On Monday, March 24, an all-out deadly clash broke out in Surabaya, Indonesia. Demonstrators took to the streets to protest against the country’s incredibly popular new military law. Ruth Sahayarathi Runsmiarti The Indonesian parliament has just passed a historic new omnibus law. It prevents active-duty military officers from taking leadership appointments in 14 civilian agencies without resigning their commission. This is a significant boost from the prior cap of 10 institutions. The revision has been strongly advocated by President Prabowo Subianto's coalition, aiming to expand the military's role beyond defense in a nation historically influenced by its powerful armed forces.
About 1,000 students and climate activists dressed in black turned out for the protest. It played out in front of a parliamentary building in East Java. They carried posters with messages such as "Reject the Military Law" and "The Military Should Return to the Barracks." These concerns were echoed by those protesting the new law. They fear it might return Indonesia to the repressive era of the late dictator Suharto, who used military force and ruled with an iron fist.
As tensions escalated, protesters began throwing stones, branches, and Molotov cocktails at the police officers who were stationed to protect the mostly peaceful demonstration. In response, authorities deployed water cannons to disperse the crowd at approximately 7:00 pm local time (1200 GMT). This violent confrontation was just one of many protests that broke out across Indonesian cities after the law’s enactment.
Fatkhul Khoir, a young and devoted human rights activist from the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), strongly criticized the condition. He pointed to the dangerous consequences of widening military power in civilian government agencies. His statements resonate with a growing concern amongst Indonesians who understand the dangers of the military expanding its role into civil governance.
The amendment to the armed forces law comes at an inopportune time for Indonesia. It needs to maintain an appropriate degree of civilian governance as opposed to military influence. The armed forces have always been uniquely tied to our nation’s story and collective memory. Yet many citizens are still understandably skittish about anything that could result in growing military hegemony.
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