Analysis: What Military in Government Means for Indonesia's Democracy

TaiwanPlus News

Policy analyst Deasy Simandjuntak says that Indonesia's amendment to allow military officials to serve in civilian government was an intriguing initiative of parliament rather than the military. She also raises concerns of accountability and the role civil society will play in protecting Indonesia's democracy.

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00:00So, what can we expect from the Prabowo administration now that the amendment to Indonesia's military

00:05law of 2004 has been passed?

00:07I see a strengthening of the military over the civilian leadership, you know, going forward.

00:15And this is disconcerting.

00:17The revision of the military law was the initiative of the parliament and not of the commander

00:24of the armed forces.

00:26So this is bewildering.

00:27If we go deeper here, the question would be, when these military officers commit corruption

00:34or fraud or other offenses connected to their civilian positions, will they be tried in

00:41civilian or military courts?

00:44This is one of the fundamental questions if we are to establish civilian supremacy in

00:50a democratic country.

00:52Indonesia developed into a democratic society after the downfall of the Suharto regime in

00:571998.

00:58What impact will these new legal amendments have on the country's democracy?

01:02This revision of the military law is one in a string of new laws or law revisions or policies

01:12that pose a challenge to the fundamental basis of Indonesia's democracy in general.

01:16The silver lining is, I mean, we have to have a silver lining in all situations, that this

01:22situation actually strengthens civil society in Indonesia.

01:26Civil society is interestingly the one keeping the checks and balances mechanism still working

01:31in Indonesia albeit from outside of the system and in a time when democratic institutions

01:38are severely weakened.

01:40Are there any other ways civil society can ensure accountability of military officials

01:45in the civilian government?

01:46I think the first thing I expect that the civil society would consider to ask for a

01:50judicial review from the constitutional court, especially because we know that the parliament

01:57had not followed the principle of meaningful participation during their deliberation of

02:02the bill, which should have adequately included the society, right?

02:07Another way also is to continue critically observing and protesting.

02:14Continuing being vigilant is important, but of course it would take a lot of civil society

02:18energy, but we don't have any other choice.

02:22This is important for Indonesia's democracy going forward.

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