suharto for more than 30 years.
The revision of the armed forces law, supported mainly by the coalition of President Prabowo Subianto, himself a former general, has drawn criticism from human rights movements, which denounce the growing role of the armed forces in civilian affairs.
The text, which had already been approved by a committee on Tuesday, raises fears of a return to the dictatorial era of Suharto, to whom President Prabowo was close, marked by the repression of political dissent.
Army officers could already serve in ten government agencies or institutions, including the Ministry of Defense, without resigning from military service.
According to the revised law, they will now be able to hold posts in 14 agencies in Indonesia, the third largest democracy in the world.
The institutions now accessible to them include the National Disaster Management Agency, the Attorney General’s Office, and those responsible for counterterrorism and maritime security.
The amendment was approved today, shortly after the start of voting in the Jakarta parliament, whose complex was protected by heavy security.
Student groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have called for protests today and urged Prabowo’s government to block the reform.
“President Prabowo appears determined to restore the Indonesian military’s role in civilian affairs, which have long been characterized by widespread [rights] violations and impunity,” said Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher for Human Rights Watch, quoted in a statement from the organization.
“The government’s rush to adopt these changes undermines its stated commitment to human rights and greater accountability,” the activist added.
The Indonesian Legal Aid Institute warned that the legislative overhaul would “take the country back 30 years”, referring to the era of dictator Suharto, who was accused of serious human rights violations during his leadership of the country (1967-1998).
Amnesty International and other NGOs stressed in a joint statement released this week that “the army is trained, educated and prepared for war, not for civilian positions”.
The son-in-law of the late Suharto, Prabowo, 73, won the 2024 elections after rehabilitating his image in a campaign boosted by the support of his predecessor, the popular Joko Widodo, the only leader of the archipelago in recent decades from outside the traditional circles of power.
The election of Prabowo – accused for decades of human rights violations – marked the return of an authoritarian leader to the country with the largest number of Muslims in the world.
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