CIVICUS discusses amendments to Indonesia’s national military law with Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator for External Affairs at the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), an organisation that advocates for human rights and the abolition of the death penalty.

In March 2025, Indonesia’s parliament approved amendments to the military law, allowing active-duty officers to hold civilian roles without retiring from the armed forces. Passed with minimal public consultation, the law enables the military to expand its presence in civilian institutions. Civil society groups and human rights organisations have raised serious concerns that the amendments undermine democratic oversight, erode civilian supremacy and echo authoritarian practices from Indonesia’s past.

What has changed in Indonesia’s military law?

The amendments fundamentally alter the 2004 law governing the Indonesian National Armed Forces, expanding the military’s influence far beyond its traditional defence mandate. Most concerning is the increase in civilian government positions that active-duty officers can now occupy from 10 to 15.

These positions span agencies with no connection to defence, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Counterterrorism Agency. These roles do not require military expertise, yet the law allows military officers to occupy them without proper accountability mechanisms or oversight.

The law also broadens the definition of ‘military operations other than war’ to include cyber defence and protection of Indonesian citizens abroad, while raising the retirement age for some military roles.

This military expansion into civilian affairs undermines the principle of civilian supremacy, weakens democratic oversight and opens the door to deeper military penetration into civilian institutions and public policy.

What concerns you most about how these changes were implemented?

The process was alarmingly rushed and opaque. Parliament revised the law just one month after the government proposed the changes, with no meaningful public consultation. When KontraS and the Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform requested access to official documents and called for public debate, we were ignored and then labelled as provocateurs.

The consequences for Indonesia’s democracy could be severe. These amendments create a dual chain of command in civilian agencies, weakening civilian control and increasing the likelihood that decisions will bypass democratic scrutiny. The military’s new cyber defence mandate is particularly worrying, as it could facilitate surveillance and repression of online dissent.

These changes don’t exist in isolation: they reflect a troubling pattern that started in former President Joko Widodo’sadministration, with military influence in government steadily expanding. Several retired officers already hold key positions in civil institutions.

Perhaps most disturbing is how these amendments disregard longstanding demands for justice regarding for past military abuses. Families of those who suffered enforced disappearances and other serious violations during Indonesia’s authoritarian period still await truth and accountability. Rather than strengthening democratic institutions, these changes entrench military power in civilian governance.

How has civil society responded, and what international support do you need?

Opposition has been widespread and determined. KontraS submitted formal objections to parliament and staged peaceful protests during closed-door meetings to demand transparency. Mass demonstrations erupted in over 60 cities across Indonesia, while academic and student groups issued statements of concern.

Despite this unified opposition, parliament passed the law unchanged, showing a clear disregard for democratic norms and public input.

We urgently call on the international community to monitor these developments closely and hold Indonesia accountable to its commitments to democratic values and human rights. As a current member of the United Nations Human Rights Council and a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Indonesia has clear obligations to uphold civic freedoms.

International partners must raise concerns about the law’s impact on civil-military relations and ensure the military’s expanded cyber defence powers aren’t weaponised against free expression or civil society. We also need continued support in our pursuit of justice for past military abuses and meaningful institutional reform.

Indonesia’s hard-won democratic gains are at risk, and international attention is crucial to prevent further democratic backsliding.